Round up of recent sightings

Had a few wanders over the last week. On Monday took a walk from Birchanger to Turners Spring Reserve, a new site for me. Not too much on show here but I was greeted by a pair of Marsh tits which were new for the year. Treecreeper and coal tits shown here.

This coal tit appears to be on a collision course

Coal tit

Treecreeper

Treecreeper at Turner's Spring

Moth wise, the cold weather has returned so little chance of trapping much at present but last Sunday I ran the trap at a new site, Harvey's Wood. This wood, planted some 30 years ago gave up a pleasing 30 moths of 13 species with Twin spot quaker, clouded drab, Small quaker, Dotted chestnut and Hebrew character all being new for the year.

oak beauty

Twin spot quaker

March moth

Small quaker

With the temperatures hovering around 12 - 13C i checked Millennium Wood for any early flying butterflies or singing chiffchaff. None were noted but a large flock of 100+ common gulls were seen heading east from horse fields in Millfield Lane. Part of a large movement of this species in the south east over the last few days. May have been displaced by the previous cold snap and moved inland in search of land that was not frozen solid.

sky full of Common gulls

Common gull