Since my last post the weather is changing but before it did, another new species: a Rest Harrow moth arrived in the trap. I looked for the species at Dungeness earlier in the summer but I assume the one here was a migrant. I've also had my 2nd record of The Shark-the 1st was 17 years ago. Another Golden Twin-spot and a Clay Triple-lines were also of interest.

 Rest Harrow

 

The Shark

 

Clay Triple-lines

 Since my last post the moth trap has continued to be busy due to the hot and humid weather. There have been 2 new macro species for the garden list: Golden Twin-spot and Narrow-winged Pug. I was also pleased to photograph Chrysoesthia drurella-my 3rd garden record. At Dungeness this week the Glossy Ibis was still on the ARC pit and 2 Pied Flycatchers were near the Power Station.

Chrysoesthia drurella

 

Golden Twin-spot

 

Narrow-winged Pug

 

Pied Flycatcher

 

Glossy Ibis

 The very hot weather has produced some big catches in the moth trap with a somewhat battered Convolvulus Hawk-moth the most interesting, and a month earlier than my previous records. Oak Hook-tip and Maiden's Blush have beem amongst new species this year. At Dungeness last week there were 5 Cattle Egrets, a Black-necked Grebe, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and several Willow Warblers on the ARC Pit, and at The St. Thomas A'Becket Church on the Romney Marsh there were a good selections of Dragonflies including 1 Blue-eyed Hawker.

 

 Oak Hook-tip

Maiden's Blush

Willow Warbler

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

 

It's the end of another month and the garden moth list stands at 328 which is well ahead of last year's figure of 284 at the same stage, but only just ahead of the figure for my best year of 2018 which was 326 at the end of July. Lesser Spotted Pinion this morning was another new one for the garden list and a True Lover's Knot this week was the first for 19 years. A juvenile Lesser Whitethroat showed well at Dungeness on Wednesday but we struggled to find much else.

Lesser Spotted Pinion

True Lover's Knot

 Lesser Whitethroat