Tuesday 25 August 2015

Passage Wader's Etc,Messingham Sand Quarries,Sunday 23rd August 2015.

Today i had planned to visit the Dragon patch at Messingham to monitor numbers of the later occurring species of Dragonfly,but also managed some nice bird and insect sightings to add to the notebook.
 Due to low water levels on the main lake area on the reserve,it is in really good nick for passage waders and wildfowl at the moment and numbers and species today included singles of Greenshank,Ruff and Common Sandpiper,with 4 Green Sandpipers and a nice flock of 10 Little Egret all observed feeding and loafing around the area.
 It was really nice to see such a good selection of wading birds and there were also a hand full of Common Snipe seen feeding along the reed edge.
 Wildfowl were also well represented with Shoveler,Teal and Gadwall all in good numbers along with the usual Greylag flock.At least 10 Cormorant completed the water bird set,as they fished and dried their wings on the many perches available to these prehistoric looking birds.
 Other birds encountered included a couple of Siskins in the plantation and a roving tit flock also in the plantation.
 Insects observed around the reserve today,included some good numbers of Butterflies,with Peacock,Red Admiral,Small Tortoiseshell,Small White,Gatekeeper and some lovely Brimstones being seen,the latter showing really nicely as they were watched nectaring on the abundant Purple Loosestrife.
 After another great 4 hour visit,i made my way home back to Barnetby,with another memory card full of images.
Red Admiral,showing that stunningly patterned underwing.


Female Brimstone,nectaring on Purple Loosestrife.

Juvenile Greenshank,feeding around the bottom islands on the reserve.

6 of the 10 Little Egret present today.

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