Author Archive

Friday, September 17th, 2010 | Author:

Last night we went on a 1.5 mile walk, organised by Herts Middlesex Bat Group, to learn more about the bats in the area using bat detectors. Our guide was bat expert Hazel Makepeace. Here is her description of the event:
Managed to have a quick whizz through my recording from last night: on the walk down to the bridge on the reserve I’ve a recording of a Noctule, then the Daubentons (at least 4) from the bridge, which we also saw. (Also at the Sopwell Nunnery site there was a Serotine, and quite a few recordings of Common pipistrelles and Soprano Pipistrelles throughout the walk).
An amazing evening, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a real treat to have heard and seen the daubentons on the lake. I have attached a picture of a Daubenton’s bat which I took in August of this year

The recording of a Daubenton is available as a WAV sound file here.

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Thursday, September 09th, 2010 | Author:

It struck me this year in my weekly monitoring of butterflies that I didn’t see more than an occasional butterfly at a time on buddleia (known as the ‘butterfly bush’) whereas last year I saw on at least 3 occasions more than 10 (comma, peacock, painted ladies, red admiral). It’s all been a bit disappointing this year apart from a flurry of gatekeepers and not on buddleia. Has anyone had a different experience with buddleias this year?

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Friday, July 30th, 2010 | Author:

Occasionally you see something that delights the ole spirit. In the last week, I saw 2. The first occasion was at midday during the week when I spotted a muntjac (my first) near the heap for grassnakes. Funny dog, I thought and the way it moved its tail was most odd. I know other members have seen one or even 2 before but they had always escaped me. I was amazed it had ventured so far into the reserve and think it’s not only foxes which are becoming less fearful. My second impressive sight was a few days later,when I was doing my regular butterfly monitoring. I came across at least 10 gatekeepers, flying in a group but as you can see from the photo doing their own thing. (It was impossible to get all 10 in a photo as I had to get quite closeup for them to be visible.) It was also pretty impossible to count them, as you can probably imagine – worse than counting sheep! That day I also spotted the first water lily I’ve seen on the little pond and saw a little frog and heard another croaking away happily. The photo below was the best I could do without falling in ……

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Sunday, June 20th, 2010 | Author:




The butterfly beds are beginning to look good but where are the butterflies?
This summer I’ve seen orange tipped, small white, comma, peacock, speckled wood and common blue – but only a few each time I visit the site and none today

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Friday, May 28th, 2010 | Author:


heron stalking …….metal duck?

Friday, April 30th, 2010 | Author:

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Sunday, March 28th, 2010 | Author:

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Thursday, February 11th, 2010 | Author:

Sightings board for January

Bullrushes standing out more in winter

Tree as sculpture
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Saturday, January 30th, 2010 | Author:

Friday, January 22nd, 2010 | Author:

David, who is recording numbers of species for the Reserve, remarked that ‘December was the most species in a month so far for him. January could be better still’.
On 18th January he commented:
‘Yesterday morning was brilliant for Ducks: 9 gadwall and 3 shovellers …I’m not so sure they will have enjoyed the Wassail though!’

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