In to Petersfield for chores and then a brief stop at QECP where, by now, it was pretty windy so what few butterflies and moths that were on the wing were instantly blown away. Burnet Companion was best of these.
The nicest sightings today were six Scarlet Tiger Moths all sat quietly on leaves in the shades of the high level return path.
Bombus vestalis, Amblyteles armatorius, Zophomyia temula, Tree Damsel Bug, several Broad-bodied Chasers and Emperors.
Met up with Richard and FoPH for a walk along the south slope to the top field - the one that had a Richard's Pipit back in October 2016.
Gazillions of Pyramidal Orchids but only one CSO and more Marbled Whites than I've seen in ages. Singles of Large Skipper, Small Skipper and Dark Green Fritillary.
Meadow Grasshopper and Great Green Bush Cricket.
Lots of Cryptocephalus Pot beetles.
Best find was a Small Elephant Hawkmoth and a sadly too distant Sharp-tailed Bee spp.
Not being a botanist I'd never come across many Knapweed Broomrape (first with MM at Trottiscliffe in July 1979!!) but lots here today, see below.
Bird-wise just a few Swallows and Swifts, the odd Buzzard and Kestrel whilst it was nice to hear a strongly singing Lesser Whitethroat, a species which seems to have been few and far between this year.
Cerceris rybiensis, Sicus ferruginea, Tabanus spp (bromius?), Machimus atricapillus, Musca autumnalis, Tenthredo atra, Weevil spp ( Tanymecus palliatus?? who knows), Variable Damselfly, Rhagio tringarius.
In Pete's absence (Sark) I walked around with Ian and we watched the two eagles from reception, then Westmead and finally, marginally better views from Winpenny. Nothing else on show. With a predicted heatwave I wonder how long before the nearest pools are bone dry.
At the dipping pond no Yellow Loosestrife and hence no Bees but later AA reported seeing them on the seasonal path whilst leading a group.
Later with Carey, and a new-to-area bee expert Dr Tony Madgwick (LNHS) I was shown Lindenius panzeri through a hand lens, a number of which were tunneling into the bare and compacted footpath along Adder Alley with numetous Ornate-tailed Digger Wasps. Across the footpath I found a bee which I didn't recognise but which was confirmed as Small Shaggy Bee (Panurgus calcaratus). If the reserve list is up to date this would be a new species. A Sparrowhawk with prey flew overhead.
Later, on the heath lots of Green-eyed Flower Bees etc and lots of 'Ruby Wasps' although no idea which species. Plenty of Musca autumnalis on fence posts plus a single Thelaira nigripes on nearby vegetation. And finally a Kite-tailed Robberfly on a bench and a couple of scuttling Common Lizards. Black Pond was bone dry.
Above Cheilosia spp (proxima or thereabouts) Meligethes flower beetles, a Siphona spp and Epistrophe grossulariae.
Marbled White, Pipiza austriaca, Nomada fabricius and my first Hummingbird Hawkmoth of the year in the Well Head garden which performed brilliantly until I reached for my camera whereupon it rocketed off.
Heard-only Firecrest, Goldcrest, Tree Creeper, Marsh Tit and both Woodpeckers.
A brief walk to the Ferry Pool Hide produced 25 Avocet of which 6 or more were chicks. Also 30 or so Black-tailed Godwit.
A staff member is due to send out a moth list. EDIT And here it is!!
Treble Lines, Marbled Minor, Poplar Hawk Moth,Large Yellow Underwing, Poplar Grey, Garden Grass Veneer, Tawny Marbled Minor, Bright Line Brown Eye, Heart and Dart, Heart and Club, Smoky Wainscot, Snout, Dark Arches, Riband Wave, Cinnabar, Common Swift, Uncertain, Treble Brown Spot, Nutmeg, Small Mottled Willow, Large Straw, Diamond Back Moth, Rusty Dot Pearl, Garden Pebble, Bramble Shoot moth, Peach Blossom, Elephant Hawk Moth, Buff Tip, Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, Angle Shades, Privet Hawkmoth, Burnished Brass, Blood-vein, Dingy Shears, Scorched Wing, Buff Ermine, Mottled Rustic, Common Wainscot, Evergestis limbata, Flame, Dioryctria abietella, Scrobipalpa costella, Gypsonoma sociana, Agapeta hamana, Cochylis atricapitana, Cochylis moliculana, Homoeosoma sinuella, Acrobasis marmorea, Epiblema grandevana, Elachista abifrontella, Crambus lathoniellus, Crambus pascuella, Pandemis heparana.
Above, bycatch ichneumon spp (Netelia melanura via Jaswinder on FB) and Dioryctria spp, Blood-vein and Scorched Wing
Small Mottled Willow (now Beet Armyworm!!), Pandemis heparana, Gypsonoma sociana, the above Dioryctria abietella and Homoeosoma sinuella were species I've not caught before.
Five of the above micros would have been new moths - but with three traps, two 'moth experts', half a dozen RSPB staff and twenty visitors all packed into the building adjacent to reception it was hard to keep up with everything! Hopefully an autumn rerun of this event and maybe the same at WWT might produced some different moths.
Arrived in Arundel about 09:15 and was pleased to see and hear a few House Martins over Queens Street.
A little later at the pub carpark both adult Peregrines were on their usual perch and very noisy with the female plucking some prey.
Whilst queuing on the entrance bridge a number of Four-spotted Chasers were ovipositing, a similar number of male Black-tailed Skimmers were sitting on warm patches of ground and a few Red-eyed Damselflies were on floating vegetation.
The moth event run by Suzy and Hannah was under the usual gazebo and attended by about fifteen people. A total of about seventy moths of twenty-five plus species.
Shears and Mottled Rustic were species I've never caught and Variegated Golden Tortix and Grey Pug were species I've only caught once, both in 2024, the former at No3 and latter at No8. Some wainscots seemed to be Smoky and Common. A few expected 'crowd pleasers' were missing, namely Elephant Hawkmoth and Buff-tip.
List below in part.
Other inverts were thin on the ground with an Osmia spp probably leiana just too quick for me.
Bird-wise a single Little Egret was feeding at least one young and both Marsh Harriers were active with the female continually being chased around a long way up by a very irate Oystercatcher. On leaving the male was sparring with a Buzzard.
No kites nor Cattle Egrets today.
