Thursday June 6

If there was any doubt that this morning would be mostly about insects, a late start due to a doctors appointment made sure of it.

The weather was a bit borderline, sunny intervals with a fresh south-westerly. So insects were on the wing, but were tending to be swayed around by the wind when they landed.

Briefly, the birding highlights were a calling Cuckoo, a Little Ringed Plover, the Teal, and the continued presence of the Shelducklings.

The first significant insect was a male Common Blue, but it was soon blown over hedge and away. Fortunately a female of the same species paused a little longer.

Common Blue

The same Common Blue

Several Brown Arguses were still flying, my score being B Argus 4 C Blue 2. Other butterflies included a Large White, a Peacock, a Red Admiral, a Brimstone, about three Orange-tips, and my first couple of Meadow Browns of the year.

Meadow Brown

Day-flying moths were even harder to pin down, but did include a little colony of the remarkable Longhorn moth Nemophora degeerella.

Nemophera degeerella

Needless to say I returned home to discover there was a scarcer similar species. This one I am sure is the commoner.

Dragonflies were also tricky. There were many mating Azure Damselflies, and I had to peer at a lot of them before finally finding a Common Blue Damselfly.

Azure Damselfly

Common Blue Damselfly

The only large dragonflies seemed to be Broad-bodied Chasers. that was until I spent some time at the Dragonfly Pools where eventually an Emperor, and a Four-spotted Chaser chased one another. I eventually gave up all hope that either would land in sight.

Finally, a mammal. A rather scrawny Red Fox was trotting across the ploughed field to the annoyance of a party of 13 Lapwings and several Brown Hares.

Red Fox

If it was looking for Lapwing chicks then it failed (as did I), and ran off when it noticed my presence.