Despite the dull weather, it doesn't take long to find the first damselfly, a Red eyed, and not long after, my first Variable Damselfly! All round, we find four species, Azure, Blue tailed, Red eyed and variable, mainly resting in the vegetation. Another highlight is the three Marsh Harriers hunting over the site and also at Oxmardyke. Despite the occasional drizzle, a very pleasant walk and a site to which I shall return, especially on a sunny day.
Variable Damselfly, Coenagrion pulchellum
Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn, Agapanthia villosoviridescens
Azure Damselfly.
Late instar larvae of Diving Beetle ready to pupate in an underground chamber under a rock.
My finger gives an idea of the size of this larvae, a powerful aquatic predator.
snail ID.
Whitethroat
A view of the size from the western path.
Red-eyed damselfly.
spider ID.
Small Tortoiseshell caterpillar munching nettles.
A view of the northern area of the site.
Two carpet moths arranged on hogweed leaf
Azure Damselfly.
Variable Damselfly.
Male Marsh Harrier hovering over the reeds.
Singing Yellowhammer.
A view of the site.
We had done a circuit around the site by midday, so we moved to North Cave Wetlands, a 10 minute drive away. Dozens of Swifts, with a few Sand Martins and House Martins flew low hunting over Dryham lane, quite an spectacle to behold. A slightly different damselfly arrangement at North Cave, with Common Blues in attendance, and also Blue-tailed and Azure. A teneral damselfly was at the first pond, and also 12 exuviae of emperor dragonfly. On the bird front, my first Cetti's warbler in the site and a total of 50 bird species including gadwall and shoveler ducklings, 16 young avocets, 3 Mediterranean gull chicks and a Little Ringed Plover.
Common blue damselfly.
A moulting spider, possibly Larinioides sp.
The longhorn moth, Nemophora degeerella, with a Tetragnatha spider in the background.
The stunning Tenthredo mesomela, a predatory sawfly
Felame Blue-tailed damselfly form rufescens.
Avocet chick.
Little Ringed Plover.
Shoveler family.
Great Pond Snail, Lymnaea stagnalis.
Emperor dragonfly exuvia.
Several emperor dragonfly exuvia.
Teneral damselfly.
Araniella sp.
Mediterranean Gull with three chicks.
We found two Black Sexton Beetles on a smelly dead rabbit, this one proved quite tricky to photograph.
Swifts over Dryham lane.
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