Some fungi seen today just off the alternate muddy path between Teal & Bunting hides :-

Turkey Tail fungus;  several very large Birch Polypore fungi  &  a 'White-rot Fungus.

Wasn't looking for anything other than birds but noticed a cluster of around 30 Scarlet Elfcup along the path near to the bird table round the corner from Bunting Hide. Also seen 2 Blushing Bracket fungi near Teal Hide.

Quite a few Female Black-Tailed Skimmers today & an immaculately metallic coloured Male Banded Demoiselle.

Weasel shot across the footpath to Ramsdale's Hide and into the wooded area

Second fruiting of collared earthstar on the path from Sports Village onto the Flash

Mistletoe clumps in numerous trees now along the entrance drive

I don't normally take much interest in fungi, but I was fascinated with the beautiful colour of this fungus that I found in quite a few areas to the left of Teal Hide - I believe it's called Scarlet Elfcap.

Weasel foraging very actively in the stretch from the Greenheart sculpture and into the woods in the direction of Pengy's Hide

Not too bad in the end after early cool temperature, and some cloud subdued insect life. This was my annual pilgrimage to see migrant hawker, which does not yet occur in the far east of the county (unless you know different). Managed to see c20 when the sun finally got going mid p.m. including a couple of pairs in cop and egg laying. Also new for the site (for me) was a couple of ruddy darter males. 3 or 4 brown hawkers completed the odonata interest. Butterflies ending as they started (see last post), with only 3 common blues as stand-outs. No more than 5 of any species (speckled wood). Can't believe that this site does not get more postings. Are there no insect enthusiasts in the area at all?

On what was a very poor day weather-wise for most wildlife, a real bonus was finding a dark-edged bee-fly here. I don't know if they are seen regularly, but I've never seen one anywhere locally since I've recorded insects. 

Not too dissimilar from what Shannon saw yesterday. Additions were the year's first gatekeeper, plus a comma, whilst I did not see common blue which was sad (might have seen a fly-by female). Managed six banded demoiselle (4 males), two of which chased each other around a small area for all but a few seconds of the fifteen minutes or so I watched them. A nearby pair just sat and watched. Only had a probable southern hawker and saw no emperor, but a four-spotted chaser was a scarce visitor for Pennington (I think). Up on the canal, there were 20-25 red-eyed damselflies either side of the footbridge. Way down on last year, but a large patch of lily-pads seems to have been lost on the southern bank.

male common blue butterfly on the ruck this morning; first of the year for me

1st orange tip butterflies of the year (3 males) was uplifting: five species seen in all including at least 3 brimstone, 2 of which were a pair (female is not so yellow) in 'courtship' flight.

Weasel foraging along the bank under the by-pass bridge

Holly Blue at green lane this morning.

15/08/16 (late as I thought the forum was gone!)

An insect hunt was fairly successful in the warm conditions. Easily the highlights were a single male black-tailed skimmer and, accidentally found on the canal, red-eyed damselflies (3) which I am assuming is a range expansion (not mapped on the latest dragonfly atlas to 2012). Best butterflies were 4 brimstone and c8 common blues.

Better for insects than birds today, with 9 species of butterfly, a moth, a 'new' beetle and the first damselflies of the year anywhere for me.

6 brimstone

4 large white

4 speckled wood

13 orange tip (inc 2 fems)

1 small tortoiseshell

1 comma

1 green-veined white

2 peacock

3 small white

1 common carpet

1 Green tiger-beetle, never seen here before in dozens of visits. Are they a recent addition?

several teneral damselflies, near certainly azure.

Birds about to go on the back-burner?