DAINTY DAMSELFLIES

Lots of insects were out enjoying the warmth in the sun at the country park on Wednesday 2nd. Alongside the path near the pond were lots of these dainty azure damselflies, one pictured above, resting amongst the vegetation. Normally there are also lots of blue-tailed damelflies and one or two common blue damselflies also present but not today.

Several butterflies were on the wing including one green hairstreak, holly blues, orange-tips, speckled woods, small heath, large white, green-veined white and small whites too. An adder was also soaking up the heat, although most of the body was hidden from view beside the path.


Although most of the hawthorn bushes have finished flowering around the park, there are still a few bushes whose branches are laden with blossom, as this one in the picture above.

The cuckoo and the nightingale were singing from the car park during the day as were lesser whitethroat, whitethroats and blackcap too. A marsh harrier was escorted away from the park airspaceby the resident pair of carrion crows. Also hawking over the park at various times were the resident sand martins as well as a few house martins, swifts and swallows.

On the park pond the 2 mute swan cygnets ares still getting used to their new surroundings after a few days. Amongst the tufts of dock plants in the pools on the grazing fields was the pleasing sight of 3 tiny redshank chicks only a few days old, stumbling around beside their parents. Also present nearby were 3 half-grown lapwing chicks and a new brood of 4 young ones too. The mallard ducklings were resting in a group of about 8 youngsters. Other birds noted included a pair of oystercatchers, pair of gadwall, shoveler, a few mallard and one black-tailed godwit.

Having been told that there were some very noisy great spotted woodpecker chicks at a nest-hole in an old fruit-tree in nearby Bromans Lane, I went to have a look. The hole was empty and quiet but nearby a young woodpecker was seen flying into a tree and perching rather clumsily. A close look at the bird revealed the red forehead of a young bird and with the sound of another chick calling from a close-by tree, I had been lucky to catch up with these youngsters as it appeared they had only just left their nest.

Martin Cock saw a barn owl flying near Bromans Farm early on Monday morning - the first sighting here for some time.