My favourite hoverfly was out and about this morning - the marmalade hoverfly or episyrphus balteatus. These are very common and can be found in large numbers - some years, huge numbers migrate here from the continent and feed along our coastline:

There were also others around - eristalsis pertinax, again very common:

and eristalsis intricaria, usually found around damp places. This one is a male, with a reddish-brown  tail:

It seems very quiet for this time of year. I'm not sure why, whether it is all the rain or whether the trimming around the lake area has had an effect. Many flowers and reeds have been cut down where last year the areas were alive with bees and other insects. There were a couple of blue-tailed damsel flies:

 

But no butterflies at all today despite it being dry.

The hedge woundwort is out:

And there are a lot of pyramidal orchids now - more than last year:

The branched bur-reed is also out now:

The Canada Goose nursery is still going strong but the coot family are now down to one chick. I haven't seen any great-crested grebe chicks at all this year. A raven cronked near the river but I didn't catch sight of it today. I have only ever seen one around here, this time last year, flying over the lake.

The pied wagtails were also around the car park:

I thought it might be an idea to take a picture of the lake area today and then at each season from now on:

The Thames is on the left hand side past the woodland strip and the car park on the right. Fields are behind me and Beale Park on the far side.

There was lots going on today - I counted over 100 Canada Geese with 28 gosling:

A coot family was on the water, the first I've seen this year. Not the prettiest of chicks but I don't suppose they can help that:

 

As I was watching them I looked down and saw a huge grass snake coming out of the reeds. It was very relaxed and didn't seem too bothered with me at all, but glided through the reeds into some cover. As you can see, it was pretty long:

I was beginning to think that I wouldn't see one this year - the normal sunbathing spot of last year is completely covered in tall nettles and another reedy area which was a favourite for basking has been hacked back.

The terrapins were out and about as well:

 

And the grey wagtail was busy chasing flies:

There were a few tadpoles in the stream in between the lake and the Thames. Not many but very big and fat. I saw my first pyramidal orchid today as well, this one in a different area from last year:

There were a lot of bees out today but not many hoverflies. Carder bee was common:

And the buff-tailed bumblebee:

It was the turn of the kestrel chicks to be ringed this morning. The box is on the telephone mast and had been switched off for 3 hours. The cherry picker arrived and positioned itself:

With a little onlooker peering out to see what was going on:

Everything was set ready for when they came down:

But unfortunately, the cherry picker wasn't in the right position and was just short of reaching:

A few ripped up branches and another attempt:

Dave managed to reach over and put the chicks in a bag:

And they were then all set to be ringed and weighed:

Here is one of the three chicks:

 

 

 

             And another being weighed:

 



 

 

 

Before being put back: