Plenty of inverts and a twitch..

 

(Sycamore, Scoparia pyralella, Mother Shipton, Pipiza spp, Tachina fera, Zophomyia temula, Volucella bombylans, Microdon spp, Andrena cineraria, Five-spot Burnet, Crambus lathionellus, Common Spotted Orchid, Med Gulls, Burnet Companion, Peppered Moth, Volucella pellucens, Wasp Beetle, Epistrophe melanostoma, Mesembrina meridiana).

News broke early on Thursday of this Red-necked Phalarope at Sidlesham and so a quick drive down found the bird immediately but very distant on the left-hand side of the pool. Decent scope views when the sun broke through - and a catch up with CR from Titchfield and Barry and Margaret. (Photo courtesy of photographer - not mine). News broke of Hampshire's breeding Roseate Terns.

Precious little..

 

(Poplar Hawkmoth, Syrphus spp NOT ribesii, Ancistrocerus spp, Sarcophaga spp, Eumerus spp and a few Orb Weaver spiderlings).

A minimal moth trap (white Skinner) produced this fresh Poplar Hawkmoth, a few Willow Beauties and little else.

The rest above were beyond the pond; the Reed Warbler was silent or possibly long gone but the very vocal 'back garden' Cetti's had not moved more than 50yds in weeks!!

PS Another wet night on the cards tonight so no trapping.

PPS Monday, the Reed warbler was back to singing strongly, so obviously not departed and a Swallow, presumably a local breeder, was hawking just inches over the ground. A flush of  Broad Centurions (below) were the only new insects although it was pretty windy.

A flurry of spring insects etc..

Nothing of note birdwise either locally or slightly further afield although it was nice to hear a strongly singing Reed Warbler on the pond about a week ago. It seems unlikely that further birds will appear. A Lesser Black-back was chased off by a Moorhen having presumably predated one if its young.

A very damp Wednesday at PB produced about 30+ House Martins and 15-20 Swifts dropped down by the weather and just a single Avocet chick. Just seconds from leaving, a White-tailed Eagle was seen perched up on post a long way out from the tea terrace and a Cuckoo flew silently across Upperton's Field.

Moths

Walks at various sites have seen plenty of Mint Moths, Nettle-taps and migrant Silver Ys popping up in the grass with this smart Endothenia spp being a new moth at SC.

Running either the white plastic Skinner trap or the old wooden one with the heath trap bulb strapped to the top hasn't produced much but a few nice moths, notably :-

Eyed Hawkmoth (NfG), Alder moth (NfG), Poplar Hawkmoth (2nd and third), Oligia spp (3rd) and Bloodvein (2nd) and May Highflyer (2nd).

Orchids

A few more Southern Marsh Orchids at TH  (maybe 10 or so, but presumably dozens in the meadow). The five White Helleborines at QECP had been reduced to one, presumably nibbled by deer whilst the 40+ at GWH seemed intact. At the latter site just one Common Spotted and at Butser just a few weedy looking Early Purples - probably a few weeks too late for the latter.

TH Inverts 

A nice sunny and reasonably still day on Monday was thin on birds but saw a flurry of insects including lots of hoverflies although two Volucella pellucens were only the best.

Four-spotted Chasers and Hairy Dragonflies were very busy but none of the latter were keen on being photographed!!

Within a few yards this Phania funesta popped up followed by Wasp Beetle and this Misumena vatia was rather less camouflaged that usual. Many Turnip Sawflies and then, best of the bunch, was this Odontomyia ornata (Ornate Bombadier).

Butterflies

The brief orchid trip to Butser found three Duke of Burgundies in the sheltered ditch running parallel to the sunken footpath on the northwest side. Two were a little tatty and the third, rather more pristine was chased off and blown away in the breeze by this feisty Grizzled Skipper (below) which at least then landed and sat for a picture. The Duke below was from seven years ago.

And a few odds and ends....

Large Meadow Fly (Chrysotoxum cautum), Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis), Heliophanus spp (Sun Jumper), Andrena nitida, mating Cantharis fusca, Cryptocephalus aureolus and Gymnosoma rotundatum. 

Early re-visit

Despite virtually no sleep for 3 nights and the effect of yesterday's spring Covid jab Sunday's good forecast saw me up soon after 5am, breakfasted, on the road and at GWH for the second day on the trot, this time at the much earlier hour of 05:50!!

CP and Kimberley arrived shortly afterwards and the next two hours were spent going through four moth traps. After so much social media commenting on poor trapping conditions and low numbers this spring, it was a real treat to end up with stats of 115/37, figures which I'm sure weren't expected by any of the three of us. 

A few screaming Swifts, a Roe Deer and some early White Helleborines were the only other notable 'non-moths'.

Light Brocade was a new species and, although I didn't realise it, so was Marbled Brown which, sadly, I didn't pay enough attention to.

May Bugs, the odd wasps and the bug Harpocera thoracica were some of the bycatch.

It was interesting to see the most recent edition of Sterling and Parsons now has English names in prime position; some real tongue twisters amongst them!!

And a very brief visit to TH today saw this first Southern Marsh Orchid and the hoverfly Brachypalpoides lentus, something I've not seen for nearly six years!