Site Visit 26/08/13
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"Visit to the marsh this afternoon, dragonfly and damselfly numbers now definitely reducing but saw Keeled Skimmers, Emperors, Common Darters, and possibly 5 Golden Rings, along with a large Hawker I couldn't ID, Common Blue-tailed Damsels, and the odd Azure. Also saw a female Beautiful Damoiselle. There were good numbers of other insects, particularly hoverflies which were enjoying the water mint, walking through a patch sent up a whole cloud of different species along with different bees, wasps, moths... we really must have a proper go at cataloguing some of these. Plenty of butterflies, including a (or possibly 2) Clouded Yellow ! Saw the first and couldn't believe my eyes but checked book and there it was, 15 mins later either saw it again or a second one to confirm, couldn't get a photo typically and no-one there with me, most annoying. There were at least a dozen Small Coppers, several Speckled Wood, 4/5 Common Blue and a solitary Holly Blue. THere were several Silver Y moths and I also saw a Magpie Moth. I also spooked something large at the far end of the marsh but didn't get a look at it but where it had moved from was a patch of flattened vegetation approx 0.5m in dia, so might have been one of the elusive deer?? Couldn't see any tracks tho. Vegetation is lush following the recent warm and wet cycles of weather, Sheeps Bit Scabious is in full bloom along with the Water Mint, Flea Bane and Hemp Agrimony amongst others." (Gary Barlow)