As Spring marches on more wildlife can be seen. This morning while carrying out a Great Crested Newt survey I found a newly emerged Four-spotted Chaser (Dragonfly) which is at the top of the Common Reed and its nymph case in the middle of the Common Reed. The nymph Chasers emerge under the cover of darkness and climb plants such as Common Reed. They then emerge from the case and the adult chaser climbs further up to let its wings dry and its body harden off. Caught this one finally drying itself off. By the time I had collected all my bottle traps, the sun had warmed it up and the Four-spotted Chaser had flown off in search of food etc.
Other things to look out for this week or hear is the Swifts or screachers as they are sometimes known are back. These delightful birds can be heard in the evenings flying around. The amazing fact about these birds is that the only time they land on the ground is to nest and bring up their young. The rest of their time is spent on the wing.
It is too late to start a full GCN survey but there is time to carry out eDNA surveys to determine if GCN are in a pond. If you require a survey of any kind, give us a call on 07807 655237 and we will always be glad to help you.
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