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.
