No.3 bed

Very hot day revealed a total of 14 adult and 7 independent young Black-necked Grebes.Also,55 Canada Geese,27 Lapwing and several broods each of Tufted Duck and Pochard. Masses Of Gadwall (Dave Hackett counted 539 last night). David Spencer reported 3 Green Sandpipers,2 adult Med. Gulls flying on to bed and a new brood of Gadwall in north-east pools.

Brian Martin with Alan Patterson and David Spencer

Photo of a Large Skipper from No.1 bed today.

Cheers David

Four-spotted Chaser from No.1 bed today.

Cheers David

Black-tailed Skimmer from No.1 bed.

Cheers David

Photo of one of the recently fledged juvenile Peregrines.

Cheers David

Gadwall (Anas strepera)taken from the John Morgan Hide

Unknown insect taken on No3 Bed

The spotted winged insect photographed by Andy Weir is a Scorpionfly. Probably Panorpa germanica. The pattern of spots on the wings can vary within the species. Species identification of females needs examination of the ovipositor by an expert under a microscope.

Douglas Buchanan 30/06/2015

Possibly Comb footed Spider (Enoplognatha ovata)taken on No3 Bed.

Unknown insect taken on No3 Bed.

This is a Soldier Beetle. Identification in the words of my book “may be a challenge” It looks most like Cantharis nigricans. This beetle prefers damper sites. It is found on Angelica, Hogweed and other flowers. The larvae are predators in soil, litter or dead wood.

Douglas Buchanan 30/06/2015

A detailed survey of the northern section of No.1 bed produced 83 Meadow Brown, 21 Common Blue and 9 Large Skipper. There will be some overlap with the counts by David Bowman et al at the same time but the Large Skipper totals are exceptionally high for Woolston where the highest count in recent years is 16.

A lovely sunny morning, produced some excellent birds plus good numbers of butterflies and dragonflies. Highlights given are for Nos.1 (west side only) and 3 beds combined: 3 Green Sandpipers, 10 Little Ringed Plovers (7 adults and 3 juveniles), 1 Curlew, 2 Peregrines, 1 Ruddy Duck, 8 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Willow Tits, 11 Reed Warblers, 7 Blackcaps, 9 Whitethroats, 7 Chiffchaffs, 4 Black-tailed Skimmers, 6 Emperors, 2 Brown Hawkers, 2 Southern Hawkers, 3 Common Darters, 1 Broad-bodied Chaser, 17 Four-spotted Chasers, 3 Red-eyed Damselflies, many scores of Common and Blue-tailed Damselflies, 14 Large Skippers, 1 Green-veined White, 13 Meadow Browns, 6 Speckled Woods and 17 Common Blues.

Photo of a Four-spotted Chaser

Cheers David (with Dave Steel, David Spencer, Alan Warford, Paul Hazlehurst, Helen Allan, Diane Shepherd, Les Jones and George Dunbar)

Photo of a Long-horn Moth sp.

Cheers David

Dave, the moth looks like Nemophora degeerella,

Phil Barnett 25 June 2015

David , the micro moth that you photographed on 25th June is Nemophora degeerella. It used to be very common at Woolston notably in the area near the Rotary hide. I have not seen it for some years but on a visit to Moore last week they were fairly numerous in one area. This is a good record so perhaps they are making a comeback.

Brian Martin 28 June 2015

Photo of a Common Sandpiper from No.3 bed today.

Cheers David

Another really enjoyable morning started at 7.00 am with a birding breakfast in the Morgan Hide, then a couple of hours pulling Himalayan Balsam before getting back to birding. Highlights were: 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ruddy Duck, 1 Peregrine, c.450 Gadwall, 19 Black-necked Grebes (13 adults and 6 young) plus new broods of Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck and Gadwall. Three Large Skippers and 4 Four-spotted Chasers were also of interest. Photo of a beetle in need of ID!

Cheers David (with Alan Warford, David Spencer, Brian Martin, Sue Haddock, John Haddock and John Barber)

Dave, the beetle looks like Red-headed Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis,

Phil Barnett 25 June 2015

Photo of a Peregrine from No.1 bed today.

Cheers David

Photo of a female Pheasant from No.3 bed today.

Cheers David

Photo of a Sedge Warbler from today on No.3 bed

Cheers David

Photo of a Blue-tailed Damselfly from today on No.3 bed

Cheers David

Photo of a Great Crested Grebe from No.3 bed today

Cheers David

Gadwall numbers continue to build and I counted 383 on No.3 bed on Monday evening. The highlight of today’s walk was a close encounter with a juvenile Peregrine which was sitting on the concrete base of the viaduct. It allowed me to approach to within a few yards before hopping away! One of the adults was also present. On Butchersfield were 11 Common Blues and a similar number of Meadow Browns, the latter emerging rather late this year, possibly as a result of below average temperatures this month. Two Large Skippers were present together with a Brimstone. Also on Butchersfield were 6 Bee Orchids. A Great-crested Grebe was on the river between Nos.3 and 4 beds with five young, one of which it was carrying on its back in spite of its large size. The Loop held a number of broods of Mallard, Coot, Pochard and Tufted Duck. Photo; Orchids on No.1 bed. I’m not sure what type; they were quite tall - at least two foot.

A Grasshopper Warbler showed well but, briefly, from the Rotary Hide just before mid-day today. Perching in the waterside vegetation directly in front of the hide before disappearing.

Record provided by Chris Shaw via website

Herewith a Little Grebe with it’s catch

Yet more Avocets from this morning!

Cheers David

Another Avocet photo from today

Avocet photo from No.3 bed today

Cheers David

Yet another excellent morning on Nos.3 and 1 beds, with 2 Avocets, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Ruddy Duck, 9 Black-necked Grebes and final confirmation of another successful breeding season for the Peregrines, with 2 fully grown young on the Viaduct.

Photo of one of the juvenile Peregrines.

Cheers David (with David Spencer, Sue Haddock,Alan Warford, Paul Hazlehurst , John Barber, Helen Allan, Diane Shepherd and George Dunbar)

No.3 bed Spent several hours searching for Black-necked Grebes and found a total of 13 adults and 5 young.The pair with tiny young seen two days ago in fact have just one young ;this is a sixth brood.Fully expect another new brood in next day or two with an adult keeping watch at a small patch of reeds. One indepent young and 3 well grown young still being fed by single adults.

Also good view of Gt Crested Grebe close to the Morgan hide.

Visited this evening to lock the gate. Two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers in front of Linley hide.

Red Admiral

We had a pleasant few hours this afternoon on the reserve.Our sightings included a black necked grebe with young, 20 or so black tailed godwits they circled around then dropped into the reeds.One red shank,shovelers male ruddy duck tufted dcuk one little grebe four great crested grebe,one buzzard.A male sparrowhawk plus many of the usual nice to see many young chicks about.On the way out we saw a red admiral and a speckled wood look forward to our next visit Roger and Gill Riley

Photo of a blue-tailed Damselfly

Cheers David

Photo of Foxgloves

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Flight shot of a Shelduck

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Photo of a female Pochard with young

Cheers David

Photo of a female Pochard

Cheers David

Photo of a female Mallard

Cheers David

Photo of Shelduck with young

Cheers David

A few of this week’s Black-tailed Godwits

Cheers David

Another Black-headed Gull photo

Cheers David

Photo of a Lapwing

Cheers David

Photo of Grey Heron and Shelduck

Cheers David

Photo of a black-headed Gull

Cheers David

Photo of a Mute Swan from No.3 bed

Cheers David

A single Black-tailed Godwit on the Morgan Hide scrape

More Black-tailed Godwits.

Cheers David

Photo of mating Black-headed Gulls.

Cheers David

Photo of A Peregrine Falcon.

Cheers David

An early morning visit to No.3 bed, with a bit of birding followed by a couple of hours pulling Himalayan Balsam (thanks to Alan Warford? and John Barber? for their help) and then more birding. Highlights were a male Garganey early on, a Hobby skimming the the water in a high speed chase after a Swallow, 32 Black-tailed Godwits, single Redshank and Ruddy Duck, a new brood of 7 Tufted Ducks and 10 adult Black-necked Grebes with 3 well-grown young.

Photo of some of the Black-tailed Godwits from Saturday’s record flock of 265. Cheers David (with Alan Warford and John Barber)

After so much dry and sunny weather today was cloudy with occasional drizzle. I managed to complete most of my walk around the reserve before heavy rain set in as I was half way round No.4 bed! On No.1 bed the Cetti’s Warbler was singing loudly and a Grasshopper Warbler was “reeling” at the far end. Both the Peregrines were flying around the viaduct calling noisily. On No.3 bed was a single Black-tailed Godwit. There has been an influx of Gadwall and about 220 were on No.3 bed last evening and a minimum reserve total of 270. Mute Swans totalled 36 with the pair on the canal having produced five young. Although the weather was not suitable for butterflies I did find my first Meadow Brown of the year on No.4 bed. Photo; Bee Orchids on Butchersfield Tip

Cropped photograph of the godwit flock. Difficult to count but circa 110, I think!

This morning there was a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits in the NE corner. Unfortunately they were out of the view most of the time but were occasionally seen in flight when disturbed. Also today 11 adult Black-necked Grebes were present with at least 3 juveniles. (D Spencer & B Martin)

Another grebe shot!

One Green Sandpiper flew to the NE corner early morning. A pair of Black-necked Grebes showed nicely.

Dragonflies observed by Brian Baird & Paul Hazelhurst today included Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer and the year’s first Red-eyed Damselfly below the footbridge on to No.3 bed, see photo by by Paul.

This afternoon the sunshine brought a lot of dragonfly activity along the south bank of No.3 bed. I counted more than 120 damselflies, most of which were Azure (maybe 60), with smaller numbers of Common Blues (maybe 40) and about 20 Blue-tailed. The photo is one of the latter.

Cheers David

Another insect shot from today in need of ID.

Phil Barnett has suggested this is Microchrysa polita, Black-horned Gem a Soldier Fly.

Cheers David

One of today’s insect photos. Anyone provide an ID?

Cheers David

This is a Soldier Beetle.

It looks most like Cantharis nigricans. Does not have a common name. It prefers damp places. Described as 9-11mm and wing cases with a greyish sheen.

Douglas Buchanan 11/06/2015

Photo of a Cormorant, taken near the Car Park on the Ship Canal today.

Spent a few hours between Nos.1 and 3 beds this afternoon, mainly focussed on photography. Highlights were 28 Black-tailed Godwits on No.3 bed and more than 100 Gadwall, all flushed by a Buzzard.

Photo of a Peregrine from No.1 bed.

Cheers

David

Woke early this morning and was wandering onto? No.3 bed at 5.00am. Sun coming up through the mist with birds calling and singing everywhere. Highlights were a singing Cetti’s Warbler, a Barn Owl hunting outside the Morgan Hide, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Willow Tits, 3 broods of Gadwall and at least four broods of Black-necked Grebe.

Photo of a Dunnock from this morning

Cheers David

Spent the morning on the northern half of No.1 bed where I counted 30 Common Blue and 3 Small Copper. Also present were 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing and a Buzzard. The new pool held a pair of Coot with one young and a pair of Mute Swans with 5 small young were at the ferry. I am unsure whether these are the birds that bred at the locks. Photo; Common Blues mating on No.1 bed

Broad-bodied Chaser in the Southeast corner of No. 3 bed, photographed by Brian Baird.

Large Red Damselfly photographed by Brian Baird

Photograph by Paul Hazelhurst of a Common Tern on the scrape this evening

Ragged Robin on No.2 bed

A very pleasant day after the recent cold and wet weather. A pair of Grey Wagtails were at the locks but there was no sign of the Mute Swans and their young. One of the Peregrines was calling noisily as it flew around the viaduct. A pair of Little Grebes were feeding 2 young on No.1 bed and a late male Orange Tip was on the main path. On Butchersfield Tip I found 5 Common Blues and the orchids are beginning to emerge. On No.3 bed a female Orange Tip was on the south bank. I saw 4 Black-necked Grebe broods and also a pair of Shelduck with 2 small young. Coot and Canada Goose broods were plentiful and a Redshank was in front of the Frank Linley Hide. On the east bank of No.4 bed was a Holly Blue, the first sighting of this species at Woolston since 2012 I think. Also present was a Banded Demoiselle.

A quiet morning but a Goldfinch feeding below the John Morgan hide provided a nice photo opportunity