A fine warm week, which has been great for the insects, insect watchers and also great for the birds feeding on insects!
Bird highlights this week have included marsh harrier’s busy feeding young, with lots of food passes being seen regularly. Kingfishers have been showing well, if briefly from reception, Fen Hide and Tower Hide, two bitterns are still booming occasionally too. At least two hobbys have been seen taking advantage of the dragonfly bonanza . On Tuesday evening a total of seven grasshopper warblers were heard reeling from the reedbed, with reception and fen hide both having fairly close birds.
The bee orchids, common twayblades, common spotted and southern marsh orchids... as well as many scarce and rare fen plants are showing well too.
The following butterflies and dragonflies have all been seen this week, main highlights have included lots of swallowtails still on the wing, the first white admiral on Thursday as well as brown hawker and ruddy darter all taking to the skies.
banded demoiselle
emerald damselfly
large red damselfly
azure damselfly
blue-tailed damselfly
red-eyed damselfly
small red-eyed damselfly
brown hawker
Norfolk hawker
emperor dragonfly
four-spotted chaser
scarce chaser
black-tailed skimmer
ruddy darter
large skipper
small copper
comma
small tortoiseshell
white admiral
peacock
holly blue
meadow brown
painted lady
red admiral
swallowtail
green veined white
large white
small white
The reserve is fully open and all trails are in good condition, the meadow trail can be a little soft in places, but has largely started to dry out.
The vegetation in front of the hides is now beginning to grow quickly; we are not allowed to cut in front of Fen Hide and Reception hide until mid July due to Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)habitat management rules. We will mow in front of Tower Hide within the next two weeks (as long as there are no birds nesting there) as this area of nettles is not included in our prescriptions. We will cut in front of Fen and Reception Hides as soon as we are allowed.
It looks like a fine forecast to the week ahead so swallowtails should continue to be seen along with white admirals, best on bramble flowers in the woodland, dragonflies will be enjoying the good weather too.