A chat with the girls at PB over the moth trap gave the first Poplar Hawkmoths of the year; I guess that everything would have been a year tick if there had been the opportunity to go through them!!
The advantage of 'four up' on Wednesdays now means we can split up, talk to different people and give me a bit more insect time on the heathland although its not too easy out there yet; Criorhina berberina was in almost the same bush as two years back, Chrysotoxum cautum was in the church path vegetation and Brachypalpoides lentus was NfR and in the play area hedge.
The micro moth Eulia ministrana was sunbathing and what was probably a Green Tiger Beetle skittered off down the path and crash landed in the leaf litter. Calling Spotted Flycatcher was good to see in Black Wood.
Alan, Chris and Juliet confirmed MP's earlier tweet that the stilts had indeed departed (and turned up at Wells the next day!). The Pink-footed Goose remained distantly on the North Brooks and there was just one remaining pair of Teal. Decent scope views of Cuckoo calling away in the Peregrine tree, two Hobbies and a Peregrine finished the day.
Later at Burton Pond plenty of all three chasers plus Banded Demoiselle and Red-eyed Damselfly brought the day total of Odonata to ten; sadly no Beautiful Demoiselle nor Downy Emerald. A massive queen Hornet was dogfighting with dragonflies, including a couple of Hairy Dragonflies, over the boggy pond. Several Tachina fera were sunbathing at various points.
Some cuckoo bees at Chichester were nice and I assumed B vestalis; MS on facebook seems to think B.sylvestris more likely. A 'sharp-tailed' bee was equally unphotogenic as were Lasioglossums. The Ravens were constantly vocal and the Peregrines were also screaming away.
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| Burton Pond - Scarce Chaser |
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| Brachypalpoides lentus |
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| Pebble Prominent |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
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| Orange Tip on Alkanet |
