August wildlife

This beauty was one of the wildlife highlights seen during a hectic August at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve.
During the first week we saw an amazing Grayling butterfly as we stopped for lunch at the Pepperpot in Eaves Wood, Silverdale. It was perfectly camouflaged but moved for a split second giving away its position against the limestone where it was hiding.
The second week saw a group of young people enjoying a "Wildlife Discovery Week" which included osprey, marsh harrier and various species of moths as well as learning about the plight of the Sumatran Rainforest
The third week included sightings of 18 little egrets, three spoonbills, an osprey successfully fishing and the kingfisher in the photograph. We also saw stoat and at least ten species of butterfly together with common darter, black darter southern hawker and migrant hawker dragonflies.
The last week was capped off by some magnificent views of red deer and the visit of a great white egret to the Eric Morecambe complex