This morning a flock of about 140 House Martins, 40 Swallows and one or two Sand Martins were on the wires by the railway bridge. Also there were two juvenile Pied Wagtails and a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. Along the Lower Path in a walnut tree near the signal box were two Spotted Flycatchers with Blackcaps, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. PS.
There was also a report of a Great White Egret circling the site late morning. NH.
On August 4th a new shieldbug was discovered on the reserve, near the river. “What’s this funny bug.”, resulted in great excitement when it was realised that a new and unexpected species had been found. It was the Brassica Shieldbug, Eurydema oleracea, a normally southern species that is slowly extending its range northwards. Not just one, but five individuals were found, two of them still in the final instar nymph form.
There have only been two other Nottinghamshire records, both since May 2019, one nearby at Nottingham Race Course and one at Toton, although there has also been a recent Yorkshire record.
This is a very attractive species, with a cream, yellow, orange or red pattern on a green/black background.