No Dungeness visit this week, but the main birdwatching interst this week has been at Oare Marshes where the Bonaparte's Gull has returned for the 7th year, and another American species the Lesser Yellowlegs has also been showing well on occasion. A Wood Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank have also been present. Sothern Migrant (Blue-eyed) Hawker dragonflies are also on the wing now for the 2nd year at this site. In the moth trap I was pleased to get my 2nd ever record of Lozotaeniodes formosana.

Wood Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs

Bonaparte's Gull (picture from a previous year)

  Lozotaeniodes formosana.

 

 

 

 

Last Thursday at Dunge the Red-veined Darter was in the sameplace for the 3rd week running, and Little Ringed Plovers were posing in front of the Firth Hide. Two Little Gulls were present on the ARC Pit. The moth trap has produced a few good records in the last few mdays with Monochroa lucidella new for the site. Also Platytes alpinella, Kent Black Arches and The Festoon were nice to see.

Little Ringed Plover

The Festoon

 Platytes alpinella

Monochroa lucidella

Last week at Dungeness a Red-veined Darter was again along the track by Hayfield 2 on the RSPB Reserve-possibly the same one as a week earlier. A Peregrine was over the Firth Hide and a Bittern was glimpsed briefly from the Denge Marsh Hide. The moth trap has been mainly a case of the usual suspects turning up. Also in the trap was a Summer Chafer-a smaller version of the Cockchafer (Maybug) of the spring.

Red-veined Darter

Peregrine being harassed by Common Terns

Summer Chafer

The hot weather has meant the moth trap has finally got going after a slow start to the summer. We've reached the end of another moth and I was surprised to find that I've recorded 193 species so far this year which is actually 5 better than the same stage last year. There have been a few new micros but it's always nice to get a Barred Straw and Common Emerald, neither of which are common in my garden. At Dungeness last Friday I was pleased to see a Red-veined Darter dragonfly on the track past Hayfield 2. I have only ever seen this migrant species on the Dungeness RSPB Reserve but this was the first for 19 years. We also saw a large fly on the Willow Trail which was Tachina grossa, the UK's largest Tachnid.

 Red-veined Darter

Barred Straw

 Common Emerald

Tachina grossa

 

The moth trap finally improved somewhat this morning with 53 moths of 30 species. Best of all was The Suspected which was new for the garden. A couple of days ago I was also pleased with my second ever record of Variegated Golden Tortrix and the first for 13 years. Dungeness last week was very quiet with a few Hobbies providing the main interest.

The Suspected

Variegated Golden Tortrix

 Hobby on Dengemarsh

Since my last posting the trap has been a bit disappointing but I get a new micro Cochylis nana which is only 5mm in length. Much more successful was a Buttefly Conservation Walk yesterday morning near Crundale in search of the rare Black-veined Moth. Around 10 were seen by the group. Additional intersting sightings were: Mother Shipton, Burnett Companion, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Large Skipper, plus Red Kite, and Yellowhammer. I also saw a Hornet Moth at the usual site near Luddenham last week.

Black-veined Moth

Cochylis nana

 Hornet Moth

We've reached the end of another month and the moth trap has reached 82 species, which is 27 less than than the same stage last year. Not many interesting records recently, the best being a Puss Moth flushed in the garden while watering and The Miller, which was my first for 11years. Stag Beetles are regular in the garden at the moment.

The Miller

 Puss Moth

Stag Beetle