Since my last post the weather has changed dramatically and numbers have been much smaller. However, I have had a new micro species for the garden since my last post: Eucosma campoliliana. Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull has retuned to Oare Marshes for its 5th late summer residence, and at Dunge yesterday, we noted a juvenile Cuckoo, 2 Little Stints, Wood Sandpiper, Swifts heading south and large numbers of Sand Martins preparing to do the same? My firend was lucky enought to get a bried view of a Whinchat on the power station wall.

Bonaparte's Gull

 Eucosma campoliliana

Back from a week away the moth trap yesterday morning had 102 moths of 42 species with 2 new ones for the garden: The Olive and Morophaga choragella. Also there was my 3rd ever Sallow Kitten, (unfortunately a bit damaged), Hoary Footman and a Yew-tree Beauty. This morning only 30 moths after a cooler night but White-point brought the year total to 299. Garden total now 589.

The Olive

  Morophaga choragella

 Sallow Kitten

 Hoary Footman

I've had a few computer problems bit it's been another good week for the moth trap with over 50 species on more than one morning. Best records were my first ever Oak Eggar in the garden, my second Scalloped Hook-tip, Canary-shouldered Thorn and a couple of new micro moths.

Oak Eggar

 Scalloped Hook-tip

 Canary-shouldered Thorn

Good moth numbers continue with lots of species new for the year; Including several Privet Hawk-moths, and the V-pug. A rather worn Marbled White-spot was the 2nd garden record and the first since 2000. At the end of June I reached 240 species for the first half of the year which compares well with 128 at this stage last year. As 2016 was my best year for the number of species, this is quite amazing and shows what some warm weather can do. New for the garden was a micro: Eucosma conterminana-see picture. A Humming-bird Hawk-moth in the garden was my second of the year.

Eucosma conterminana

 Privet Hawk-moth