Today I made a visit to the SOS Reserve at Venus Pool. For the first time since the start of the first Covid lock-down the public hide is now open with the door all the viewing portals fixed open. It provided welcome shelter from the heavy showers. Middle of summer is not the best time to visit but I managed a few images:
There were plenty of Greylag Geese and strangle no Canadas. Many of the geese left – here two head off in a tidy formation. The pale forewing of this species shows well.
Four more departing
A few individuals arrived. One about to splash down.
Good to see a few Lapwings. Not in the best of plumages at this time of year but still a green gloss on the back. One of the country names for this species is Green Plover.
The other species of wader present was this Common Sandpiper. A Green Sandpiper had been reported. I did not see it.
A juvenile Black-headed Gull starting to acquire a few pale grey feathers in its mantle as it moults in to first-winter plumage. Very recently fledged juveniles are almost chocolate-brown but this soon fades to the paler brown seen here.
In reflective mood.
A rather ungainly touch down from this Grey Heron, all the feathers ruffled by the air currents as it effectively 'stalls'. In the background three drake Mallards. They are in eclipse plumage and be identified as drakes by the pale green-yellow bill.
More or less settled to go fishing.
This plume moth flushed from vegetation and stayed to pose for me. I think the spotting on curled up wings indicate this is a Common Plume (
Emmelina monodactyla). Makes a change to see these in the light and get a better idea of their true tone.
(Ed Wilson)
