Hello
Yesterday evening (Tuesday) we enjoyed some powerful weather with thunder and lightning and a good hour of heavy rain, just what the garden needed!
Before that there was clearly another hatch of Scarlet Tiger moths in the garden but they successfully survived the deluge and were still on show this morning. Butterfly enthusiasts yesterday also found the first Purple Hairstreaks on the wing with specimens seen in the Souther Wood complex (Rockingham Forest). Also yesterday David Arden found some Marbled White Butterflies at Pitsford Reservoir on the reserve near to the Lagoon Hide and odonata included plenty of Black-tailed Skimmers.
This morning (Wednesday) and a Green Sandpiper was seen on the scrape at Summer Leys and late this morning two drake Common Scoters were at Pitsford Reservoir, trying their best to avoid craft on the water there just off the Sailing Club. Tony Vials witnessed a Crossbill flying into Hardwick Wood today - clearly there is a small passage of these and Siskins on the go at the moment and fairly typical of rapid post-breeding movement that we have noted in recent years.
We have been experiencing quite a flock of juvenile Starlings in the garden of late but their visits are much more sporadic and the numbers much smaller now as they are particularly targeted by the local pair of Sparrowhawks. From the Sparrowhawk's perspective it is much more efficient catching a Starling than the equivalent bio-mass of seven Blue Tits!
Regards
Neil M
Yesterday evening (Tuesday) we enjoyed some powerful weather with thunder and lightning and a good hour of heavy rain, just what the garden needed!
Before that there was clearly another hatch of Scarlet Tiger moths in the garden but they successfully survived the deluge and were still on show this morning. Butterfly enthusiasts yesterday also found the first Purple Hairstreaks on the wing with specimens seen in the Souther Wood complex (Rockingham Forest). Also yesterday David Arden found some Marbled White Butterflies at Pitsford Reservoir on the reserve near to the Lagoon Hide and odonata included plenty of Black-tailed Skimmers.
This morning (Wednesday) and a Green Sandpiper was seen on the scrape at Summer Leys and late this morning two drake Common Scoters were at Pitsford Reservoir, trying their best to avoid craft on the water there just off the Sailing Club. Tony Vials witnessed a Crossbill flying into Hardwick Wood today - clearly there is a small passage of these and Siskins on the go at the moment and fairly typical of rapid post-breeding movement that we have noted in recent years.
We have been experiencing quite a flock of juvenile Starlings in the garden of late but their visits are much more sporadic and the numbers much smaller now as they are particularly targeted by the local pair of Sparrowhawks. From the Sparrowhawk's perspective it is much more efficient catching a Starling than the equivalent bio-mass of seven Blue Tits!
Regards
Neil M
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| Marbled White butterfly Pitsford Reservoir courtesy of David Arden. |
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| Scarlet Tiger moth Hanging Houghton. |
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| Just-fledged juvenile Robin. |
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| Large Red-belted Clearwing moth courtesy of Robin Gossage. |
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