Wednesday 3rd June

A low tide visit with little to report in the way of birds although a new brood of Mallard were at the Main Pond where the Canada Geese still have eight goslings and the Reed Bunting is still holding territory. 

Other Wildlife: The forecast of frequent showers didn't materialise on the Warren at least with most of the day dry with a variety of insects responding to the warm weather. The highlight being an Orchid Beetle Dascillus cervinus, a new species for the Recording Area. A rather large widespread species of grassland appearing mainly in June, the only connection with orchids is a shared habitat, it was found beside the Back Path near the Main Pond.

Orchid Beetle Dascillus cervinus - Alan Keatley

June is also a good month for solitary wasps with the nationally scarce Little Mason Wasp Microdynerus exilis, Slender Wood Borer Wasp Trypoxylon attenuatum and Sand Tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris arenaria all making first appearances of the year.

Little Mason Wasp Microdynerus exilis - Alan Keatley

Slender Wood Borer Wasp Trypoxylon attenuatum - Alan Keatley

Sand Tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris arenaria - Alan Keatley

Also, new for the year the micro-moth Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Spotted Regal Sawfly larvae Nematus septentrionalis on birch, the hoverflies Black-horned Smoothtail Epistrophe grossulariae, Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria, plus a Small Skipper and a Dark Giant Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus in Skipper Meadow.

Spotted Regal Sawfly Nematus septentrionalis - Alan Keatley

Black-horned Smoothtail Epistrophe grossulariae - Alan Keatley

Small Skipper - Alan Keatley

Dark Giant Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus - Alan Keatley