Ogden Water

First day back and I'm already back out. I stayed in during the morning due to spending the night being sick, but when I eventually made it out I decided to head over to Ogden for the wood warbler that had been there all week. It was a nice day, not clear but warm and bright.

The first thing that caught my attention was just at the top of the main road down to the visitor center where on the wall there were about 10 small Longhorn Moths seeming to all fly in some kind of pattern, but then all land together. I tried a few photos but they did not come out too well. A quick Google search informs me that they are Nemophora degeerella, a common longhorn moth species, and the behavior I observed is apparently called 'dancing'. 

-Nemophora degeerella

I made my way down to where the wood warbler was meant to be on the way picking up Small Skipper but not much else. I called off at the pools, where there were a few Large Red Damselflies. On the bird front I got decent views of Chiff-Chaff and Coal Tit but not much besides.

I carried on up, listening all the time, to the site where the warbler was meant to be. I did not hear the wood warbler, though I was surrounded by Willow Warblers and Chiff Chaffs singing. After about 15 mins I decided to call it quits, I did pick up Spotted Flycatcher though, which I think is the first time I have seen one at Ogden.

On the way down I bumped in Nigel Kerwin who took me to the spot where the bird had been singing before, and we had a look but there was nothing doing, but we did pick up a brown headed Blackcap, possibly a young male as a Blackcap, probably the same bird started singing after a short time.

Since I was unable to get the wood warbler I decided to go and have a look on the moors. It rewarded me well as on the way up I stumbled across a species I have not seen properly in years: Green Tiger Beetle. I was thrilled to find it hunting along the path, having never really considered the possibility of finding one on Ogden Moor. It was quite settled, unlike those in Dorset which I don't even count because they were so flighty. This one was a real poser, settled on the path for great photos.

-Green Tiger Beetle

I carried on up the moors. On the river there were a few Grey Wagtails and I found a small frog on the bank of the river. There were also good numbers of Meadow Pipits, as is standard. One perched on a nearby wall giving me really good views and a chance to take photos.

-Meadow Pipit

After I finished at Ogden I decided to head over to Soil Hell and renew my acquaintance with the site. It was reasonable quiet by its own standards. There were good numbers of Skylark as well as Carrion Crow numbers. But the only thing I took a photo of were the Feral Pigeons feeding on the cut fields. There was a male displaying vigorously among the small group, but its a species that I have never really taken photos of, so I thought now was a decent chance to enhance that gallery.

-Feral Pigeon

So that concludes my first return trip round, and so follows my species list. 

Species List:

Ogden Water LNR: Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Blue Tit, Magpie, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Meadow Pipit, Lapwing, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Mallard, Canada Goose, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Wren, Robin, Goldfinch, Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Collard Dove, Swallow, Swift, Blackbird

Soil Hill: Blackbird, Swallow, Skylark, Lapwing, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon