Preparing for Dragonfly Day at Paxton

Today is our Dragonfly day at Paxton Pits reserve with walks in the morning and afternoon - thankfully in cooler conditions according to the forecast. Yesterday we did short walks in the heat just to check on what is around. Certainly the Migrant Hawkers are the stars with their stationary hovering as well as frequent perching but there are Brown Hawkers, Common and Ruddy Darters and some Damselflies on the wing as well as some incomers this year such as the Lesser Emperor and Southern Migrant Hawker though with a reserve as large as Paxton, sightings cannot be guaranteed!! Plenty of other insects if the flying conditions are right such as the Beewolf Wasp.

Guided Walks – Dragonfly Day – Paxton Pits Nature Reserve

Dodder Fen Invertebrate Survey

Although the sun stayed behind cloud for quite a bit of the morning, it was very humid and hot hunting among the reeds and rushes on Dodder Fen for insects etc for our August Wildlife Survey. The Dodder plant at Paxton Pits is one of the special species that gives Paxton its SSSI status. It is parasitic on Nettles and grows over quite large areas at Paxton. 

I will take a day or so to collate everyone's invertabrate images and IDs but here are a few of mine that I like, including this wonderful Field Grasshopper with its amazing marking on every area including the eye. Hairy flies were the commonest sighting - nearest identifications at end.

Sunny Afternoon at Paxton

Just about the full cast performed for us in front of the Hide yesterday - the Great Crested Grebes are guarding their two chicks well at the moment while Cormorants, Little Egrets and Herons flew in and out at regular intervals. The chicks are beginning to make short dives and also appeared to be catching damselflies. As the sun came round and lit the perches, we were entertained by Ruddy Darters (body shape, black legs), Willow Emerald Damselflies (yellow spur on the thorax, no blue pruinescence), Tachina fera Fly, Migrant Hawker and Green-Veined White Butterflies.

Dragonflies at Paxton Pits

A visit to Cobham Hide followed by a walk up the Haul Road at Paxton Pits produced a sizeable list of Dragonflies and Damsels etc. The star was definitely the Southern Migrant Hawker, a fairly newly listed species for the UK and my first sighting of one. Otherwise while Brown Hawker (egg laying), Emerald  Damsel, Common Blue Damsel, Ruddy Darter and Banded Demoiselle are still in prime condition, some other species are coming to the end of their brief lives like the Four-spot Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly

Coot, Grebe and Herons at Paxton

Generally things are going well for our Heron brood with all three chicks now looking ready to fledge while the Great Crested Grebes have 2 or their 3 chicks still surviving the inevitable Cormorant and Otter attacks. The Coots seem to have been less successful - no longer sitting on the near nest and obviously renewing the courtship and mating behaviour.