Moths
Just half a dozen sessions in August with many nights or early mornings plagued with showers. A few new moths for the garden, namely Cypress Carpet and August Thorn. A lack of early morning's brains(!) saw my first ever Portland Ribbon Wave photographed but left unidentified for a few hours. Was feeling rather pleased at this 'first' until I noticed social media was full of them from the south-west to the south-east. Luckily, on the same day, my first Clifden Nonpareil was being held in the PB fridge and kindly showed to me by Anna.
Late on one afternoon after the previous night's session a Poplar Hawkmoth was perched up on plants - presumably attracted to the light but hidden away enough to be missed when clearing the trap. Another unusual sighting was a moth disturbed from the vegetable rack whilst preparing the evening meal and which conveniently landed on a frying pan and sat long enough for me to pot it up - a Bloxworth Snout and only the third I've ever seen!! Sadly, despite cooling, it was too active for a photo and bolted before I could press the camera's shutter.
(Portland Ribbon Wave, Canary-shouldered Thorn(PB), Angle Shades and Poplar Hawkmoth)
Dragons
Migrant Hawker and tatty Brown Hawker at Arundel and female Southern Hawker at GWH pond.
Other inverts
Ant Damsel Bug instar, Willow Emerald Damselfly, Panzeria spp, Tachina fera, Ferdinandea cuprea, Paracorymbia fulva, Tiphia femorata and Athalia rosae.
Arundel Saturday 2nd
An impromptu visit to WWT saw a nice catch up with Ian and Sue who I've not seen for many years and a long chat with Jonathan.
Typically a Kingfisher was catching its breakfast in the shadow of the nest bank whilst my own brekkie was being consumed!
Bird wise the main pool was devoid of birds - I've never seen it so quiet but a little surprise was waiting. Exiting the hide a bird flashed passed and, if it had dived into cover would have been dismissed as a LBJ but luckily it chose to perch up in a berry tree/bush and showed brilliantly for a couple of minutes - a Wryneck! Sadly, it dashed off out of sight and I couldn't relocate it. A nice year tick, a reserve tick and one of my top 10 autumn birds.
Later, decent numbers of Chiffchaff were passing through the Black Poplars as is usual in September here. The main pool livened up with two Common Sandpipers chasing each other up and down, another sighting of Kingfisher and two Cattle Egrets, one still showing some head colour. A few chattering Swallows were literally a great heads-up for a fine Hobby and later a couple of hundred Swallows and House Martin's dropped into view before dispersing.
And finally, closer to home, a typically distant Osprey on usual North Binness tree from Broadmarsh, so about half a mile away.
