These caterpillars on birch amounted to about 20 individuals yesterday and in the fullness of time will turn into Bufftip moths. I checked some other birch in the same area today but couldn't find any more caterpillars.
The small pond and its surrounding scrub is now a temporary home to Migrant Hawker dragonflies - only two today struggling low down in the very windy conditions.
Curiously, Small Dusty Wave moth (above) is something I've never seen in a trap, only ever settled on fencing or in this case the glass panel near the front door, and not for the first time.
With such a cool and windy night the trap held little, three L-albums being the best and freshest - no migrant Covolvulous nor Small Mottled Willows for me - and just a Rusty Dot Pearl representing immigrants.
Locally, an increase in Tufted Ducks to over a dozen and the first five Shovelers of the autumn included two eclipse drakes.
Whilst trying to switch off flickr emails I realised I still had old pictures on there including these below- these two Wrynecks were much more obliging that Sunday's TH bird!!
Long-billed Dowitcher from Poole Park, LRPs from Blashford and Shore Lark from Cuckmere
