Butterflies: June
Friday 27th There were 342 butterflies on the BMS Transect. Of particular note were 92 Small Whites, part of a large arrival seen along the Eastern coasts of England this week. Ten Commas and 29 Small Coppers were both noteworthy and three Gatekeepers were seen. Wednesday 25th Our first Gatekeeper was on RSPB Worth marshes. Monday 23rd The Estate held…
Birds: June
Monday 30th A Goldcrest and 2 Yellow Wagtails were standouts on the Green Wall this morning. While the breeding season is winding down there was still a real smorgasbord of warblers with double figures of Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff noted. Family groups of Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch were seen as were juvenile Green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers.…
Butterflies: May
Tuesday 27th Cloudy, windy, but warm and humid conditions meant a handful of butterflies were on the Estate and Royal Cinque Ports Golf Course. A Small Skipper at the latter was our earliest ever sighting. Wednesday 21st Our first Large Skipper was in the Dragonfly Fields. Tuesday 20th There were 13 species on the Estate. Totals of 16 Common Blue,…
Dragonflies: May
Tuesday 27th A teneral Norfolk Hawker was on Royal Cinque Ports Golf Course. Friday 23rd Another immature female Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly of the orange aurantica form was seen in the Dragonfly Pond Fields. Thursday 22nd There were good counts of 55 Azure and 27 Variable Damselflies on RSPB Worth marshes. Tuesday 20th A count of 12 Banded Demoiselles on RSPB…
Moths: May
Saturday 31st A nice, warm, day welcomed people to the first moth evening and they were treated to an excellent variety of moths. The two traps at the Observatory caught 302 moths between them of 66 species. Highlights included ten Small Elephant Hawk-moths, a Cream-spot Tiger and four Diamond-Backs. Clouded Bordered Brindle was new for the year as was Pinion-streaked Snout and…
Ringing: May
Saturday 31st Good conditions for checking nest boxes. The House Sparrows at the Observatory are slowly getting going with a few nests with eggs at last. This is in contrast to just down the road where one nest is now with its second brood. The House Martins seem to have delayed nesting but are also getting going and even better…
Birds: May
Friday 30th There was not much new in the way of migration today but all the breeding bird activity made for a lovely walk on RSPB Worth marshes with multiple Turtle Doves, Hobbies, Little Ringed Plovers, and Marsh Harriers. In the evening a Nightjar was seen at the Chequers, the second time this week. Thursday 29th Very quiet today. An…
Dragonflies: April
Wednesday 30th Our first Azure Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser was on the Estate. Tuesday 29th New species come thick and fast in this good weather. Today’s new emergence was Blue-tailed Damselfly with three on RSPB Worth marshes. Two Variable, four Common Blue, and a three Hairy Dragonflies were also seen. Monday 28th Four Hairy Dragonflies, two Variable Damselflies, and one…
Moths: April
Wednesday 30th Similar conditions again and the catch dropped slightly to 39 moths of 16 species. A male Gem was our earliest record by a week of this migrant species. This added weight to my suspicion that the Turnips we are getting might also be migrants- there were five last night. Also new for the year were Large Yellow Underwing, Dark Spectacle,…
Ringing: April
Tuesday 29th A beautiful, calm, clear day. The clear sky overnight allowed a few sheltered bits to have a brief frost-certainly what was not forecast. We are ever hopeful that a few birds might overshoot from the continent but no sign yet. Five birds were caught- three Dunnocks, a Chiffchaff and a Blackbird. They all showed signs indicating they were…