An easy journey to WWT saw me arriving 45 minutes early. So, into the Co-op for provisions and, on leaving, to enjoy a dozen or so House Martins buzzing around the buildings. So sad to realise that this is the most HMs I've seen this year!
On arrival the front pond now looks fab with masses of Purple Loosestrife and numbers of Red-eyed Damselflies on floating vegetation.
On the walk with PS, nine guests and two staff members were able to get to parts of the reserve not open to the public but the wind made it hard to find any Odonata but eventually Brown, Migrant and probable Southern Hawker, Common Darter and Black-tailed Skimmer plus two or three Willow Emeralds and a few Blue-tailed Damselflies were found. Probably optimistic to have expected to record any other species.
Comma, Common Blue and Painted Lady were the best of the butterflies
Bird highlight was nice views of one of the juvenile Marsh Harriers close by, with both being seen by others (MJ). Single Cattle Egret emerging from the nest clump, a brief into-the-sun view of Kingfisher from the restaurant and a few fresh looking Chiffchaffs at various points on the reserve.
The Sand Martin colony was still pretty active.
Finally, a very confiding Hummingbird Hawkmoth was feeding for ages on Soapwort in the wildlife garden along with Eristalis intricaria and a Nysius (a species of hemiptera) on Fleabane.
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