Its July and picnic time

A break in the weather yesterday tea-time had me trekking to the Pettingale Hide at Llandegfedd Reservoir for a bit of risk averse birding. After everything I've said about countryside clutter I was certainly glad of the cover the hide provided, as the sky soon darkened and then failed to stop raining for any significant time during my hour or so stay. The hide here could be so good if there was some vegetation management around it. As such views toward the dam are non existent, and very restricted toward the north due to head height bracken etc. Interesting though some strumming has taken place around the nearby bench and life buoy - presumably for the benefit of fishermen?

I enjoy July and August at reservoir. Lower water levels with passage waders, muddy margins with ground beetles and liverworts and invertebrate rich meadows. Yesterday seemed a world away from such romantic thoughts. A quick scan of the floating island or are they fish rearing tanks, produced a colour ringed lesser black backed gull, but as I arranged my kit for a record shot they all took flight to the middle of the reservoir. Otherwise a shelduck, a fast flying duck that emerged from Sor Bay in the gloom and flew strongly around the reservoir to alight just off shore of The Island/Green Pool area could have been the recently reported common scoter or even a mallard.

 Finally, brief rain respite produced what I first thought were longhorn moths, with dozens of these insects dancing around the bracken/bramble/hazel view restricting vegetational combination. On closer inspection they appear to be caddis flies. Further research required to identify to species level.  Calling in at the dam before returning home produced circa 12 common sandpiper suggesting inland wader movement may already be underway.