Tracks and more at Maple Lodge

I went to Maple Lodge today on a very impromptu visit, and forgot to charge my camera battery before I went. The work party were also there and whilst I waited for my battery to charge (luckily I had my camera charger in my rucksack) Martin and Gill took me on an off site tour of the recent works. 

The three hides down the right hand fork (the double decker, Sanctuary and Rotunda hides) have all had major work done in front of them. New ponds, islands and raised banks have been created along with a very nice area just after the bend in the path which might become a little picnic area in the future. My iPhone photos don't do the work justice sadly, but the areas created are going to look fantastic once it all greens up. 

The local wildlife have already been investigating the new areas and we found both fox and badger tracks....

and two Tawny Owl pellets......

After my unplanned off piste guided tour, I spent a few hours wandering around on my own. 

As to be expected at this time of year there is still a lot of fruiting fungi around....

Martin is leading a fungi Walk and Talk this Sunday, which I will be attending too..

One of my favourite hides at the moment is the cosy Shell Hide. This is Reggie the Robins territory and he will dive bomb you as soon as you start walking up the path towards the hide. I've learnt on my last couple of visits to leave the door open whilst I'm in there as he likes to come in the hide window, and go out the door. This also ensures he isn't accidentally trapped in there. No photos of Reggie today, but here are a couple of out of focus pics of Vinnie the Vole. There are actually two Bank Voles that pop in and out now, and if you stay completely still and quiet (and Reggie doesn't chase them off) they do pop out to collect up any of Reggies spilt bird seed....

There were lots of Gadwall around today. These drab looking ducks actually have the most stunning intricate feather details. I just wish they had been a bit closer so I could capture that in more detail....

There are a lot of Shovellers around at the moment too, and numbers will go up as winter sets in...

One of the most heard noises on site today were the 'trilling' calls of the Little Grebe. From the Sluice Hide there were good views of three Little Grebes together, and one gave me a penetrating stare before diving down....

Even though it was a fairly cold day, the sun was out for most of it and I found one species of Hoverfly warming up on a leaf.... the very common Marmalade Hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus

Whilst I was in the Long Hedge Hide I noticed this golf ball sized nest in the corner. I'm pretty sure it is a wasps nest, but happy to be corrected. It was small and the web underneath it seemed to be covered in either droppings or tiny flies.... 

As always I had a really interesting visit, and was thankful for the comfort of the clubhouse with its microwave and kettle - home made reheated lasagne and a mug of coffee never tastes better than when you're watching the local nature go by. 

Wet visit to Maple Lodge

Autumn was definitely in the air at Maple Lodge NR today. But despite the frequent rain showers and cooler air, there were still lots of critters around. 

There were two species of hoverfly braving the weather.....

Syrphus sp.

Myathropa florea

 There was even a Comma at Comma Corner.....

On the screens by the Barn Owl Meadow, there was a tiny green jewelled wasp....

and a bit further along I found a Hornet......

The rain bought out the slugs, including this huge orange thug of a slug.....

The rain also caught out this Shield Bug that was on the rails at the Long Hedge Hide.....

More bugs, this time Dock Bugs, were out in force at Comma Corner during one of the brief sunny spells.....

and on another leaf some of them were sharing space with a spider......

One good thing about the rain.....it makes spiders webs look quite pretty.....

Up at the Shell Hide, Reggie the Robin popped in to ask for some meal worms......

and from the Clubhouse Hide the now predictable Nuthatch came as soon as nuts were put out for him/her....

As to be expected at this time of year, there was plenty of fruiting fungi around.....

Despite the cooler wetter weather I still had an enjoyable visit. There was plenty more that I could have photographed including the Treecreeper in amongst a mixed tit flock that was making it's way around the reserve, and the 20-30 Redwings by the Lynsters Hide  but they were a little distant. 

Rainy day at Maple Lodge NR

After yesterdays successful visit, which made me feel 'human' again, I decided to venture back to Maple Lodge NR this morning. I only intended to stay until lunchtime but both the rain and the atmosphere kept me there longer and I finally left at 5pm, a mere eight hours after I arrived.....

The overcast sky meant there were not many photo opportunities, and not too much to see, but you can always find something at Maple Lodge. 

The bad light also meant every photo I took was quite 'noisy' so apologies in advance for the dreadful pics. 

Small White

An unobliging Chiffchaff

Grey Wagtail in front of the Clubhouse Hide

Coal Tit at the Clubhouse Hide

Nuthatch at the Clubhouse Hide

Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Clubhouse Hide

 I had a bit more success at the long screen by the Barn Owl Meadow, with three insect species that I haven't knowingly seen before. However, the light was still not in my favour and couple that with the how fast these critters were, my photos really don't do them justice. 

I've not had time to fully look into any ids for the below, but I think the first is an Ichneumon species. It had the longest ovipositor I've ever seen....

The second little gem is, I think, one of the Jewel wasps....

and the last is, I think, one of the Sawfly species.....

There was also a wasp making a lot of noise by scrapping at the wood....

I spent a fair bit of today inside the comfortable Clubhouse Hide. The lure of a hot coffee and great view gets me every time. The added bonus today was the great company of Paul, Gary and Jack. Even after they left and I had the reserve to myself for nearly two hours, I still favoured the Clubhouse Hide. 

A Little Egret had landed earlier in the day and was fishing around the exposed shingle islands. Eventually another bird joined it and they made their way nearer to the hide. My photos are still not great but they will do for now. 

Despite the rain, despite the heavy cloud, despite the awful photos, I actually had a really enjoyable day and felt a bit more weight lifted off my shoulders. Nature really is a wonderful thing.