Life back on the patch

This post comprises two visits, a hot sunny day on Sunday May 27, and a sultry grey evening on Thursday May 31.

On Sunday I was probably suffering from post-holiday blues. It was a bit of a late morning start. Dave was far more optimistic than I was, but we still struggled to find anything beyond the usual. I was pleased to see and hear two Reed Warblers, the last of the more or less guaranteed summer residents.


Reed Warbler

It actually took a few years for the habitat created by Paul Harvey to be right for this species. They first arrived and bred in 2010, but then failed to breed last year. Two birds singing in the reedbed, and the Sedge Warblers still being present, is an encouraging sign. A Cuckoo was calling in the distance, and a Little Ringed Plover was on the flash. By mid day we were back at the dragonfly pools, but there was no sign of any of the usual spring Chasers or damselflies. I suppose the drying out of the pools in early spring has killed off all the larvae. A single Blue-tailed Damselfly in long grass near the flashes was all we could find.

Fast forward to May 31. A good count of five Grey Herons in the marsh, a Redshank, two Little Ringed Plovers, the Cuckoo again, and a new brood of four Lapwings to provide the aaah factor. It was like an episode of Springwatch.