I was hoping to visit Minsmere on Friday and would like to take the opportunity to see both Willow Emerald and Southern Migrant Hawker (Watt Tyler). Is there a reliable Willow Emerald site either in the Minsmere area or en route from Minsmere to Essex? Thanks in advance. John.
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RFI Willow Emeraid (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sharpbill
- Start date
Hi John,
Willow Emeralds are actually present at Minsmere - it just depends on how much time you have to spare! A good site further down towards Essex should be at Alton Water, south of Ipswich. The area around the north end of Lemons Hill Bridge has usually been productive.
Adrian (Suffolk Dragonfly Recorder)
I too am thinking of combining a Minsmere Purple Swamphen visit with some dragon & damsel hunting. I was going to try Wat Tyler for the Southern Migrant Hawker and thought that I'd try for Scarce Emerald there as well. Is there a know hot-spot for them at this site? I know how to get to the SMH pool with the concrete ramp.
Also, any more specific information on where to look for Willow Emerald at Minsmere would be most helpful or do you think that it would be more efficient time-wise to try Alton Water?
TIA
Adam
How
I think the Willow Emeralds at Minsmere are fairly well scattered, so maybe not ideal. Thorpeness Meare, just a little to the south of Minsmere, also has a population, though. Searching the willows at the east end of the Meare (near where the boats are kept) should be fruitful, and a rowing boat out to the central islands also works (though takes time!!). I'm not sure what route you plan to take to Wat Tyler, but this may be another alternative to think about.
Adrian
Thanks very much for that, most helpful!
Do you (or anyone else) happen to know a reliable site for Scarce Emerald somewhere near Wat Tyler CP? I thought that I'd try for those at the same time
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neil78
Well-known member
The Scarce Emeralds at Wat Tyler are on the small pool to the right of the entrance track, approx. 100m after the entrance gate, i.e. before you get to the cottages on the left.
Probably the easiest place nearby is at RSPB Bowers Marsh, just east of Wat Tyler. Take the track from the car park, turn right after c50m, past the barn and the picnic tables. Just before you get to the first metal gate there's a small pond on your left, maybe 15m from the path across a recently ploughed strip, they're in there.
A few Southern Migrant Hawkers have also been seen here, as well as at the nearby RSPB West Canvey Marshes in apparently good numbers.
Probably the easiest place nearby is at RSPB Bowers Marsh, just east of Wat Tyler. Take the track from the car park, turn right after c50m, past the barn and the picnic tables. Just before you get to the first metal gate there's a small pond on your left, maybe 15m from the path across a recently ploughed strip, they're in there.
A few Southern Migrant Hawkers have also been seen here, as well as at the nearby RSPB West Canvey Marshes in apparently good numbers.
Hi John, I tried both Thorpeness and Alton Water. Thorpeness was very windy and I couldn't see any obvious cover by the boats - I didn't have time to take a boat out. Alton Water looked good but I couldn't find any Willow Emerald - plenty of other stuff around. I did later find this article here which reports on a successful trip to Alton though they were on the south side of the bridge.
Scarce Emeralds were successfully found at Bowers Marsh & Southern Migrant Hawker was easy at Wat Tyler. My trip write-up is here if anyone is interested.
Thanks to Adrian_P and neil78 for their help.
Cheers
Adam
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In the end I had to do this in 2 trips. Successful for the Swamphen on 4th Aug then only time to try Thorpeness Meare. We asked permission to walk clockwise round the water past the private signs but didn't see any Willow Emerald in blustery conditions.
On 9th Aug a dedicated insect day. First to Lemons Hill Bridge, Alton Water. We also worked off the Warwickshire Dragonfly Group field trip report and there is an important typo within. They said they moved eastward from the car park at the south end of the bridge but all the grid refs given are westward. We chose westward and found 8-10 Willow Emeralds roosting at around 10am, just before we reached Cragpit Farm.
Moving on to Wat Tyler we arrived to news that no Southern Migrant Hawkers had been seen that day. And there were none for us in the afternoon either. Two reported at Benfleet Marsh the previous day but only Small Red-eyed Damselfly for us. 12 Reported at West Canvey Marsh 2 days earlier but again nothing doing.
The only other insects of real note for us northerners were Brown-banded Carder Bee and a nice spread-winged Holly Blue at Wat Tyler.
Thanks all for the help given.
On 9th Aug a dedicated insect day. First to Lemons Hill Bridge, Alton Water. We also worked off the Warwickshire Dragonfly Group field trip report and there is an important typo within. They said they moved eastward from the car park at the south end of the bridge but all the grid refs given are westward. We chose westward and found 8-10 Willow Emeralds roosting at around 10am, just before we reached Cragpit Farm.
Moving on to Wat Tyler we arrived to news that no Southern Migrant Hawkers had been seen that day. And there were none for us in the afternoon either. Two reported at Benfleet Marsh the previous day but only Small Red-eyed Damselfly for us. 12 Reported at West Canvey Marsh 2 days earlier but again nothing doing.
The only other insects of real note for us northerners were Brown-banded Carder Bee and a nice spread-winged Holly Blue at Wat Tyler.
Thanks all for the help given.
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Hi John,
Well done on getting your Willows but a shame about the SMH at Wat Tyler. Can I just check on the details of where you were looking at Alton Water? When you say you went westwards from the southern car park, I presume that you mean walking along the path by the shoreline rather than the footpath that goes along the fields, is this right? What sort of habitat did you find the Willows in? When I visited I wasn't sure whether I should be checking out the trees over the water or just along the bankside vegetation.
TIA
Adam
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Hi Adam,
The path we used exits directly from the south car park. I have say that things have changed somewhat since the 2011 Warwickshire report quite apart from the east/west confusion. The weedy field where they first found Willow Emeralds is now ploughed and we never found the described grassland/mature oaks area. However, at a junction of paths, where the footpath goes on over ploughed fields, we turned right to keep as close to the water as possible. A sun trap corner where the path returns close to the shoreline is where we found them hanging at eye level from the vegetation. We never searched the water and overhanging willows but they are certain to be around there, perhaps later in the day (we were there at 10am).
I hope all this helps and you are successful. Wat Tyler will have to wait till next year for me.
Cheers, John
The path we used exits directly from the south car park. I have say that things have changed somewhat since the 2011 Warwickshire report quite apart from the east/west confusion. The weedy field where they first found Willow Emeralds is now ploughed and we never found the described grassland/mature oaks area. However, at a junction of paths, where the footpath goes on over ploughed fields, we turned right to keep as close to the water as possible. A sun trap corner where the path returns close to the shoreline is where we found them hanging at eye level from the vegetation. We never searched the water and overhanging willows but they are certain to be around there, perhaps later in the day (we were there at 10am).
I hope all this helps and you are successful. Wat Tyler will have to wait till next year for me.
Cheers, John
