The Flash - 21 Jul 16

Two Grey Heron present 8:30 this morning. Remaining single cygnet on the island with the pen.

(Ann Dewhurst)

Aqualate and Newport - 17 Jul 16

Aqualate

The results of my now usual early Sunday morning trip to the Natural England hide at Aqualate Mere

At this time of year ducks can be hard with even the drakes in their sombre eclipse (moult) plumage and juveniles yet to acquire ‘real’ plumage. The camera can help see what my eyes cannot these days.

These 4 are Gadwall. The first clue is the rather extensive orange/brown at the side of bill, but it is not that easy. Gadwall ducks show white bellies and these don’t, though they are at an angle and it might be hard to see that. What we can see is the white speculum, distinct on the uppermost bird. I would not like to say whether these are juveniles or ducks.

And here we can identify 3 Teal flying by. The speculums appear green, though that always needs checking as the angle of the light can make blue seem green and vice versa. The clinching ID feature is the border to the speculum: in front the white border widens towards the far end (distally) – only duck Teal show this; and at the rear border is always narrow. On Mallard the front white border is always of equal width and the trailing white is always much broader. Now could you see that when birds fly by? [Tufted Duck below them and behind them; some of the 300+ Mute Swans behind].

Not sure what set these off paddling at high speed – there were a number of such panics from the Coots as well as these Tufted Ducks. I kept hoping for an Otter to appear, but no such luck.

These duck were paddling as they were juveniles probably yet to fledge: here we see them with Mum on the left. Note the rather dull eye as well as the rather ‘blurred’ plumage.

When I arrived there were fewer than 30 Coots visible: suddenly at 08:00 a great whirring indicated c.450 had flushed out of the far side reeds: here c.100 of them.

An Oystercatcher flies by calling.

There were 3 Common Terns flying around, mainly at the other end: but one came close and I managed this shot. We see the dark wedge on the outer wing that separates adult Common Terns from other similar terns. Only adults would have complete black caps.

This shot just about shows the dark trailing edge to the underwing.

Rather obscured by foreground weed both features are seen here.

Another Aqualate visit means another Kingfisher photo: but hold hard ...

A Kingfisher with no visible means of support!

That’s better.

From a different angle..

Not all bird: this rather unusual-looking snail.

The ‘U’ shaped mark on segment 2 identifies this as an Azure Damselfly.

Newport
Later I cycled again to the small farm pool near Newport. Again a bit windy around the pool area for the hoped-for damsel- and dragon-flies

Almost complete ‘mating wheel’ of Common Blue Damselflies – the club-shaped mark in segment 2 of the upper male identifies.

The marking is rather clearer on the resting male.

Black-tailed Skimmer at rest on the ground: one of the few species of dragonflies that regularly does this.

Here is another resting on ears of wheat in the adjacent field

And this is the close-up of the ‘gearbox’ that drives the wings: note the left hind-wing has a nick in the trailing edge. Wing damage is not unusual either through fighting or when they are flushed form rest in vegetation – many dragonflies I hear crashing out of grass before I see them.

(Ed Wilson)

Newport - 14 Jul 16

This afternoon I cycled to a small farm pool near Newport. Rather too windy around the pool area for the hoped-for damsel- and dragon-flies but in some sheltered areas and when the sun came out managed a few other insects

A Small Tortoiseshell of course.

A rather worn Ringlet moth.

This is a Meadow Brown butterfly. Males typically show less orange but this is particularly devoid of orange tones in the upper wing.

This shows the underside of this species. Note the single white spot in the black circle on the forewing.

Slightly smaller is the Gatekeeper butterfly but the twin white spots in the black circle on the forewing are diagnostic.

A Green-veined White butterfly.

A male Common Blue Damselfly.

And a mating pair.

This is a plume moth which are hard to identify. It may be 1508 Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla (Twin-spot Plume): on Chamomile with lots of small beetles ssp.

A Greenbottle – exactly what species I cannot determine.

Dig those thick thighs: a male beetle Oedemera nobilis.

These mating beetles are the so-called Bloodsucker beetles (they don’t) Rhagonycha fulva which has no been given the appropriate vernacular name of Hogweed Bonking-beetle. It is indeed Hogweed they are on.

Another peek.

And this one is still looking.

The so-called Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus.

And another.

This is the hoverfly Eristalis pertinax.

(Ed Wilson)

The Flash - 10 Jul 16

Three of remaining four cygnets shown here.  Parents seem to have separated and ignoring the young ones, who are very hungry.

Also a Great Crested Grebe on her nest.

(Ann Dewhurst)

Two cygnets

And the third

A few Greylag and Canada Geese

A Great Crested Grebe on her nest.

(Ann Dewhurst)

Aqualate - 10 Jul 16

Shame there was not rather better light but you never know – if the weather was better the birds might have been doing something else.

A new nest under construction by a pair of Great Crested Grebes. Here we see just how ungainly this species is on land – legs set far back for chasing fish underwater.

More weed on its way.

In the rain the effect is almost like an oil painting than a photo. Here we see the ‘paddle’ feet used for powering underwater.

The male, I assume, on the left seems unsure what to do next.

Is it past the watershed? He seemed to discover what to do and looks as if he is enjoying it.

After mating both grebes swam off and a Coot looks to see whether there is anything to steal. I would expect that Coot have finished breeding now and think stealing the nesting material is unlikely.

A Mallard and despite superficial appearance to the contrary this is a drake – see the green-yellow bill. This is the ‘eclipse’ plumage to give it more camouflage while it renews all its flight feathers.

This duck Mallard has been seeing a farmyard-type duck. Her two well-grown ducklings show a white breast, never seen on ‘real’ Mallard – if such things exist.

My best attempt at the Common Terns here this morning. We can just about make out the orange-red bill beneath the neat black cap. Coots in the middle distance; a single Great Crested Grebe behind these; Canada Geese with goslings in the distance; and one of the Swans is with three cygnets.

The obligatory Kingfisher photos. It is still looking for flying-fish I see.

Why have I never noticed that the electric blue of the back appears on the nape as well – if the light is at the right angle.

That is more like it: may see some fish there.

Not so much a fish – looks more like a crayfish. The only UK crayfish – the White-clawed Crayfish – is in serious decline so perhaps I should hope it is not one of these. If this is the invasive North American Signal Crayfish then it is good news that it is being eaten, but bad news that it is present at all.

The Kingfisher seemed to have real difficulty managing something so large.

... tossing it to get a different angle.

... is that better?

... not really!

... another go – sadly the light was rather poor as it was about to rain and I was unable to completely ‘freeze’ the action here.

... but this presages success....

... and breakfast is complete.

After breakfast it went and sat, rather unusually, in the shrubbery.

Back for more food during the rain: see the drops on its back.

Light even worse now but this does look like another crayfish.

In the rain: this male Great Spotted Woodpecker clings on. Note how the tail is used as a ‘prop’.

Not only bird feathers are waterproof: this reed shows how it is done.

(Ed Wilson)