3 August 2022 - Hollingworth Lake

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Great (White) Egret, Shoveler

Slightly better weather this morning, with some occasional sunshine, but still quite breezy.  I came across an interesting looking orange hoverfly with a striped abdomen, which turned out to be (probably) Helophilus pendulus, also known as the Footballer!  It seems there are three similar species, but pendulus is the commonest and is often found in and around ponds and ditches.

The Great Egret was still on the reserve as I approached, but I couldn't see it from the hide due to the proliferation of vegetation.  I did however find a female Shoveler dabbling along the edges, but this too soon became obscured.

When I walked beyond the hide, the egret was feeding around the Pavilion spit again, though I hadn't seen it fly.  There didn't seem to be any sign of the Little Egret today, but still a couple of Oystercatchers and at least one Cormorant were among the Lapwings.

Just as I reached Bib Knowl wall, I noticed a fluttering insect struggling in the wind, which I first though was a moth, but it then landed on the wall and proved to be a Mayfly, apparently Ephemera vulgata.

Helophilus Pendulus, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 250 (view full size image)

Shoveler, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 400 (view full size image)

Ephemera Vulgata, 1/500 sec, f/14.0, 500 mm, ISO 3200 (view full size image)