Canoe believe it!

Actually it's a kyak, which was submerged against the opposite bank of the Ver at the back of the reserve.

Jack fished it out and found these American signal crayfish in residence. The base of that bucket is 18cm across so they're pretty impressive at full stretch!

Swan

I snapped this swan when it was alone on the mere. A couple of days later there are four fairly mature signets too. And a little grebe. And a heron. And a kingfisher. All at once!

WWA Summer Event 2008

A little late to be posting about this, because it was 28th June that the Summer Event was held, but it was a great day and worth reporting. Better late than never.

Pond dipping was a big attraction with kids and adults alike.

I must say I assumed there wasn't much life at all in the water, since I never see anything other than fish. How wrong I was! We found the following in one small spot:

• Tadpoles - quite big ones, some with legs


• Small diving beetles - pure black - max 1cm long


• Water louse


• Caddisfly larvae - wrapped in debris, with just head and legs poking out of the front


• Some sort of nymphs


• Three spined sticklebacks, including pregnant males and very showy red bellied males


• A baby newt - found the next day during clear up


• Small shrimps

After all that fun we had a BBQ and the adults played whack a rat with even more vigour than the children.

sunday 27th

bee...

.............. hoverfly

sundry flies














Gatekeeper....

Comma....












Large white















The developing butterfly area is attracting......... butterflies!

Meanwhile a new colour has appeared in the mere













this looks more like a fuzzy satellite image.

Was actually taken 1.5m above water level!

nuthatch

01.07.08

spotted at the Pyghtle feeders, a new visitor,
a young nuthatch, seen the previous day as well.
-have yet to catch sight of the adult birds at the Mere,
so keep looking!

in an attempt to confuse me,
trying to look and act like a nuthatch,
a great tit . . isn't birding wonderful?

Teenage mutant ninja turtle!

Something stirred deep in the swamplands of the WWA - an intruder all the way from the Mississippi (or rather the local pet shop!)........a female Red-eared Terrapin which had grown to a length of almost 10 inches - now seen captured in one of our yellow trugs. She is safely in the hands of the RSPCA officer (literally) after probably having been released into the Reserve by an irresponsible pet owner. These terrapins were all the rage as pets in the 1990s when the T.V. series 'Teenage mutant ninja turtles' was broadcast . But when people bought them they were only tiny. Then they grew.......and grew...and people no longer wanted them as pets. How long she had been living in the 'Boggy Area' is unknown - apparently they can hibernate in mud for long periods. She may have surfaced recently as the temperature has risen. Committee member Jack thought he caught a glimpse of her some weeks ago - and he was right!

Rare migrants and common vagrants

Yesterday rare migrants, common vagrants, residents and fairly scarce summer visitors were spotted at the site. Unfortunately we also had some sightings of vermin. Olivia is going to dispose of an unpleasant looking purplefooted mouse



Ann tried to splat a common rat (rattus horribilis) whilst Steve supervised when to hit it.




























A new colourful species of butterfly was sighted. It got attached to this little boy













A dragonfly was spotted which is endemic to the site
This young visitor thought she'd take a duck home


This little boy thought the duck was a fake












Jack caught this new species of duck (anas plasticus)

(and a very pleasant summer party was enjoyed by all)