Wildlife

Friday, July 21st 2023

Water Figwort grows at Foxglove and in places around the reserve it is very common. Not a spectacular flower by any means. It is a reason not to kill wasps as they carry out pollination of this flower. I have walked around Foxglove for many years and have rarely seen a wasp near the flower and on the odd occasion that I have managed a photograph, splodge would be being generous! That all changed this week when a wasp sat relatively patiently on the Water Figwort. It did not go anywhere near the single open flower left on the head, but a wasp on Water Figwort and a reasonable photograph was very pleasing! It did decide to clean its antennae.

When taking photographs I tend to concentrate on what I am taking and it is only when they are enlarged on the screen that I realise that there is something else there. A Pond Skater instar (not an adult yet) was sitting still on a leaf, too good an opportunity to miss, as they normally skate around very quickly. The reason it was sitting still, was that it had a fly all to itself. These insects are voracious feeders and will fight over their prey.

Another insect feeding was a damselfly.

One insect that was not feeding, but sunning itself on the boardwalk was a grasshopper. There are many of them across the reserve.

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Upcoming Events

Access to the Reserve: OPEN with limited access

Monday 18th March 2024 |

The reserve is now open, although again with limited access.

Visitors will be able to access the reserve with the use of key fobs provided at the pass office upon entrance to the camp, or will be provided entrance and exit through the access gate by an officer from the camp Guard Room. In this case visitors will need a mobile phone to call the Guard Room when they wish to exit the reserve.

Please be aware that due to these circumstances, entering and leaving the reserve might take a little longer than usual.