Several Skullcap along the canal further confirmed this species' prediliction for such habitats. There was a bit of Help Agrimony and Brandybottle (Nuphar lutea).
Other plants included a first for me - Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus), pictured below, of which there were quite a number, also the waterlily Nymphaea alba, a couple of Common Fleabane, a couple of Musk Mallow and a nice patch of Tufted Vetch.
Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus), Amwell, HertfordshireButterflies seen around the canal, gravel pits and reserve were:
Green-veined White
Large White
Small White
A few Red Admiral
Speckled Wood
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown
A single Ringlet
A single Common Blue
Odonata seen were:
Common Blue Damselfly (large numbers)
Azure Damselfly
Several Large Red-eyed Damselfly on water lily pads
A single Small Red-eyed Damselfly ditto (first time I've seen this species - thanks to sharp-eyed leader Roy Woodward for clocking this and getting his telescope on it for us)
Male and female Banded Demoiselles
Several Brown Hawkers
A few Emperor Dragonfly
1 x Four-spotted Chaser Dragonfly (first time I've seen this species)
Birds included:
Close views of a juvenile Green Woodpecker
A Kingfisher
2 Little Egret
Greylag geese
Common Tern
3 Buzzards circling together high overhead
2 Hobby dashing about over distant woodland
1 Kestrel
Great Crested Grebe
A Reed Warbler feeding 2 fledglings
3 Goldfinches feeding on Creeping Thistle seeds
No comments:
Post a Comment