RXwildlife Sightings

This years cohort of Four-spotted Chaser are reaching their peak of emergence at Castle Water at the moment, over two mornings 93 exuviae have been collected in a short stretch of drainage ditch near the hide, 60% of them being female. Teneral adults are easy to find in the long grass and bramble scrub near to the hide, this species is the most numerous and easily encountered large dragonfly on the wing at Castle Water at the moment.

Pre-flight emergent Four-Spotted Chaser with exuvia at Castle Water today

Highlights this morning included 6 Little Tern, 5 Whimbrel, 5 Little Egret, Arctic Skua and 3 Avocet along the shore. Four Little Ringed Plover, 7 Dunlin and at least four pairs of Avocet (chick pictured) and two pairs of Redshank have broods of chicks on Harbour Farm Pools. Ternery Pool is of course busy, and by now very smelly with 1600 pairs of Black-headed Gull, 90 Pairs of Mediterranean Gull, 500 pairs Sandwich Tern and Common Terns gradually finding space as the Black-headed Gull chicks disperse to the margins.