Again, leaving Tescos and this time heading north of the A120 I wandered through Hadham Lodge, Hadham Hall and then through Stonewall Farm back to The Ford.
2 good highlights of the walk: both at the same site. I stopped off at the lagoon east of Hadham Hall, but very little of note apart from the expected common blue and azure blue damselflies in warm but overcast conditions. I moved on to check the ponds around Hadham Hall and flushed a common sandpiper, white wing bars apparent as it flew off to hide in the vegetation adjacent to the mud on the periphery of the pond. As I waited I thought I would check, through binoculars, the lily pads and glad I did: small red eyed damselfly, a new record for my parish records. At least 5 specimens flying and ovipositing in the pond.
|
Small Red eyed damselfly |
|
Common blue damselfly |
Further into the wander, along the River Ash, I heard the familiar call of goldcrests. I watched and failed brillinatly to get a photo of them as they hovered, insect picking. Did manage this one photo, though.
|
Post breeding moult goldcrest; The Ford |
Butterfly wise; no small coppers that I have recorded along this footpath and no hoped for painted lady or clouded yellow; consequently, regulars: meadow brown, small and large white, peacock, gatekeeper, ringlet and small tortoiseshell.
|
ringlet |
|
meadow brown |
|
gatekeeper |
|
speckled wood |
No comments:
Post a Comment