23.06.14. Birdlog

23.06.14. Birdlog

I can get use to these evenings of after work birding ablaze in summer sunshine and excellent light.

I walked down from the old birdlog at the south-east corner of No.1 tank along the now dried up track bordered either side by pig sty scented Hogweed and lots of Robber Flies (see previous post by Mr Broome). I eventually reached the banks of the Weaver Causeway with Redwall Reedbed behind and the river ahead. Before me and dozing on the water in illuminating sunlight was the (I never get tired of this bird) summer Red-necked Grebe. Although mostly asleep it did pop its head up for a while before tucking its bill into the breast feathers and paddling away with a Great Crested Grebe up to the estuary.

A Ringed Plover was present on the Shooters’ Pools but it felt a bit flat with just a few Black-headed Gulls loitering around and no sign of any chicks?

Towards the close of day I made my way to No.6 tank and watched over the ever diminishing water there and watched 6 Cormorant, 2 pairs of Common Teal, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 drake Pochard and a solitary Grey Heron were present.

A couple of adult Little Ringed Plover were feeding along the waters edge while a Green Sandpiper was very vocal and a few Black-tailed Godwit present were less so. A Cuckoo was perched along the fence line and flew from the track and out onto No.5 tank.

An incredible 61 Raven were countered in three flocks, two separate flocks headed out and appeared to ditch into the woods on Fox Hill for their roost. The other birds stayed out on Frodsham Score.

Observer and images: WSM

Nature Notes #34 (Part 2)

Nature Notes #34 (Part 2)

I decided on a walk along the track between No.5 and 6 tanks to see what insects were about. It was annoyingly breezy and cloudy at times and the vegetation was swaying about, not very good when you’re trying to take photos of tiny creatures that are a few millimetres long. A little cursing was tempered when I got a call from Bill to say that he was watching from the banks close to my parked car and needed a drink., I headed back and we both drove along the vertebrate pounding pot-holed track, fortunately I have a car that can cope with most terrain but some of these holes tested its capabilities.

I had managed to take a few pictures and including a Solitary Wasp (4th picture), some of which are difficult for identification.

As an aside, the Ichneumon Wasp (pictured again here from in my previous notes) was confirmed as a ‘Amblyteles armatorius’.

 

The Semaphore Fly, ‘Poecilobothrus nobilitatus’, is named because the male displays to the female by waving one wing at a time, showing off the white spots, like a signalman sending a message. They are fairly common around fresh water.

A Furrow Orbweaver, ‘Larinoides cornutus’, one of many Orbweaver spiders and common in grassland especially near reeds.

Solitary Wasp, ‘Crabro (peltarius)’, one of many very similar wasps and a problematic identification, although this fitted the photos that I’ve looked at and they are one of the commonest. They’re a beautiful insect and usually very confiding.

Barred Straw, ‘ Eulithis pyraliata’, a common moth in a variety of habitats.

Tony Broome (words and images)