Heath and Bugs

Yesterday we were busy from 5.30am until 4pm with our final CES of the year. I have mentioned before about the CES, or Constant Effort Site, this is recording data for the BTO (British Trust of Ornithology). We have been doing this ringing and bio-data of birds here for 24 years, and our data is important nationally as well as internationally. 

While all the bird ringing was going on the volunteers worked relentlessly on the heath. It was hard work pulling and digging out willow, Gorse, and Silver Birch from an area we like to keep as Heather. 

Getting up and close to the Heather we were lucky to find this Orb Web Spider

Also this Harvestman, which although an arachnid and eight legged, is not a spider. They do not spin webs or have poison to paralyse their prey. They are hunters though and will chase and pin down their prey with their legs while they munch away!

Other insects of interest  from today were Peacock Butterflies on the Hemp Agrimony

and this fantastic wasp mimic fly on Fleabane

As always thank you to all the ringers from yesterday and the past CES of the year, and the volunteers who worked hard else where on the reserve.