Saturday I was in Chichester early enough to have the Gran Paradiso garden to myself for coffee. Deep shade and a nice breeze made it very comfortable with a Raven 'cronking' overhead and heading towards BPG. A little later a tatty, circling Red Kite was harrassed by a Herring Gull.
At home during the day a few small 'pulses' of Swallows were passing over.
Earlier, a decent enough catch - 57/33. Ten species new for the year with one of those a trap first - Nephopteryx angustella. Another very smart Toadflax Brocade, three Portland Ribbon Wave, Small Ranunculus, Golden Twin-spot, Poplar Hawkmoth and two very pristine Silver Ys.
Another moth session overnight into Monday was better than expected as the vanes and bulb of the Heath trap were on their side; down to me? a light breeze? or Fox activity? I wasn't expecting too much but the Poplar Hawkmoth on the fence panel behind gave me some hope and ended up with 49/31. The two nights together came to 106/43. Strangely, twenty-one species from the first night were absent on the second whilst ten new species were added.
Broad-barred White was a head-scratcher. Although a common moth, I've only one other record and it's not one I recall from other people's sessions.
Dark/Grey Dagger, Angle Shades, L-album Wainscot, Clancy's Rustic and Palpita vitrialis were the best with Small Ranunculus, Portland Ribbon Wave, Nutmeg and Golden Twin-spot the best-of-the-rest.
Whilst processing the above a fox, the vixen of the family I think, tried to walk into the conservatory but soon bolted when she saw me. Cheeky b****d!!
Monday at SHP produced little other than a Hornet chasing after Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, two more Hummingbird Hawkmoths, one on Verbena bonariensis in the cafe garden and a second in Well Head. The previous visit's Spotted Flycatcher family were, unsurprisingly, absent. A Weasel dashed across the access road as I arrived; my first mustelid in months.
Today, Tuesday, saw the first light rain in an age and it looks as if most days this week will have some damp spells - but nothing to raise water levels anywhere.
A drive up to Liss and back had Red Kite and Sparrowhawk plus a hulking Great Black-backed Gull over the bridge. Some more twittering Swallows were overhead before the rain.
(The Rush Veneer below was one of several 'kicked up' on a walk across the bone-dry playing field. The micro is Ancylosis oblitella).
