COVID, hot weather, arthritis and general apathy meant that 30 Days Wild in June slipped away from me although I'm guessing the 'restricted' lives we are all living might have encouraged many people to take part in the confines of their local areas and gardens. Nice to see Blashford is reopening today, in a limited fashion - maybe a visit coming up in the days ahead.
The last four pretty inactive days saw a couple of appearances of Wool Carder Bee in the garden along with a few leafcutters and a brief glimpse of a Peregrine, now absent from local church but presumably roosting elsewhere in town.
A first 'coffee outing' since March 19th to P'field produced just Buzzard over the main road, some House Martins over town and a Med Gull over the road and into Farlington.
A local walk on Tuesday found the first four Small Skippers of the year dog-fighting with up to thirty Meadow Browns along the rough path by the new plantings plus a very fresh Small Tortoiseshell. Otherwise just Red-tailed Bee, a Nomada spp and a 'kicked up' Silver Y moth. A Common Damselfly was a surprise find. No sound of any Whitethroats today, just Chiffchaff, Blackcap and a distant Cetti's. Lastly a Buzzard over harassed by Herring Gulls and crows.
PS A couple of forgotten species were first Helophilus hybridus and a good number of the small longhorm beetle Stenurella melanura, mostly mating pairs.
