RXwildlife Sightings

There seems to be quite a lot of Speckled Bush Crickets in our garden at Sedlescombe this year. I have been photographing them at their different stages of their development. They are not yet fully mature, but should be, by late July early August. The females develop a long sabre-kind of growth on the backside, used to deposit eggs. It looks like some of the individuals in the photo maybe starting to develop these. The males gain a prominent, brown stripe on their backs, and their legs turn partially brown. Their mating call is ultrasonic and lasts only a few milliseconds. I hope enough of them survive the next few weeks so that I can photograph the adults.

Dave Monk

The Spotted Crane-fly is identified by its clear, shiny wings and spotted body, at rest the wings are normally folded flat over the body. The female above in the picture will lay her eggs by pushing the tough reddish tip of her abdomen into the soil.

It can be a confusing time for bird watchers at Ternery Pool, with so many birds in plumages not shown in most field guides. Now is the best time to see juvenile gulls - hundreds of Black-headed Gull, showing brown backs, white bellies, pale legs and patterned heads, and fewer Mediterranean Gull showing grey “scaly” backs, grey bellies, dark legs and plain heads.

Mediterranean Gull

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Singing Skylarks are a favourite with visitors to the reserve, 37 pairs nested this year mainly on the Beach Reserve. The one in the picture started singing from its Sea-kale perch, before climbing higher and higher on fluttering wings.