Longest Day

Hello

Yesterday it was good to see a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth nectaring on Red Valerian in the village here at Hanging Houghton.  Locally this moth often arrives at about the same time as other migrant insects such as Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow butterflies.

The intrepid duo of Dave Francis and Lynne Barnett were out on the water at Pitsford Reservoir again today in order to check the breeding birds on the rafts in the Scaldwell Bay.  As many as 59 Common Tern nests were in evidence, albeit that some of these have failed already.  Nevertheless another 22 tern chicks were ringed and there should be plenty more yet.  The female Pied Wagtail was incubating four eggs on her nest in one of the shelter pipes on one of the rafts.  Sadly only one of the Oystercatcher chicks now survives but the Black-headed Gull nest is still on-going.

Regards

Neil M