After a rather warm night the day dawned grey and mild with a light westerly. The feeling that I should have been trapping moths was reinforced when I reached Morton Bagot. Insects were everywhere, particularly gnats.
The birds were thrilled. Every other treetop and hedge was crowned by crazily flying gnats, and warblers, tits, and House Sparrows were making sorties to pick them off. I counted five Blackcaps, 11 Chiffchaffs, and both Lesser and Common Whitethroats enjoying the feast.
Ivy flowered in the hedgerows and the hum and buzz of bees and flies was almost deafening. I made slow progress due to the abundance of passerines feeding or zipping from bush to bush. As on Saturday I noted a flock of Siskins, maybe a dozen or so, but this time I added a single Lesser Redpoll as it flew over. Actually the only other species which was different from those recorded on Saturday was a calling Marsh Tit at Stapenhill Wood.
A Grey Wagtail flew over Netherstead before I headed towards the pool field. Here I found three Stonechats and two Whinchats. At the flash field I noted that the female Pintail was still present, but while I was making my way along the footpath something disturbed all the ducks causing them the fly around. Three Shovelers flew off, revealing their spatulate bills to good effect.
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| Shovelers |
When I got to the viewing area beneath the trees I could find no trace of the Pintail. At least an eclipse drake Wigeon was showing much better than on Saturday.
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| Wigeon |
Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were standing with 23 Lapwings, making a nonsense of my struggle to see any gulls on Saturday. My one regret came at the Kingfisher Pool when, having decided that none were present I blundered up to the pool flushing a Kingfisher which had been sitting quietly just ten metres away.
As compensation I scanned the algae coating the pool and found my first Small Red-eyed Damselfly of the year. I had concluded that the local population had disappeared having not seen any during August.
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| Small Red-eyed Damselfly |
I walked back past the docks and nettles which support hundreds of crickets, mainly Dark Bush-crickets and a few Roesel's Bush-crickets. One of my favourite butterflies, a Small Copper, posed perfectly.
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| Small Copper |
I reached the dragonfly pools and spotted a dragonfly recorder counting dragonflies. Determined to meet him I strode over and let him know about the Small Red-eye. He introduced himself as Alan, and told me he had seen several on the pool. After I was was diverted by another species of cricket, a Long-winged Conehead among the grass stems, I rejoined him to continue our conversation.
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| Long-winged Conehead |
Alan pointed out a fine male Common Emerald Damselfly and the numerous coupled Common Darters.
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| Common Emerald Damselfly |
I plan to be back with Richard B on Friday, our first visit since Covid.
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