Saturday 24th May

Out in Mote Park again this morning, and another beautiful day too, however, the weather wasn’t too good for butterflies with a strong wind to contend with.

7 Blackcap were singing, 2 Bullfinch were heard calling from opposite ends of the Park, a family party of Long-tailed Tits were watched as they hunted for insects in the hedge on the eastern edge of the Lake, a pair of Goldfinch were heard as they flew over, 8 Whitethroat were heard, and 1 Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing from within a Hawthorn on the Lakes western edge by the Golf Course – my first bird heard in the Spring in the Park, 2 Goldcrest were heard singing, 2 Jay were seen defending their nest against a Magpie, a Pheasant called, 2 Chiff Chaff were heard singing, a Spotted Flycatcher called from an Oak, 6 Swift and 2 House Martins were seen hunting insects, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in a Willow by the Weir, 2 Stock Dove were heard, 2 Pied Wagtails were seen in front of Mote House, 2 Nuthatch were singing, and a young Crow was seen perched in a Sweet Chestnut.

Young Crow

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 pairs of Canada Geese both with Goslings, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Moorhens, and Coots. There were 8 Black-headed Gulls, and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Lake, 2 Grey Herons were seen, and 10 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Also of note were 2 Speckled Woods,

Speckled Wood

...several Small Whites, a Peacock butterfly,

Peacock

...3 Red-eared Terrapins were seen,

Red-eared Terrapins

...3 Banded Demoiselles and a Mayfly were seen in the wet meadow on the edge of the River Len...

Banded Demoiselle

Mayfly
Ephemera danica

...and 3 Southern Marsh Orchids were in flower.

Southern Marsh Orchid
Dactylorhiza praetermissa