A male Roe Deer was seen on the Lower Path this afternoon, before it disappeared onto the railway land. A Hobby was seen hawking insects and persuing Hirundines and six Red-tipped Clearwings and two Belted Clearwings were attracted to pheromone lures. RW.
A Painted Lady was feeding from a thistle flower by the Slurry Lagoon, where the first summer Little Gull spent most of the afternoon and three Buzzards were sparring high overhead. PS.
A female Pochard was on the Slurry Lagoon this afternoon with three recently hatched ducklings. A first summer Little Gull was also present, nipping off to Holme Pierrepont but returning again later. There are eleven tern chicks on the tern rafts and several species of dragonfly were recorded, including Emperor, Brown Hawker, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer and Red-eyed Damselfly. Two or three Viper’s Bugloss plants were found in the corner of the Slurry Lagoon nearest to the car park.
A Little Gull flew around the Deep Pit this evening and over the Tern Platforms before moving on to the Slurry. Also this evening a small Starling roost with perhaps 200 birds coming in to roost in the bushes and reeds. JMD.
Earlier on two Grasshopper Warblers were singing on the Deep Pit banks. PS.
A first summer Little Gull rested on the Slurry Lagoon for a short time this afternoon. Three Four-spotted Chasers were seen and two Red-tipped Clearwings were attracted to lures. On the southern, inside bank of the Deep Pit several Burnet Companions were seen. The cygnets were out briefly and a Gadwall with nine new ducklings and a Mallard with four were also on the Slurry Lagoon. RW.
A Little Gull thought to be the same bird as yesterday was present on the Slurry Lagoon from mid afternoon until 6.45 p.m. at least
A Little Gull has spent most of the day catching small flying insects over the Slurry Lagoon, later on joined by Black-headed Gulls. In the shallow water in front of the reeds were also four Black-tailed Godwits.