A much better day for eveything yesterday - birds, butterflies and dragonflies.
Bright and sunny first thing though still with the pretty stiff cold winds.
Starting off I headed along the cycleway not seeing much until reaching Cloff Bridge where a Greenfinch was wandering around on the path. Looked liked a bad case of tric. Whitethroat, Wren, Chaffinch and Goldfinch were in the bushes either side of the path.
No sign of the Little Owls again. Two Yellowhammer were singing away in the hedge as well as Chaffinch feeding young and several Whitethroat.
Along towards the farm a dozen or so Tree Sparrow were flitting about the trees and hedges. There was frentic activity over the horse fields with feeding Swallow 30+ close by the path. A little more distant were Linnet c.40, Goldfinch c.30, House Martin c.30, Sand Martin c.10, Yellow Wagtail x4, Pied Wagtail x2.
Heading back down the path to Cloff Bridge a Kingfisher flew up the beck giving a brief view. By the bridge the butterflies had come out with Comma, Green-veined White, Large White, Peacock, a Red Admiral, Small Skipper and a Painted Lady. Also a few Common Darter around.
Following Claxton Beck down to Cow Bridge Beck few birds but plenty of butterflies with much the same species seen again but with the addition of Small Heath, Wall Brown and lots of Meadow Brown. The bushes/trees held Bullfinch again.
Crossing the bridge a Brown Hawker was over the raspberry canes.
A fair bit of activity by the dragonfly scrapes with at least two Common Hawker, a Brown hawker on and off which seemed to be the same one moving between there and the lake in front of the hide. At least 5-6 Ruddy Darter plus numerous damselflies.
The lake itself was pretty quiet though it was nice to see two tiny Little Grebe chicks being fed. Hopefully they'll escape the attentions of the two resident LBB Gulls. The bushes on the railway side held Whitethroat and Wren.
Back by the car park the ponds were almost devoid of dragonflies other than a few Common Darter and damselflies. The terrapin was basking in the sun on the weed filled pond. On the small circular pond a family of Sedge Warbler were feasting on blue damselflies but playing hard to see in amongs the reeds. The adult was ringed so it's probably the ones that bred by the weed filled pond.
All in all a pretty good visit.