It was time to try and catch some hawker species of Dragonflies, before the season ended, I decided that the playground would be RSPB Old Moor, unfortunately Old Moor doesn’t open till 9:30am, so 9:30am on the dot I was in the car park.
I got my gear together, clocked in at the hub, and on to the reserve. It was now cloudy with periods of sunshine, I stated my adventure off in the sensory garden, for my troubles I got a fly by Common Darter. there was nothing on the small pond.
On then to the larger pond area, passed the stepping stones pond, nothing here too, it wasn’t until I’d passed over the bridge and stopped at the left side pond that I started to find Darter species, Common was first but I soon picked up on Ruddy Darter too, along with a nice male Common Blue Damselfly.
I struggled for the rest of the day to add new species, having only one Brown Hawker on a fly past and a single male Emerald Damselfly along the new path, which was at a distance.
I decided on putting Dragonflies to one side and went down to the Wath Ings Hide , as this seemed to be where the bird action was today. Spoonbills were on site Eleven in total and six of those were doing what Spoonbills do at Wath Ings, sleeping. Other birds of note were Greenshank (3), Green Sandpipers (4), Common Sandpipers (2), Great White Egret (2), plus other species, see list.
Overall the day was good, a great number of Darters, littering the paths and fences, and a good number of Spoonbills with 11 seen
Bird List :- Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Canada Goose, Crow, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Gadwall, Great Tit, Great White Egret, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jay, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Shoveler, Spoonbill, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Wigeon, Woodpigeon (29)
Butterflies :- Brimstone, Common Blue, Large White, Speckled Wood
Dragonflies :- Brown Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Darter, Emerald Damselfly, Ruddy Darter
Video of the day can be seen here….PRESS
Huddsbirder 