Summer at Rawcliffe Lake

A fairly steady run of events as per usual with nothing to get the pulses racing until the end of July that is. After the disintegration of the two floating Islands last Winter it was nice to see two new ones installed at the end of April although they came a bit too late for the Great Crested Grebes which with no where to nest had departed early on and even though they have been coming and going all summer they show no signs of breeding this year, the resident Mallards and feral Geese are much in evidence as usual and the Moorhens have done well, quite a few juvs about at the moment and a pair with four chicks last week although Coots have failed to recolonize as yet just a single adult on April 17th and an immature for a couple of days early July. The usual trio of Warblers, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were present and presumed to have bred and House Martins eventually were back in good numbers with frequent visits from Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins this last month, Sparrowhawks are hunting there regularly and seen most visits although Grey Herons have been keeping a low profile, and so onto the more interesting sightings (for the lake anyway) seven Tufted Ducks dropped in on April 28th with another three present on June 3rd, two Oystercatchers flew over on June 27th and a Cormorant was about for a couple of days from July 15th then came the pulse racer on the morning of the 24th, a Little Egret dropped in, my 111th species for the lake, although not surprisingly it didn't stay long.

the two new floating Islands, a lot better than the originals

feral Geese

the Grebes have not settled this year

a good number of juv Moorhens

the imm Coot that visited early July

Purple Loosestrife

I've had Bee Orchids before but this is the first
Common Spotted I've seen here

Hardhead, Knapweed whatever you want to call it,
very popular with the Butterflies

Ragwort

with accompanying Gatekeeper

lots of Black Tailed Skimmers about plus a Banded Demoiselle one day

the Cormorant making use of one of the Islands

incoming Little Egret

settled in the corner for five mins

 

before being disturbed

and went on its way