Crake of thunder

The corncrake was still present to at least Monday night, although it has been moving around the Struncheonhill and Standingholme area:

Just an owd 'are:

The thunder didn't seem to put off the cuckoo this afternoon - still calling in the storms:



At least two are still very active around the site.  Whilst up to 8 little gulls were present yesterday things are now starting to slow up - just a few late migrants moving through like this greenshank on Friday:

Further evidence is in the first crossbill moving through as heard by Martin Hodges yesterday.  The ringing team's pulses quickened at the sight of an unstreaked acrocephalus warbler - details here.  At this time many birders turn their thoughts to dragons instead - thanks to Emma Haiselden for this shot of four spotted chaser:

There are a few now about when the temperature rises, but sadly no hairy dragonflies yet.  Broad bodied chaser should be ticked any day soon.  Moth trapping this year has been very disappointing - numbers have bombed due to the cold and wet spring.  In most cases the interesting specimens have been outside the trap - like this Nemophora degeerella near the new hide.  Their larvae feed on leaf litter:

 This mayfly - an Ephemera sp. was a smart find emering on the river Hull bank - a whole world of further identification to enter! - feel free to tell us:

Grass snake near East Pond:

Elsewehere buzzard getting a battering from the local carrion crows:



And cormorant testing out the new 'fry pools' on the river:

Thanks to Rob Worsfold for this pic of the 'whale of Watton' as he suggests the proximty of the tail and dorsal fins suggest a pike.  However what it would be doing in these shallows is unclear, as we watched them spawning in the Southern Marshes way back in March:

Obviously it survives well enough with the otters presence - this sluice board marked since last week:

Tony has been getting some more great pictures of the fox cubs on Flickr, and Dave Ware some great reed warbler pics on North Marsh.

Finally the cabinet in the Angus McBean hide is now set up with the finds from a month ago should you care to look - we're still looking to get an ID on them: