WWT Welney - Butterfly Count, Ladybirds, Longhorn Beetles and Other Insects

We always enjoy a day at WWT Welney, whatever the season. We spent Saturday on this lovely Fenland reserve on the Ouse Washes near Ely.

It seemed a good place to do the Big Butterfly Count, as you can see from our list (and certificate) below.

Our butterfly list

There were some interesting insects about, including this huge Musk Beetle below (about 3mm long), who landed on our picnic chair! The Site Manager told us that it was Aromia moschata, a Eurasian species of Longhorn Beetle. The larvae of this insect live in the wood of pollarded Willow trees, and, as it happened, we were under the shade of just such a tree.

Aromia moschata

A little further into the reserve we came across a second Longhorn, this time Leptura quadrifasciata, usually known as Strangalia quadrifasciata. This is a 'longhorn beetle' of the family Cerambycidae. It frequents areas in which there are Alder, Oak and Willow trees. This beetle feeds on pollen and its larvae bore holes in wood.

Strangalia quadrifasciata

Ladybird pupa

There were a lot of beetles about, including ladybirds at various stages of development.

Harlequin ladybird larva, Harmonia axyridis

We saw a few Harlequins

There are three different species of Ladybird on this plant. We counted twenty 7-spots on this plant alone:



The dragonflies were magnificent, but most were on the wing and hard to photograph.

I think this one above is a female Ruddy Darter ...




... and here are a couple of males.

The dragonfly below is a male Southern Hawker, and perhaps one of my favourites.



There were plenty of Teasels, and the one below had a small spotless red beetle on one of its leaves. I have not identified it yet. Any suggestions gratefully received!

The wild flowers were wonderful, with a show of ragwort, ox-eye daisy, pink campion and sorrel. 

In addition to the butterflies we counted, we also saw numerous caterpillars. I think these may be Small Tortoiseshell.

The Bewick's Swans left the reserve months ago now, but we enjoyed seeing a family of Mute Swans and a couple of Whoopers, like this one below.

Mute Swan

We were just leaving the reserve when we noticed this partridge not in a pear tree, but on a post!

We stopped for a short wander around Ely, with its lovely cathedral, known as the Ship of the Fens, before heading home.

If you would like to log any UK sightings of Ladybirds or Butterflies you have seen, here are the websites:

• UK Ladybird Survey
• Big Butterfly Count (the survey has ended, but sightings can still be added until 31 August). 

Seasonal Splash ~ Swans at WWT Welney

Whooper Swan, WWT Welney

I had been looking for an opportunity to visit WWT Welney for the winter wild swan feed. It proved to be a memorable and wonderful experience, one that I would highly recommend.

You know you are getting closer to the wetlands around Welney and Hundred Foot Bank when the ornate masts (or towers) of Ely Cathedral, the Ship of the Fens, cross your horizon.

On arrival at WWT Welney, we were greeted by a couple of Mute Swans like the one above. You can see that this particular bird has been ringed. Many Mute Swans make Welney their year-round home. They have distinctive orange bills and are called 'mute' because, unlike other breeds, they do not make much noise, save for the whirring flap of their wings when they are airborne.

Touch-down!

Enter the Whoopers! Whooper and Bewick's Swans flock to the site in their thousands (along with ducks) during the winter migration from Iceland, Siberia and the Arctic Tundra.

As the afternoon light began to dim, more and more swans gathered in preparation for the 15.30 hrs feed. This meal, apparently, is more like an afternoon snack. It keeps the birds satisfied until the 18.30 hrs floodlit swan feed.

East Anglia is renowned for its wide skies, distant horizons and for the quality of its light. This may have been a raw and indifferent November afternoon, but the light on the water was magical.

Some (but not all - see here) believe that the area began to take on its present guise back in 1630 when the Duke of Bedford scheduled an engineer from the Netherlands to implement a drainage scheme in the Fens. This action resulted in the emergence of two new rivers and the flood plain we know as the Ouse Washes. Welney, one of the areas that benefited from the draining scheme, is left to flood each winter, thereby providing the perfect habitat for its over-wintering wildfowl.

There was much wing-flapping along with numerous departures and arrivals ...

... and just occasionally a Swan Lake moment when an eerie hush pervaded, allowing the grace and elegance of the birds to be appreciated by all.

There were moments of preening and moments when the Pochards tried to tweak the swan feathers if the large birds came too close.

It was the swans that had drawn us over to Welney on this occasion, but naturally we were open to all comers. It was a joy to see good numbers of Lapwing (red conservation status).

The photo above intrigued me ... the Whooper's head reflection seems to have been cut in two by the ripples.

The photo above shows the Mute Swans mingling with the Whoopers. There were good numbers of Pochard dodging about in between. 

More arrivals as feeding time draws near! These swans have left their sugar beet fields in the fens and are heading in for a snack of grain.

These swans are all Whoopers. Bewick's Swans also have yellow bills, but are smaller than the Whoopers. The yellow markings differ between the species. You can read about them here.

Time for a mingle ...

... and a chance to eye up the competition in the pecking order.

This drake Pochard seems to know there will be plenty for all.

And finally, the moment arrives. Food, glorious food!

When it comes to the crunch, you have to be in it to win it! It's a case of up tails all ...

• WWT Welney Winter Wild Swan Feed - do go!  

• Words for Wide Skies - a poetry anthology on sale (while stocks last) in the WWT Welney shop. It contains my poem inspired by the hares at the reserve.

Seasonal Splash ~ Flatford Mill RSPB Garden, Needham Market and Sutton Hoo

'A prickle of hedgehogs'

The RSPB Wildlife Garden at Flatford was about to close for the winter, but I just loved the novel collective noun on the brown post! 

There was one solitary Ladybird, flexing her wings. You can see just how long these wings are in comparison with the spotted elytra. 

Fungi in the RSPB Garden

Mute Swans at Flatford Mill

Autumn gold at Sutton Hoo

Scarlet Rowan berries at Needham Market, Suffolk

We had visited the lakes at Needham Market before, but had not noticed this tunnel. The sunlit disc above was actually a blue sign ...

A little further round the path we encountered a fiery Spindle tree, with these stunning berries ... The wood was used for spinning - hence the name.

There were also some Rosehips, adding to another splash of autumn colour  ...

I recall (like the person who commented on a photo here) going to the local child clinic at regular intervals to collect our allocation of rosehip syrup and orange juice for the youngest family members.

Seasonal Splash: Spring is in the Air (we hope ...)

We have just returned from Salisbury. We didn't have any rain, but there was still a lot of snow banked up on the field edges. It was bitterly cold, but bright at times. The Mallard drake above was heading on downstream in the beautiful clear waters of the River Loddon. 

I am trying to recall the name of this waterside plant (above) ...

Do drop a line in the comments if you know! It grows in large clumps along the banks of a river or in marshland. 

 It is always a joy at Easter to see a clump of Primroses. This clump was gracing the walls of Old Basing.

What a luxurious des-res above for the Basing ladybirds and mini-beasts! I have yet to see my first Ladybird of 2013, but hope that I will not have to wait too much longer.

Just as we were leaving the site, a familiar shape flew over our heads. I grabbed my camera, and the resulting record shot will show you our first 2013 sighting of a Red Kite. By the time we returned home, we had seen at least one other.

The clump of Coltsfoot above was in Wilton, on the river Wylie. if you know Wilton and Wilton House, you might enjoy Arcadia by Adam Nicolson, which pays tribute to the landscape and its literary figures like Sir Philip Sydney.  

On our journey home, we stopped at Audley End, where I saw what I took to be a hybrid Mallard (above) among the ducks and geese. Dave Appleton tells me that he feels 'it’s simply a domestic variant of Mallard, not a hybrid between a Mallard and any other species. Domestic Mallards come in a bewildering variety of sizes, shapes and plumages.' So many thanks to Dave, whose 'hybrid duck' photos can be viewed here.

It was lovely to see some Tufted Ducks. These are classed Amber in the Conservation Status ranks. The dark duck on the left is a female.

It seems the staining on the swan's head above may be due iron or tannin in the water. Thanks to Martin Aldous for this information, which you can find here. I had assumed it was probably a kind of breeding or adolescent plumage.

 This was a lovely Easter Bank Holiday scene ... though the photo fails to say how chilly it felt!

Not everyone wanted tranquillity, however: this Coot had to hop away from the glare of the Canada Goose! 

Safe landing ...

 ... then time for a snooze.

Audley End