When you are planning an outdoor event of any kind, your first thought is the weather. When it involves seeing butterflies or dragonflies, a greater challenge arises! Luckily for us, it was sunny and warm yesterday, in fact becoming a little too warm by lunchtime. We were also extremely fortunate that John Davison from the Butterfly Conservation joined us, to answer questions and show us round. We met John at Messingham last year, so he had a journey from Scunthorpe to meet with us. Thanks, John.
Snakeholme Pit also has a great variety of plants, although they were mostly dried out, so there was plenty to keep our group of nineteen intrepid FFOers busy, but like everywhere else, it was suffering from drought. John showed us royal fern which was starting to establish in the damper shade. Very few birds were apparent at either site.
John told us that this was one of the few areas to see the elusive brown hairstreak, so we were keeping our eyes peeled from the moment we entered the gate to the former clay pit and fish nursery, but it was not to be seen. Moving slowly into the pond area, we were amazed by the number and variety of dragonflies. Their names - hawker, chaser, darter - are very fitting, and identifying them on the wing was near to impossible, as they flitted around at speed! John identified what we have on the list, and we could pick out the emperor from sheer size.
We then moved on to Fiskerton Fen for our lunch. There wasn’t a great deal to see from the hide, a heron and possibly a carp, but it was a good place to be in the shade to eat our lunch. Those that remained continued on towards the river and again the vegetation was very dry. Down on the stream bank we watched a cormorant fishing and a shoal of young roach. Prickly lettuce and bristly oxtongue thistle caught our attention as well.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to the lists and photos, especially Ray for the bulk of the flora species, and John for the birds. I apologise for any omissions – that’s my error!
I have attached the lists as a document, as the website insists on changing the format.
Our next meeting is at Gibraltar Point, just near Skegness on the 25th August. More details closer to the date as always. Nicky