SS15 wildlife watching: Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve

Date: 9th June 2024

Time: from 7:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 11°C to 15°C

This was my first visit to the site since 22nd April 2024, largely due to my trips to various parts of the UK (see here) and to Slovenia from 18th May to 3rd June 2024 (more on this to follow).

I had a very successful visit this morning with 7 new records for the site for 2024: Common Buzzard, Edible Frog, Large Skipper, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Azure Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

With regard to birds, a single Common Buzzard soaring high over the eastern end of the reserve was the undoubted highlight and my first record since 2022.

At Willow Pond, I saw 4 well-developed juvenile Mallards, presumably the same birds that I had seen as very young ducklings on my last visit on 22nd April 2024. I also heard a single calling Moorhen on Meadow Pond although the dense vegetation now meant that it was impossible to see it. Whether the pair that I had seen on several early spring visits remained to breed successfully is unknown.

Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are still very evident across the reserve. Surprisingly, given the full tree and bush cover now, I actually managed to see 3 singing male Chiffchaffs and additionally heard 2 other singing males. However, despite hearing 5 singing male Blackcaps, I failed to see any of these birds.

There were at least 5 Edible Frogs at Meadow Pond judging by the “plops” in to the water as I approached but I did manage to see and photograph one of them.

I was not expecting to be successful in seeing any butterflies, dragonflies or damselflies given the relatively cool temperature and the experience at my other local patch site around St. Nicholas Church yesterday.

However, an early Large Skipper showed very well in the bushes adjacent to the track to Fox Pond and I also saw a Holly Blue in bushes adjacent to the southern section of the boardwalk. Finally, I saw 3 individual Speckled Woods at various locations along the paths in the wooded areas.

In addition, I saw at least 10 Azure Damselflies, both at Meadow Pond and adjacent to the southern section of the boardwalk, plus at least 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies at Meadow Pond. I also saw a flying medium-sized dragonfly from the boardwalk approaching Meadow Pond which I was unable to identify although I suspect it was one of the chaser species.

With regard to mammals, I saw 2 Grey Squirrels, the first at Meadow Pond and the second between the storage shed and the Spanish Steps, the latter enabling a photo.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Common Buzzard

Jay