Hyde Hall Gardens (RHS) in Essex incorporate a number of ponds, which are good for dragonflies. On a visit with my partner and her brother I saw several species and was able to photograph (for the first time) mating Small Red-eyed Damselflies. Willow Emerald Damselflies seemed to be appearing everywhere in early August, and several were seen here.
Small Red-eyed Damselflies Mating, Hyde Hall RHS, Essex, 2 August
Willow Emerald Damselfly, Hyde Hall RHS, 2 August
My attention in August slowly turned back to birds and, on yet another hot and humid day on the 4th, I drove up to the North Norfolk coast, arriving at RSPB Snettisham just in time to catch the high tide. Although this was not a particularly high tide, the water was covering the mud flats. Many waders roosted briefly on the southernmost lake before flying back on to the mud. It was fascinating to see huge groups of hundreds of each species (Bar-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, Knots, Dunlins and Redshanks) occupying separate areas on the mud or on the lake. Somewhere in amongst them was a White-rumped Sandpiper, but I failed to connect with this bird. Several terns were also roosting on the mud - these included a handful of Little Terns. Hundreds of Sanderlings were back from their Arctic breeding grounds and I saw a flock of perhaps 400, some in summer plumage but most in various stages of moult, on my way back north along the coastal path. Back at the Snettisham Coastal Park I finally caught up with my first Turtle Dove of the year. Since 2023 I have relied on the Snettisham area for my sightings of this now very rare species. Apparently, numbers of migratory Turtle Doves are very slowly increasing in England following a moratorium on shooting in some European countries, but I think that it will be a long time (if at all) before they become regular again in the Hertfordshire area.
Some of the 400+ Sanderlings seen at RSPB Snettisham on 4 August
Terns (and a few gulls) on The Wash, Snettisham, 4 August. A Little Tern can just about be seen at the back, left of centre.
Turtle Dove, Snettisham Coastal Park, 4 August
Unlike these waders, I moved on to RSPB Titchwell. The reserve was quiet, but I did see my first Curlew Sandpiper of the year (a moulting adult) on the Freshmarsh. A single Spoonbill was also seen here.
Moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper (front row, 3rd from right) with Dunlin, Lapwing and Gulls, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 August
There had been a noticeable change in dragonfly populations when I made a return visit to Paxton Pits. The Ruddy Darters that I saw on my first visit had been largely replaced by Common Darters, and many more Willow Emerald damselflies were on the wing. The darters seemed to prefer perching on man-made objects (particularly barbed wire) to the more natural objects (e.g. twigs, berries etc.) that would have made for better photographs. Still, you can't have everything.
Common Darter Dragonfly, Paxton Pits, 7 August
Willow Emerald Damselfly, Paxton Pits, 7 August
Not all my trips end in success, but I can rarely have been on a more frustrating visit than the one to Wilstone on the 11th. I had hoped to see Water Rail, Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit (all seen on the 10th) at the reservoir, before moving on to the Grand Union Canal to photograph damselflies and dragonflies. However, as I drove up the slip road to join the M25 the traffic ground to a halt and was stationary for half an hour. After that, we started inching forward, with frequent stops. The cause of the delay (which added two hours to my journey time) was, apparently, a vehicle fire. At Wilstone Reservoir I could not find any of my target birds and only a handful of damselflies were seen on the canal. Migrant Hawker dragonflies were the dominant species here and I ended up trying to photograph one or two in flight. My best effort is shown below: to see some top quality images of dragonflies in flight I can recommend the Herts. and Middlesex dragonflies Facebook page - truly excellent photos by Allan Burrows et. al. Anyway, I at least made it home in one piece.......
Migrant Hawker Dragonfly in Flight, Grand Union Canal, Wilstone, 11 August
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