Time: from 11:30 a.m.
Weather: dry, hazy sunshine, light wind, 17°C
I had another late morning visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve today in the hope of seeing and photographing more reptiles and butterflies.
On that objective, it was disappointing with only 2 Small Whites seen and no photographs of them.
With regard to birds, it was much quieter than an early morning visit but I still managed to hear 4 singing male Blackcaps and 4 singing male Chiffchaffs although I failed to see any of them.
In addition, I heard a calling Green Woodpecker and, after my first record on my last visit, I also heard a calling Greenfinch.
There were 2 Moorhens on the reedy pond at the east end of the boardwalk and another Moorhen and a male Mallard (asleep) on the pond near the Eastfield Road entrance.
A couple that I spoke to mentioned that they had just seen a Red Fox.
Finally, there was a rather gruesome sight of the remains of a dead Lesser Black-backed Gull just off the east end of the boardwalk. Clearly, it had already been partially eaten by scavengers but it remains a mystery as to why and how it ended up on the reserve.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Green Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Magpie
Mallard
Moorhen
Lesser Black-backed Gull (dead)
Red Fox (reported)
Small White
Having taken my macro lens with me for the purpose of photographing reptiles and butterflies, I instead used it for more flower photography.
Here are some photos from my visit:
Photo: Greater Stitchwort
Photo: Greater Stitchwort
Photo: seeded Dandelion
Photo: Greater Periwinkle
Photo: Dandelions
Photo: Buttercup
Photo: Blackthorn
Photo: remains of a Lesser Black-backed Gull
Site totals to date:
Site totals to date:
Birds = 27
Mammals = 1
Butterflies= 6
Dragonflies and damselflies
= 0
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
💚🦆
🦉 🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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ReplyDeleteRichard, the purple flower -- if it is fairly large (at least an inch in diameter) and found in a patch near the junction of the boardwalks, it is a greater periwinkle (Vinca major)
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