1st July 2018 - sunny and hot, 29C, light NE

Stsnford Reservoir; here in the afternoon hoping for Dragonflies and Butterflies.  In fact Dragonflies seems practically absent - odd!  There were good numbers of Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Ringlets and Meadow Brown. A few Speckled Wood and Large Skipper, a single Essex Skipper and Small Tortoiseshell.
Birds included 5 Common Tern, including the one incubating, 2 Little Grebe and the usual Great-Crested Grebes. 6 Gadwall were nice - moulting now, as are the Tufted and Mallard.  There was one new brood of 7 Mallard ducklings and a Mute Swan pair have 4 cynetes on the water now.
Warblers included Reed, Sedge, Garden, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff. Reed Buntings are still singing, Goldfinch, Linnet and Chaffinch were around too.
A Muntjac almost walked strait into me as I stood on the path listening, it soon disappeared in to cover.

 Essex Skipper - note black tips to antennae

Small Tortoiseshell