SS15 wildlife watching: Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve

Date: 21st June 2024

Time: from 9:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 15°C to 20°C

My visit this morning was on the longest day of the year and it was also my warmest visit of the year which augured well for butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. This definitely proved to be the case.

I had a very successful visit with a new record for the site, namely Southern Migrant Hawker, plus a further 5 new records for the site for 2024: Swift, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Black-tailed Skimmer, Common Blue Damselfly.

I saw a dragonfly species in the bushes adjacent to the southern section of the boardwalk in the eastern section of the reserve. Beyond initially identifying it as a hawker species, I was unsure as to what I was looking at. I took some photos and, after consulting my books and the Internet when I got home, I identified it as a female Southern Migrant Hawker.

Southern Migrant Hawker is a species that I had yet to record anywhere in the UK so I was particularly pleased to see my first on my Noak Bridge Nature Reserve local patch.

The Southern Migrant Hawker is a species found in southern and central Europe, in North Africa and the Middle East and across Asia to China. However, its range is expanding north west and the British Dragonfly Society states that it has been breeding around the Thames estuary since 2010 and over the past 2 decades reports of migrant influxes have become more frequent with most sightings coming from the south-east coast. In recent days, Southern Migrant Hawker has been reported from RSPB Bowers Marsh and Canvey Way.

Photo: female Southern Migrant Hawker

During my visit, in addition to the Southern Migrant Hawker, I recorded 3 dragonfly and damselfly species: Black-tailed Skimmer (1), Azure Damselfly (at least 20), Common Blue Damselfly (at least 5)

I also recorded 6 butterfly species: Ringlet (5), Meadow Brown (1), Holly Blue (4), Comma (1), Large Skipper (2) and Speckled Wood (4)

With regard to birds, I heard a “screaming” Swift high overhead but unfortunately failed to see it.

Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are still very evident across the reserve. Surprisingly, given the full tree and bush cover now, I actually managed to see a singing male Chiffchaff and additionally heard 4 other singing males. However, despite hearing 2 singing male Blackcaps, I failed to see any of these birds.

I also saw a well-grown juvenile Moorhen on Willow Pond.

There were at least 10 Edible Frogs at Meadow Pond judging by the “plops” in to the water as I approached but I did manage to see 5 individuals and photograph a few of them.

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

Swift

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Wren

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Jay

Magpie