Common Blue and Friend.

Male Common Blue and friend.

July 31st

Not a great deal to mention bird wise , eight Tufted Ducks , ten Great Crested Grebe's , Jay , Buzzard , and good numbers of Bullfinch. I managed to capture some Common Blue and Small Copper butterflies , as they battled with the early morning breeze.

Small Copper.

Common Blue male.

Common Blue male.

Common Blue female.

Common Blue female.

July 30th

On July 25th a count of thirty four Common Blue butterflies were noted amongst the long grass just to left of visitors center car park. Today five Swift still hanging on they should be heading south any time now. Five Tufted Duck noted numbers should increase now as the breeding seasons coming to an end , and Tuffties disperse from other waters. Good numbers of Bullfinch around looks like they had a good season.

July Highlights

July highlights are as follows , Common Sandpiper 14th , Oystercatcher 15th , juvenile Common Gull 27th and Raven 28th. Confirmed breeding Bullfinch , Greenfinch , Goldcrest , Long-tailed Tit and G C Grebe. Others worth a mention are Great Spotted Woodpecker , Tree Creeper , Nuthatch , Grey Wagtail , Kestrel , Sparrowhawk , Buzzard , Collared Dove , Reed Warbler , Blackcap , Chiffchaff , Swift , House Martin , Swallow , Sand Martin, Grey Heron and Cormorant. Butterflies included Large , Small and Green-veined White's , Small Copper , Common Blue , Comma , Ringlet , Meadow Brown , Small Skipper , Peacock , Speckled Wood , Gatekeeper , Red Admiral , Holly Blue , Small Tortoiseshell and Painted Lady. Dragonflies included Brown Hawker , Southern Hawker and Migrant Hawker. Nearby of interest Kingfisher river Dane town centre also Dipper , Goosander and Grey Wagtail . On the Cloud Crossbill , Lesser Redpoll , Tree Pipit , Spotted Flycatcher , Meadow Pipit and Raven . Radnor Park industrial estate on 12th a White Stork on a factory roof early morning . All reports courtesy of Mark and Tracey Stubbs.

Ringlet.

July 6th

Good variety of butterflies on show today with Small Skipper , Large and Small White's , Green-viened White , Small Copper , Holy Blue , Red Admiral (first of the year) , Small Tortoiseshell , Peacock , Comma , Gatekeeper , Meadow Brown and Ringlet . Also six spot Burnet moths , Brown Hawker dragonfly , Kestrel , Buzzard , Sparrowhawk and Nuthatch. (MS & TS).

July 1st

First Gatekeeper butterfly today bringing our total to eighteen species this year, one more than previous two years. Also six-spotted burnet moths are flying. (MS).

Gatekeeper.

Six-spotted Burnet.