Loads of arrivals in the last few days. Cuckoo has turned up on North Scrub, with reed and sedge warblers building rapidly. House martins are now a common sight amongst the hirundines and single swifts have been noted the last two days. Numbers build at the end of each day as the days migrants assemble to feed up over the reservoir before nightfall. Yellow wagtails continue to move through and a pair of common sandpiper have been regularly seen on the walls and South Marsh East, feeding on insects such as the alderfly pictured. Water crowfoot is in flower in D woods pond (pic) and the fine male blackcap above was singing nearby. A roe buck was present on site also. 3 grass snakes were seen at the northern end of the reserve and speckled wood are starting to appear amongst the many brimstone and green-veined white butterflies on the wing. Moth of the trap was a satellite but pictured is volunteer Richard Sears risking his fingers extracting a greater water diving beetle from the trap. The meal moth pictured was inside the centre and the larvae feed on seed - presumably loose bird seed from the feeders. Best birds today were two terns over 'O' res. There has been thought that at least one bird is an arctic tern - but I am swaying towards common tern as both appear to show black beak tips, diffuse primaries with the opaque bases to the first four feathers only. If someone wants to look at the photos above and persuade me better then feel free - arctic tern is undoubtedly a good tick for site. They are notoriously difficult to separate and many birders resign to signing them off as 'commics'!
