Moth numbers reasonably good the last two nights. New for the year were: P.binaevella, E.cana, Bird-cherry Ermine, Dot Moth and Clouded Silver.

Clouded Silver

 Dot Moth

New moths for the year over the last 2 days include G.dealbanba, Dwarf Cream Wave,The Dun-bar and The Fern. On friday struggled to find much at a fine but windy Dungeness. A Cuckoo was still calling at the ARC pit and 3 Sand Martins were noted there. Three Hobbies were around Dengemarsh. A Red-banded Sand Wasp was noticed on the track to the Hanson Hide and a Great Crested Grebe with young was also seen.

 The Fern

 Red-banded Sand Wasp

 Great Crested Grebe

The shade temperature reached 34c yesterday in our garden and the moth trap did not disappoint with the biggest catch of the year: 65 moths of 32 species. new for the year were: Swallow-tailed Moth, The Festoon, Orange Moth, B.lacticolella, Meal Moth, Hollyhock Seed Moth, M. italica, C. unitella, and Z. isertana. However, best of all were 2 micros I plucked from the vanes at dusk last night whilst sitting in the garden. The were both new for the garden list: Dasycera oliviella and Pammeme regiana.

Dasycera oliviella

 Pammene regiana

This morning, after a very warm night, there were 45 moths of 25 species. New for the year were:   Common Emerald (3rd garden record), Clouded Brindle, Blood-vein and Clepsis consimilana. We've also reached the end of the month and so far this year I've recorded 126 species. This compares to 137 at this stage last year and 161 at the end of June in 2011, so overall the poorest first half of the year for sometime.

Common Emerald

 Clouded Brindle

This morning I was very pleased to see a Barred Yellow on the vanes of my small Heath Trap-the first one in 16 years of trapping. This is my first new macro for the garden list this year. Also new for the year were Red-barred Tortrix and Lozotaenia forsterana. After looking in the trap where there were only 20 moths of 16 species, I headed down to Reculver where the Icterine Warbler was singing well near the Bishopstone Lane car park. It only gave brief views while I was there but this was a Kent tick for my bird list.

Barred Yellow

Lozotaenia forsterana

This morning there were 31 moths of 23 species in my trap with The Fan-foot, July Highflyer, Wax Moth, and Lesser Yellow Underwing all new for the year. Yesterday afternoon I caught up with the Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes for the 3rd year running. It is in very nice adult plumage now but was a too distant for a decent photograph.

July Highflyer

 Bonaparte's Gull

Saturday morning produced the best catch of the year in terms of numbers with 50 moths of 27 species. New for the year were Dark Arches, Yellow Shell, Mottled Beauty, Eudonia mercurella, Crambus perlela, Udea olivalis, Bramble Shoot Moth and my 5th ever Pine Carpet. Numbers were down slightly this morning with 38 moths od 26 species with Crambus pascuella new for the garden list-the first new species of the year.

Crambus pascuella

Pine Carpet