Despite the rain another 21 species this morning which included my first Varied Coronet for 4 years, with The Shears, Rush Veneer, and Phycitodes binaevella new for the year.

Varied Coronet

Numbers down last night but at last my first Hawk-moth of the year. Also a Heart and Club of  a type I don't usually get.

Elephant Hawk-moth

 Heart and Club

Best catch of the year so far this morning with 73 moths of 29 species. New for the year were a nice Blood-vein, Dwarf Cream Wave and micros: Pseudargyrotoza conwagana and Aleimma loeflingiana.

Blood-vein

A change in the weather has brought a few more moths to the garden trap with yesterday a Cypress Carpet, which was a new one for the garden list. This morning a Light Arches was the first for 6 years. Small Fan-foot and Udea olivalis were also new for the year.

Cypress Carpet

 Light Arches

No moth trap last night due to rain. Made the weekly trip to Dunge today. Bright sunshine most of the day but generally quiet for birds. We started on ther ARC Pit where there were 13 Long-tailed Tits on the wires and bushes near the Pines and 2 Hobbies, a Cuckoo and 2 Egyptian Geese. Later in the day both Speckled and Great Green Bush-crickets were seen on the Willow Trail. In the latter's case it was not the final instar. My first Brown Hawker of the year was also noted. On the main part of the RSPB Reserve in the afternoon the Cattle Egret in summer plumage showed quite well but distantly with cattle on Hayfield 2. A Little Egret, 3 Hobbies and 2 Marsh Harriers were noted. There were also good numbers of Four-spotted Chasers and Common Blue Damselflies in the area plus 100s of Silver Y moths. 

 Great Green Bush-cricket nymph and exuviae

 Four-spotted Chaser

 Long-tailed Tit (juv.)

26 moths of 19 species this morning. New for the year were: Dark Arches, Middle-barred Minor and The Lychnis. Yesterday evening the Barn Owl showed well at Oare Marshes on both sides of the road at around 8.50.

Barn Owl

The Lychnis

 Middle-barred Minor

A warmer humid night produced 37 moths of 24 species this morning. New for the year were: Metalampra italica, Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark, Treble Brown-spot, Foxglove Pug, and The Fan-foot.

Foxglove Pug

 Eudonia mercurella