RXwildlife Sightings

Egyptian goose – one flew over Burrowes pit on 12th. Bittern - one booming at Hooker’s pits from 17th April, one or two individuals seen daily at Christmas Dell or Denge Marsh. Purple heron - one at Hooker’s pits on 13th. Spoonbill - one on Burrowes pit today. Common buzzard – single birds flew over on 10th and 12th. Hobby – up to nine all week. Curlew sandpiper – one in flood field near Denge Marsh road on 11th. Black-tailed godwit – six on 11th. Bar-tailed godwit – eight in fields near Christmas Dell on 11th. Whimbrel - several around the site all week. Greenshank - two on Denge Marsh today. Wood sandpiper – one on Denge Marsh on today. Little gull – one over New Diggings today. Common tern – 40 over Burrowes pit today. Little tern – one over New Diggings on 10th. Black tern – two over Burrowes pit on 11th.

I was not convinced that Downy Emeralds would be seen at Castle Water this year,  so I was delighted to find four exuviae and an adult amongst the Typha stems near the viewpoint this morning. Sadly the pre-flight emergent pictured below appeared to have problems with one hind wing and a front leg, so might not make its maiden flight. Considering only a very small section of the available emergence habitat can be checked it would be interesting to know what the actual emerging population is.

Downy Emerald near the viewpoint this morning Read the rest of this entry »

A cracking early morning and as the mist lifted of the shore a few highlights were found, 2 Black Tern and 5 Little Tern were picked out amongst the many Sandwich and Common Tern. Waders included 6 Grey Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Knot, 8 Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper. Masked Crabs were also present in good numbers the one pictured below was stranded on the hard sand and was struggling to bury itself, but when placed in a suitable pool it soon disappeared with only the antennae showing.

Maked Crab Read the rest of this entry »

With the change in wind direction it was good to get out in the back garden to see what was buzzing around the flowering bushes and shrubs. A good selection of insects were found, bumblebee workers of four species were present in good numbers and the rather bristly Tachina fera is hard to miss. Seven species of hoverfly were found the highlight being the superb Neoscia podagrica, this little fellow is easily overlooked as it flies low down in the dappled sunlight amongst the long grasses and pot plants. Easier hoverflies to pick out included Epistrohe eligans, Myathropa florea and Meliscaeva auricollis.

Bombus terrestris/lucorum worker with polllen load Read the rest of this entry »