This morning Goldcrest, LRP, Kestrel, 2 Great Spot Woodpeckers, 2 Kingfisher, 3 Mistle Thrush.
Also 3 Large Skipper, 4 Red Admiral and a Cinnabar moth (A. Corrall/M. White).
Carlton Marsh
3 juv Grey Heron, Kingfisher, LBB Gull, Gadwall with 10 young, juv. Great Spot Woodpecker.
Butterflies included 16 Ringlet, 15 Small Skipper, 50 Meadow Brown, and 4 Common Blue.
Also 1 Narrow bordered 5 spot Burnet Moth and 1 Burnet Companion. All on the western meadow.
There were 2m Broad-bodied Chasers and several Emperor dragonflies.
13 species of butterfly included 2 Painted Lady, 6 Red Admiral, 18 Small Tort., 25 Speckled Wood, 1 Brown Argus, and lots of Peacock larvae.
There were c100 Banded Agrion, and 6 day-flying Chimney Sweeper moths (Chris Parkin).
Last night seemed to perfect for moth catching as it was very warm and humid, However, in the 2 hrs Chris Parkin and I were there we only managed 15 species of macro moth. These included Ghost Moth, Barred Straw, Light Emerald and Small Fan Foot.
As we were catching a trio of Tawny Owl owlets constantly called from the trees around us in the darkness.
A Common Tern was present again and more Kingfisher photos were taken by Harold Heath & Clive Mitchell from the hide this morning.
A pair of Mute Swans had 5 cygnets.
14 species of butterfly today included 2 Gatekeeper, 4 Painted Lady, 46 Marbled White, 106 Meadow Brown, 72 Ringlet and 28 Small Heath,. Also present Common Darter (C. Parkin).
1 adult & 1 juvenile kingfisher and a Common Tern (Amy Lomas).
juvenile Kingfisher photos by Clive Mitchell & Harold Heath
This morning a Little Egret was on the western meadow pond (K. Bannister).
2 LRP and a Red-legged Partridge were on the wader scrape, and a Common Tern was on the scrape.
A female Yellow Wagtail was seen in the potato field and Small Copper was also of note. (L & A Corrall).
The Common Tern spent part of the morning and afternoon over the scrape. Also of interest a juvenile Coal Tit, Treecreeper, Great Spot Woodpecker, and LRP and Oystercatcher on the wader scrape.
Meanwhile a pair of Yellow Wagtails in a nearby potato field are almost certainly breeding (L A Corrall/R. Laverack).
6 Ringlet, 2 Meadow Brown, a Small Copper and a very faded Burnet Companion were seen in the western meadow during management work (CG).
Butterflies and moths included 13 Small Skipper, 1 Painted Lady, 2 Red Admiral, 4 Small Tort., 92 Meadow Brown, 9 Ringlet, 32 Large Skipper, 67 Small Heath, 22 Common Blue and 2 Small Copper. 1 Blackneck moth and 7 Burnet Cmpanion moths.
Also evident 7 (1f) Banded Agrion, 1 Smooth Newt, and a longhorn beetle (Chris Parkin).
The Common Tern spent most of the morning and afternoon fishing on the scrapes. 2 broods of very small young Gadwall, 6 on the scrape & 6 on the wader scrape, Kingfisher (scrape), Dabchick (w. scrape). A pair of Jackdaws were safeguarding at least 1 juvenile in the car park
Insects abounded despite the cool breeze. 2 Painted Lady, 7 Red Admiral, 6 S. Tortoiseshell, 19 Meadow Brown, 1 Ringlet, 6 Speckled Wood, 3 Large Skipper, 2 Small Heath, 4 Common Blue, 1 Small Copper. There were 5m 2f Broad-bodied Chasers on the western meadow ponds and a possible Brown Haweker near the hide. Also 2m 1f Banded Agrion and 5 Burnet Companion moths.
The Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Velucella zonaria) and the rare Chrysotoxum festivum or vernale was resting on a bramble leaf.
Common Tern, Garden Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and Oystercatcher were the best for today (K. Bannister/A. Corrall/M. White/J. Finnerty).
Reed Warblers are fledgeing now as shown in the photographs below.
The Common Tern visited the scrape again this morning and a Little Ringed Plover was on the wader scrape.
The Yellow Wagtail was displaying over the potato field and a Garden Warbler sang near the Scots Pines on the embankment.
A Tawny Owl with an owlet was in a Sycamore tree. 4 Song Thrushes sang, Great Spot Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, and 2 Buzzards.
Insects included 1m BB Chaser and 1 Ringlet (K. Bannister/L & A Corrall/CG).
Today's highlights included Little Egret, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Starlings, 9 LBB Gulls, 2 Yellow Buntings, 4 Skylarks, and a male Yellow Wagtail, the first this year, in a nearby potato field.
Also 1 meadow Brown and 2 Small Heath (A. Corrall/M. White/CG).
And an adult Fox with a cub
A Common Tern was fishing over the scrape at 07.47hrs and an Oystercatcher was present (K. Bannister).
By late morning both had left. However, the Common Tern returned to the scrape at 12.25hrs and continued to dive for fish alighting at times on a wooden post. A juvenile Heron pushed it off much to the annoyance of the Tern, which then began to dive bomb the Heron for superiority of the perching post. The pester power of the Tern won out. It was still feeding when I left at 13.10hrs. On returning to the wader scrape the Oystercatcher returned by 13.20hrs. (CG).
A Tawny Owl sang at mid-day from the school pond area.
On the wader scrape today adult Spoonbill at 07.42hrs (Keith.Bannister). This only the second record of it here and the first to come down and feed. It moved on at 08.30hrs (Amy Lomas).
Spoonbill photos taken by Amy Lomas
Also 1 LRP, 2 Lapwings, 12 Canada Geese and c20 Gadwall.
Last nights moths in Chris Parkin's Cudworth garden.
2 Little Ringed Plovers were on the wader scrape at 05.30hrs (K. Bannister).
Insects mostly on the western meadow included 26 Common Blue, 2m Orange-tip, 5 Speckled Wood, 7 Small Copper, 1 Brown Argus, 2 Large Skipper, 2 Dingy Skipper, 3 Red Admiral, 10 Painted Lady.
4 Silver Y moths, 13 Yellow Shell, Cinnabar, 35 Burnet Companion moths.
3 Banded Agrion, 5 (2m) Broad-bodied Chaser, Emperor and a Squash Bug (C. Parkin/CG).
A European Quail heard very briefly this afternoon was confirmed this evening. However, it only sang intermittently from a field of Barley or an adjacent Bean field at the back of the Pinfold Hotel, and then later near the flashes on the Common. They are very good at throwing their voice a fair distance, so patience will be required to hear it (CG).
Carlton Marsh
Photographs sent in by Harold Heath & Simon Cox.
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