Painted Lady butterfly

A first for the year this afternoon. I have been keeping an eye on the garden buddleias over the last week or so and today, as I spoke on the phone, was rewarded with a single painted lady. This is the first village record since the huge invasion of 2009. Suspect there will be more within the parish, so off out for a good wander around suitable habitats tomorrow. Was at the top of the bush so not the easiest subject to photo. Hope for better tomorrow, as I am sure it'll return.

Another new moth for the year

A reasonable haul this morning with a poplar hawkmoth, engrailled, several willow beauties, flame shoulder, riband wave, brimstone, common rustic, common wainscot, 5 silver y, red twin spot carpet, common carpet and dark arches. However, a newly emerged campion was a first for the year, a very finely marked and colourful moth.

campion

flame shoulder

common carpet

poplar hawkmoth

Town to Hadham walk

Beginning at Tescos, I wandered around the paths behind Bury Green, carrying on down Acremore Street and across to the polo fields and Muggins wood, before coming down the hill into Hadham Ford opposite the pub.
Not many birds about, 16 species in all and nothing of note apart from a single chiffchaff and a calling whitethroat. However, butterflies were in good numbers with 100+ small whites, 100+ large whites, several green veined whites, single small heath, 20+ peacocks, 2 small tortoiseshells, 7 commas, 3 common blues (2 males) 20+ gatekeepers and 50+ meadow browns. Still searching for the first painted lady of the year as well as a small copper.
Several dragonfly species seen, with 1 hawker (presumed a migrant hawker) 2 brown hawkers, up to 8 common darters with most being seen over the River Ash opposite the Nag's Head and a solitary common blue damselfly.

gatekeeper (note 2 white dots in black eye spot)

meadow brown (note 1 white dot)

small heath

common blue (female)

common darter

common blue damselfly

Moths

Two new moths for the garden over the last few days. On the whole, all very quiet with night temperatures now dropping markedly after sunset.
The small pond added to the garden paid dividends as I trapped a brown china mark micro moth. A delicately patterned creature and good to see. Very common, but as it lays eggs in ponds, it would not have featured in the garden without the water.
This morning, a male vapourer moth was roosting on the sheet. Basically, a day flying moth so, even though very common, not often taken at light traps. Other moths present were poplar hawkmoth, riband wave, dingy and common footman, drinker, engrailled and several willow beauties.

brown china mark

vapourer

wormwood pug on lounge wall.

Butterfly Walk

An afternoon wander around the back of Hadham Hall gave views of regular butterflies and little else. 2 sand martins were with a party of 20+ house martins over the lagoon. Here, the little grebe was with young and a few linnets and goldfinches were on the wires. A yellowhammer called from the hedge.
100+ whites, including several green veined. Also, 5 peacock and a single male common blue and a couple of small tortosieshell were all that was on offer. Common blue dragonflies were roosting on the grasses.

small white

peacock

large white after a bird attack

common blue underwing

common blue

Back to moths.

After the excitement of wandering around The Camargue it was back to the garden moth trap over the weekend. Heavy rain washed out many moths, whilst several wasps munched their way through others that roosted in the drier parts of the trap. However, a few year listers to report; black arches, ear moth, straw underwing, smoky wainscot and copper underwing were all new for the year whilst a dusky sallow, dark barred twin spot carpet and red twin spot carpet were good to see amongst large numbers of garden carpet, mother of pearl and riband wave.

black arches

copper underwing

dusky sallow

straw underwing

Camargue round up

Now returned and sorted out the photos. Over 200 taken and reduced less than 100 and probably 20 that will do for future RSPB illustrated talks. Especially pleasing were shots of wood sandpiper, black winged stilt and black crowned night heron. Plenty of flamingo shots and some successful ones of little egrets, terns and general views. Some reasonable ones here, but I keep the best for my talks.
In all: bird species;
cormorant, cattle egret, squacco heron, little egret, great egret, grey heron, purple heron, white stork, glossy ibis, spoonbill (10 sp), flamingo, mute swan, greylag goose, shelduck, mallard, pochard, short toed eagle, red kite, black kite, marsh harrier (20 sp) montagu's harrier, common buzzard, kestrel, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, black winged stilt, little ringed plover, kentish plover, lapwing (30 sp) curlew sandpiper, wood sandpiper, green sandpiper, common sandpiper, greenshank, black tailed godwit, whimbrel, black headed gull, slender billed gull, mediterranean gull (40 sp), yellow legged gull, little tern, sandwich tern, gull billed tern, wood pigeon, collared dove, cuckoo, swift, pallid swift, hoopoe (50 sp), bee eater, green woodpecker, crested lark, sand martin, crag martin, swallow, red rumped swallow, house martin, white wagtail, yellow wagtail, (60 sp) wren, zitting cisticola, savi's warbler, cetti's warbler, willow warbler, magpie, carrion crow, starling, spotless starling, house sparrow (70 sp) goldfinch, cirl bunting,

little egret

sandwich tern

little tern

mixed set.

flamingoes

lapwings

black kite

whimbrel

change of direction for me!!

squacco heron

black winged stilt

early morning flamingoes

flamingo reflection

Camargue horses

cattle egret

little egret

black crowned night heron

black winged stilt

curlew sandpiper

wood sandpiper

common sandpiper

Camargue: Day 3

My last day so up early to catch the 6.35a.m. Bus from town some miles north to Pont-Du-Gau. Here there are many roadside pools to investigate as well as the Parc Ornithologique. The latter opens at 9, so plenty of time for a wander. The pools didn't disappoint, with great egret, white stork, squacco and wood sandpipers being seen. A willow warbler called along with several cetti's and 2 hunting purple herons were noted in reedbeds alongside a ditch. I wandered north until I reached a small hotel for a croissant and coffee before taking a bus back to the Parc.
€7.50 was the entry price which was money well spent. After the caged birds, all injured in The Camargue and kept (black stork, short toed eagle, egyptian vulture) I wandered past pools of flamingoes and egrets. Over the bridge and on to The Reserve, with 8 hides. Good number of scrapes gave up superb views of common, wood and curlew sandpipers, black tailed godwits, more egrets but best of all, an adult night heron. A new addition to my photo library of the area. From one hide there were excellent views of a little egret, whilst another offered the chance for stunning photos of a wood sandpiper. All in all, excellent before the walk back to town. En route, a hoopoe, great egret and short toed eagle overhead (if distant.)
A rough estimate of bird species seen is 73, I shall add complete list when I get home tomorrow. Need to be at Nimes airport for a 13.20hrs flight, so shall have to get the 9a.m. Bus from town to Arles, then train to Nimes and bus to the airport. All time consuming unfortunately. Again, all photos added are from phone camera.
1 sunrise
2 flamingoes and black winged stilts
3 little egret
4 flamingoes
5 little egret
6 wood sandpiper, a little distant, but full frame on camera.
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