Thursday 20 June 2019

Losing track...

.. the continuously 'iffy' weather makes it difficult to remember the days and it occurred to me that yesterday I saw some raspberry-red Pyramidal Orchids by a roadside somewhere, presumably on the return journey and probably along the A3!!

Today was curiously still with no notable changes in birdlife although a dozen post/non-breeding Teal were new in with slightly fewer Shovelers and similar numbers of Avocets and godwits as last visit. The first Med Gulls for a while numbered 30+. An adult Fox was curled up in the rain and pretty disinterested in its own well-grown cub snooping about.

A couple of new hovers for the year were Leucozona laternaria and Chrysogaster solstitialis plus a probable P. fulviventris (unable to be ID'd by Roger sadly). And, after yesterday's 'beginner's botany', rather more Black Meddick in a large patch just inside the south gate and the delightfully named Nipplewort(!) at various points around the reserve. The few pathside Southern Marsh Orchid were well over.