The Drain

I've had a great day out, on me todd, complete peace and solitude for a good few hours. I had thought about heading out to the North Norfolk coast, but baulked at the idea when it came to actually getting in the car and driving there. So I made an on-the-spot snap decision at 7am this morning to instead head for Woodwalton Fen. I had no plan, no gen and no expectations - I just remembered the site being diverse, and wanted to get away to somewhere different for a change. Perhaps if I'd had more of a plan, I would have got there quicker - the in car twat-nav does not update itself and a key part of the A14 doesn't seem to exist on the map anymore, so having missed a turning I ended up arriving via Godmanchester and Huntingdon. For a small posh-sounding towns the circuitous route and multitude of roadworks made that part of the country instantly disagreeable!

I was still there in good time though, and had no constraints on time spent there. The limiting factor was likely to be my lack of fluids and pack-up. There were a few cars lined up alongside the drain, one each for the four fishermen sporting their rods and keep-nets. As soon as I stepped out I remembered the footbridge to get across to the reserve entrance.

Although I expected no-one on site, I knew that it would be massively frowned upon if I happily sauntered around thrashing everything with a sweep net or dipping every drain with my pond net. I knew that without these, and being alone, the experience was going to be very different to the last time I was here on a PSL meet-up. But the point of the visit was not to tear around finding new stuff, I just wanted to enjoy the site and point the camera at whatever came my way.

What did come my way, almost immediately, was a memory of some particular amphibious plants. I found them easily, although remembering what exactly they were was not so easy.

Frogbit

Greater Bladderwort

I also remembered that last time we'd come across some ridiculous plant with huge flowers that had spread around the reserve after being introduced near to Rothschild's Bungalow. I found them in different spots.

Yellow Oxeye [Telekia speciosa]

A couple of other plants, of many noted today:

Yellow Loosestrife

Marsh Sow-thistle

Whilst the reserve has plenty of habitat, one of the key areas of interest today was the bare wood on various bridges and walkways across the drains. Wooden fences are always good for loafing insects on overcast days. Today there were a few - not all loafing, some were very busy.

German Wasp

Ruddy Darter

Dark Bush-cricket

Red Underwing

I had a good long walk around before heading back to the car to finish a flask of coffee and grab a sandwich, and then headed out in the other direction. The varied habitats all provided something of interest.

Some of the bits I pointed the camera at, in no particular order.

Short-winged Conehead

Xylota segnis

Alder Moth - superb final instar

Lariniodes cornutus

Parent Bug - one of c20 on the same bit of alder

Curculio ribidus

Birch Shieldbug

Delphax pulchellus - macropterous male

Birch Catkin Bug

Cryptocephalus pusillus