Tuesday June 4 - Spernall STW area

 I decided to have a walk along the Arrow near Spernal STW today. It was cloudier than would have been ideal, and the birds seen were fewer than I would have liked. I saw no ducks (other than Mallard) and no Cetti's Warblers. Gaining access to within the treatment works may have helped. Fortunately Tony and the ringing team are allowed to ring there, and on Sunday they caught two Cetti's Warblers, one of which was a new bird.

Cetti's Warbler - Tony Kelly

They also caught 14 Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and a number of other common species.

This morning I heard a Sedge Warbler singing from within the compound, and a scruffy Lesser Whitethroat which popped up onto a bare branch while I was changing my footwear in the boot of my car. 

Lesser Whitethroat showing badly

Pied Wagtail showing well

The only other birds of note were a Little Egret, and a Kingfisher.

Despite the cloudy weather it was worth peering into the hedgerows to look at insects. I was pleased to see a substantial lek of displaying Yellow-banded Longhorn Moths which danced up and down constantly before one finally landed and allowed me the chance to confirm what it was.

Yellow-banded Longhorn Nemophora degeerella

This is one of the commonest species of longhorn moths around here, but it was nice to add it to the year list.

Also new were quite a number of White-legged Damselflies, a classic river bank species.

White-legged Damselfly

It started to drizzle and I found myself looking at Snails. It was probably time to go home.

Mind you, two new Snails have gone onto to my Snail list (I haven't really got a Snail lifelist....yet).

Amber Snail Succinea putris

Copse Snail Arianta arbustorum