A long weekend away, visiting a number of new sites around the Bedford area. I had been tempted to take a detour, on Saturdsy morning, going up to Frampton Marsh for the Black-winged Pratincole that had been hanging around for a couple of days. Fortunately, I resisted the temptation as it was not seen.
I've been to Bedford numerous times but had never made it to the RSPB's The Lodge reserve, so I decided to give it a visit on the Saturday before coaching duties on the Sunday. Arriving bright and early, 7am, i had to wait until 7:30 for someone to open the gates to the car park. That gave me time for a coffee and something to eat before starting. The reserve is a remnant of low level heath, and whilst it lacks any star avian species, it is a habitat I've not spent much time in, so a number of new species from other taxon was expected.
With the sun shining from an almost cloudless sky, it soon warmed up enough for butterflies to take to the wing. Meadow Bown, Marbled White, Purple Hairsteak, Large Skipper and Red Admiral made it onto my year list as I spent the next 6 hrs wandering the reserve. There were lots of Malachite, Swollen-thighed and Black-striped Longhorn Beetles sharing the Bramble patches with 100's of Bees.
Ticks were mainly plants, such as Springbeauty, Common and Narrow-leaved Cudweed, and spiders, but also included a single Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug, that managed to evade the camera.
Springbeauty Claytonia perfoliata
From Sandy, it was up the road to St Neot's to find my accom for the night before heading onwards to Paxton Pits.
As luck would have it, the most recent edition of British Wildlife arrived on Friday and there was an article about Norfolk Hawker and how its range had expanded and the species was now quite common on one of the pools at Paxton Pits. Arriving at the pits, I quickly made my way to the appropriate pond and Norfolk Hawker was quickly added to the life list along with the aquatic plant Water-soldier. The edge of the pit was home to 3 species of hymenoptera, with a species of potter wasp having made some wonderful tubed entrances to their burrows.
Walking around the pits produced my first Common Terns of the year but I couldn't find any of the reported Red-crested Pochards or Egyptian Geese. At one point I found myself at the side of one of the main lakes. There was little life around, on or over the lake, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed a couple of medium sized birds flying over. Getting onto them quickly, it was two Turtle Doves. Nice.
I took a very early morning walk around Wyboston Lakes, where apart from year ticking Egyptian Goose and had good views of a singing Leser Whitethroat, there was little of note. I then set of to Bedford, but detouring to the smallest nature reserve I've ever visited, Honeydon RNR.
This reserve is about 100m of the verge of a country lane, about 2m wide at the widest. Not surprisingly, there is limited parking but I did find a small pullover (my dinky toy of a car filled the space). Walking the lane, the wildflowers were outstanding. Tall spikes of Spiked Star of Bethlehem, standing tall amid the grasses and Hogweed. Crested Cow-wheat, Sulphur Clover and Wild Onion, mixed in. Add the backdrop of singing Skylark, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting, and it was a very pleasant 40 minute sourjon.
Sulphur Clover Trifolium ochroleucon
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