Tuesday 27 August 2024

Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 27th August 2024

Date: 27th August 2024

Time: from 8:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light/moderate wind, 17°C to 20°C

This was my first visit to the site since 30th July 2024 due to some personal commitments and weather that has hardly been conducive to recording and photographing butterfliesdragonflies and damselflies.

I had a very successful visit this morning with a new site record, namely Migrant Hawker, plus I also added a further 2 new records for the site for 2024, namely Common Darter and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

I recorded the following during my visit:

Butterflies: Comma (1), Holly Blue (1), Speckled Wood (3), Green-veined White (1), Small White (1), Gatekeeper (2), Meadow Brown (1)

Dragonflies and damselflies: Migrant Hawker (2 mating pairs, at least 5 other individuals and c.5 hawkers that were probably this species too), Common Darter (2)

Generally, but as expected during the summer months, birds were more difficult to see and hear. However, I still managed to record the following: Sparrowhawk (1 seen flying across the track near Thorny Wood), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 heard calling in the wooded area behind Willow Pond), Blackcap (1 seen very briefly and another heard alarm calling), Mallard (2 eclipse males on Willow Pond), Moorhen (4 on Willow Pond)

As on my last visit, I recorded Edible Frogs at Fox Pond where 2 or 3 jumped in to the water as I approached and I also eventually saw and photographed 2 more although they are exceptionally well camouflaged in the pondside vegetation!

Finally, I saw 2 Grey Squirrels in the woodland behind Willow Pond.

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

Blackcap

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Blackbird
Sparrowhawk
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Mallard
Moorhen
Herring Gull

Edible Frog

Grey Squirrel

Comma

Holly Blue
Speckled Wood
Green-veined White
Small White
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown

Migrant Hawker

Common Darter

Here are some photos from my visit ….
















Photo: Migrant Hawker
















Photo: Common Darter
















Photo: Common Darter
















Photo: Comma
















Photo: Green-veined White




























Photo: Meadow Brown




























Photo: Speckled Wood




























Photo: Holly Blue




























Photo: Holly Blue




























Photo: Edible Frogs .... there are 2 of them well camouflaged in this photo!




























Photo: eclipse male Mallard




























Photo: eclipse male Mallard

Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):

Birds = 36 (36)

Mammals = 3 (2)
Butterflies = 12 (15)  
Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (11)
Reptiles = 0 (1)
Amphibians = 1 (2)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 49

Mammals = 4
Butterflies = 22
Dragonflies and damselflies = 15
Reptiles = 2
Amphibians = 3

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Restore and rewild our natural world
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