Pete's Favourite Things

London Wetland Centre

A bright sunny morning saw Keith and I heading for The London wetland Centre. We had two aims – firstly to photograph some Butterflies and Dragonflies and secondly to see what migrating birds were present on the reserve.

Our first good sighting was a Small Copper Butterfly resting on the vegetation.

Small Copper (photo by Keith)

Unfortunately, despite this good start,the remainder of the butterflies that we saw were, with the exception of one Red Admiral and one Speckled Wood, whites.

It was a very similar story with the Dragonflies where, although there were many individuals, only Migrant Hawker and Common Darter were identified. One fly-by appeared to be a darker red and have a waisted body – a possible Ruddy Darter, but it didnot stay around long enough for a confirmed identification.

Migrant Hawker (Photo by Keith)

Common Darter

We were luckier with the migrants – a Ruffe and a Wheatear giving good views, although we did not find the Whinchat that had been seen earlier in the morning.

Wheatear

Ruffe

A juvenile Green Woodpecker also gave good views as it hunted for food on the grass banks.

Green Woodpecker

White tailed Bumblebee

One unexpected fly-by were 4 chinook-type helicopters which flew over from the west circled over the reserve before heading off towards central London.

As always this reserve does not disappoint.

Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Stock Dove [sp] (Columba oenas)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
European Green Woodpecker [sp] (Picus viridis)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Sand Martin [sp] (Riparia riparia)
Barn Swallow [sp] (Hirundo rustica)
Common House Martin [sp] (Delichon urbicum)
Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Chiffchaff [sp] (Phylloscopus collybita)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Northern Wheatear [sp] (Oenanthe oenanthe)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)

Large White (Pieris brassicae)
Small White (Artogeia rapae)
Small Copper [sp] (Lycaena phlaeas)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Speckled Wood [sp] (Pararge aegeria)

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta)
Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) -possible
Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)