Warm weather in the summertime is a boon to insects and the desire
to have a lay in this morning was overcome by the urge to get out somewhere to
have a look before it got too hot so I headed out to RSPB Cliffe Pools after
the school run and slowly bumped my way down the track to the Black Barn Pools.
Ruddy Darters zipped away in front the whole way down and
Whites and Browns flicked around in profusion with gliding Red Admirals amongst
them.
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| Red Admiral |
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| Red Admiral being crypic on an old Reedmace head |
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| Essex Skipper |
The pools actually looked very good with lots of mud and
shallow water but were very quiet – possibly due to the two young RSPB ladies
sorting out clearing the pipe for the pump. However, an adult and half grown
Water Rail weaved in and out of the sedgy edge. The adult came right out and
drooped and opened his wings and seemed to be sun bathing.
No Black-winged Stilts this year despite a supreme effort to
create, maintain and predator fence the most suitable area but there were
plenty of young Lapwing and Avocet and a couple of Redshank, Black-tailed
Godwit and Greenshank to be seen. A half grown brood of Pochard paddled arcoss the pool. The
gull colony was still in full swing and I could pick out numerous Meds among
the Black-heads including adults attending still fluffy young.
A couple of youngsters were already on the wing and adults ‘kowwed’
overhead shining white against the strong sunlight while a juvenile Marsh Harrier
quartered the fields.
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| Med Gull |
I spent some time wandering up and down the ditches at the
sides of the road but failed to find anything bigger than a Ruddy Darter although
they did indeed put on a great show. Scarce Emerald Damselflies were loafing around
in the reedmace and sedge and Azure, Blue-tail and Common Blue were all seen.
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| All the above are Ruddy Darters |
The remaining Bramble flowers were being visited by high
pitched Shrill Carder – Bombus sylvarum
and Brown Banded Carder Bees - Bombus humilis along with a little stripy Colletes that I believe
to be C fodiens – the Hairy Saddled Colletes.
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| Shrill Carder – Bombus sylvarum |
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| Hairy Saddled Colletes - Colletes fodiens - probably |
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| Hairy Saddled Colletes - Colletes fodiens |
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| Hairy Saddled Colletes - Colletes fodiens |
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| Hairy Saddled Colletes - Colletes fodiens- well at least that is what I think until I am told otherwise |
Andrena flavipes was
also in attendance as well as one Megachile but I failed to get a shot of that.
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| Andrena flavipes |
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| Andrena flavipes - darker than at Rainham |
There was a small selection of hoverflies with Eristalis intricaria, tenax and nemorum, Eristalinus
aeneus and sepulchralis (the latter were tiny), Episyrphus balteatus, Eupeodes
luniger, Helophilus pendulus and Sphaerophoria scripta. The two Eristalinus species were incredibly
noisy, whining in and out of the Ragwort, Bristly Ox Tongue and soft flouncy Perennial Sow Thistle heads.
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| Helophilus pendulus |
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| Eristalinus
aeneus |
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| Eristalis intricaria |
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| Eristalis intricaria |
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| Eristalis intricaria |
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| Eristalis nemorum |
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| Eristalis nemorum |
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| Eupeodes luniger - I believe it to be a female of this species despite the reduced black y on the frons as the lunate spots on the abdomen do not reach the sides |
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| Perennial Sow Thistle |
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| Bristly Ox Tongue |
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| Teasel |
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| Lucilia sp |
I also discovered that our lovely Levels
Yellow-horned Horsefly – Hybomitra ciureai is to be found here too and
that unlike at Rainham they will go for nicely exposed section of lower human
leg...
The piebald horses were way out in the old ranges this time
but it looks like we are using Exmoors or something similar to help with scrape
management which is good.
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| Unknown odd little plane... |
It was now almost too hot to continue so with a passing Yellow
Wagtail I bumped my way back towards the village but stopped almost at the end
opposite the huge barn conversion and took a short amble down the north running
footpath. Within that first 100m I found four stunning male Blue Eyed Hawkers patrolling
the ditch line and although they were too quick for any pictures they looked
superb in the bins and never landed once – such boundless energy in the quest
for a meal.
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| There were plenty of Scarce Emeralds - Lestes dryas in the ditch too |
It was still only 1130 but too hot out in the open so I
headed for home and a nice cup of tea...
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