The zigzag Nightingale/s was/were hweeping and croaking with one bird flying back and forth across the path before later repeating the process after lunch whilst chatting to Lucy. Elsewhere, birdlife was pretty much nil other than one singing Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler and a family of Chiffchaffs. On the brooks still plenty of noisy Redshanks but no passage waders and with no management and very long grass Lapwings chicks were hard to find.
Out to Black Wood was a bit pointless with no birds nor dragons and only one (!!!) hoverfly. Back on the reserve for a post lunch walk at least produced this Broad-bodied Chaser, this Eristalis intricaria, plenty of other Eristalis spp (including arbustorum and horticola) on umbellifers and several Merodon equestris of different colours. This Common Blue was the ONLY butterfly. The two that got away today were a Microchrysa spp and a hoverfly that was probably H. trivittatus.
Highlight of the day was a curious Weasel on Green Lane which responded to some pishing - sadly no photo.
