The nights turned milder at the weekend and I was pleased to find a Clancy's Rustic in the trap which was new for the garden. First recorded in 2002 by Sean Clancy at Dungeness, this moth has been spreading slowly ever since. New for year since then have been: Orange Sallow, The Mallow, and this morning, despite the rain overnight, The Sallow, Feathered Ranunculus, Black Rustic, Dark Sword-grass, and Yellow-line Quaker.

Clancy's Rustic

 The Sallow

 Yellow-line Quaker

 Dark Sword-grass

Since returning from a week away the nights have been cold and the moths few. However, it was a  slightly warmer night last night with a Pine carpet and Lunar Underwing new for the year. At Dungeness last week a Spotted Flycatcher was new for the year for me, as was the Pectoral Sandpiper at Dungeness this week on the ARC pit. A Cattle Egret was present in the same location both weeks.

Pine Carpet

Spotted Flycatcher

 Cattle Egret, Little Egret and Egyptian Geese

 

Just back from a week in Broadway in the Cotswolds where I ran the moth trap and got 4 species new to me. They were: Brown-spot Pinion, August Thorn, September Thorn and a micro Ypsolopha parenthesella.

 Brown-spot Pinion

 August Thorn

  September Thorn

 Ypsolopha parenthesella.

The hot weather over the last few days has livened up the moth trap with new species for the year including: Lesser Swallow Prominent, Dark Spinach, The Vapourer, The Fern, Six-striped Rustic, Rosy Rustic, and Cypress Pug. In the garden Painted Ladies have been fairly common and the UK's largest Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria (Hornet Mimic) has also appeared on the buddleia. However, best of all this morning in the trap was a Jersey Mocha which was another new one for the site.

Jersey Mocha

The Vapourer

Painted Lady

Volucella zonaria

Highlight of my Dungeness visit on Thursday was a Red Kite over the ARC pit, which was the first I've seen in the Dungeness/Lydd area. Two Cattle Egrets and a few Great White Egrets were noted, and a reasinable selection of waders included a juv. Red Knot from the Firth hide and Wood Sandpipers on the ARC pit. Also from the Firth hide a Black Tern abd a couple of Little Terns. Moth trap has been poor this week due to cold nights and rain.

Knot

 Great White Egret

Red Kite

Species numbers in the moth trap are well down on last year but this week managed another first for the garden in the shape of 2 Jersey Tigers, a species that's been spreading for sometime and has finally reached here. Also of interest was a very nice example of a Tree-Lichen Beauty, a species that I first recorded in 2013 and have now had 45 records since then. It's only the 2nd year that I've recorded Pyrausta despicata.

Jersey Tiger

 Tree-lichen Beauty

 Pyrausta despicata

Recently returned from a Birdwatching week in Madeira with seabirds the main interest. Pictures will be on my Flickr site over next few days. The commonest seabirds were Cory's Shearwaters and Bulwer's Petrels. Loggerhead Turtles were also quite common. With the moth trap we've reached the end of another month with species numbers well down on last year: 285 compared to 326 at the same time in 2018. However, it was nice to get my 2nd record of Black Arches.

Black Arches

Bulwer's Petrel

Cory's Shearwater

Loggerhead Turtle