As I approached the reserve I could see it raining to the south and feared the worse. And till about 2.30 the conditions were overcast and miserable with very little to photograph, except a little grebe with its young - but there was a spoonbill on show, the closest I'd ever seen a wild
one, but still far to far away to photograph. I wandered round for a bit, as I didnt want to go home so soon after travelling for so long to get there, and soon after entering the forest area a weasel shot across the path just in front of me. I hung around till 2.30 and decided to stay for a bit
longer and try and find some water voles. I didnt unfortunately but I'm glad I stayed as around 3pm the sun came out; and so did the insects and Marsh frogs. There was atleast 4 female Emperor Dragonflies flying round and laying eggs. Also up near the rifle range was a tame wren
singing his heart out. And on my way out I saw one of the biggest Marsh frogs I have seen yet. In the picture the smaller frog is about the size of a full grown common frog, which shows how big the other is! And I did see a species of dragonfly I didnt regonise which kept dipping its abdomen into the water and wrestled/mated? with a male black tailed skimmer but as I had the camera following it waiting for it to land there was a splash and then a marsh frog sitting there - the dragonfly presumably in its gut!
As I approached the reserve I could see it raining to the south and feared the worse. And till about 2.30 the conditions were overcast and miserable with very little to photograph, except a little grebe with its young - but there was a spoonbill on show, the closest I'd ever seen a wild 
one, but still far to far away to photograph. I wandered round for a bit, as I didnt want to go home so soon after travelling for so long to get there, and soon after entering the forest area a weasel shot across the path just in front of me. I hung around till 2.30 and decided to stay for a bit
longer and try and find some water voles. I didnt unfortunately but I'm glad I stayed as around 3pm the sun came out; and so did the insects and Marsh frogs. There was atleast 4 female Emperor Dragonflies flying round and laying eggs. Also up near the rifle range was a tame wren 
singing his heart out. And on my way out I saw one of the biggest Marsh frogs I have seen yet. In the picture the smaller frog is about the size of a full grown common frog, which shows how big the other is! And I did see a species of dragonfly I didnt regonise which kept dipping its abdomen into the water and wrestled/mated? with a male black tailed skimmer but as I had the camera following it waiting for it to land there was a splash and then a marsh frog sitting there - the dragonfly presumably in its gut!
The grassland here was alive with butterflies, moths and grasshoppers and were full of flowers. I came here to photograph a marbled white (top) and wasn't disappointed. There were plenty
flying
ts wings open will I took a load of photos. Also there was a species of day flying moth (2nd from top) fluttering around. I turned over a stone, looking for a slowworms and found a a different type of 'worm' (neither are worms really - a slowworm is a legless lizard) a glowworm (which is a type of beetle) larva (2nd from bottom). And to finish of the trip I found a Stag beetle female on the pavement on the way home (bottom)
Artic fox
Bullfrog
Adder
Black Rat
Badger
Common Crane
Common Lizard
Coypu
Eagle Owl
European pond Turtle
Egret
Green Lizard
Havest Mouse
Lynx
Night Heron
Otter
Pine Marten
Polecat
Red Squirrel
Roe Deer
Stoat
Spoonbill
Fox
Tawney Owl
