There is little doubt in my mind that summer is arriving earlier each year. There was a time when late May still felt a part of spring, but not so much now. If I was still purely a birder, this would be deeply frustrating. A walk around the patch today felt like Groundhog day. The same Garden Warbler was singing lustily from the same bushes, the Shelduck family remain intact (still ten duckings). The same warblers sang, the same Lapwings looked nervous, and the same Red Kite flew over us, looking magnificent in the sunshine (the Kite, not me and Dave).
There were just a few minor tweaks. A Reed Warbler has finally turned up and was singing from bulrushes bordering the new scrapes. They looked well on the way to drying up if we get no rain within the next fortnight. The Lapwings seemed a little less aggressive, so perhaps their nests have failed.
Fortunately the insects are on the rise. We added to the dragonfly tally with several probable Azure Damselflies, a teneral male Blue-tailed Damselfly, mating couples of Large Red Damselflies, and a couple of splendid Broad-bodied Chasers.
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| Large Red Damselflies |
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| Broad-bodied Chaser |
Butterflies were largely the same as last weekend, no sign of any Small Heaths yet, but more Small Coppers. We also flushed a couple of new micro-moths for the year. An Agapeta hamana (Common Yellow Conch) was one I recognised from previous years, but a small tortrix Dave flushed into our path was unfamiliar. It turned out to be a Pea Moth (Cydia nigricana), quite common apparently.
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| Pea Moth |
Actually I have half an idea I might have seen one here before, but without having completed a moth list of the site I cannot be sure. Perhaps there is a point to list making.
I took the precaution of photographing any bird that stood still long enough just in case nothing unusual turned up. I give you, the Goldfinch.
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| Goldfinch |
I plan to spend more time exploring the 10km circle this week.
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