Tuesday 1 June 2010

An Elephant and a Group of Arctic Travellers

Not a day for pictures so only words today. The overnight cloud, without the promised rain resulted in a good catch of moths including some migrant species in the shape of a Silver Y, a Dark Sword-grass and a Gem. There was also the first Elephant Hawk-moth of the year as well as several Poplar Hawks and an Eyed Hawk.

From the Tern hide first thing a small group of waders in the rain included the first Turnstone of the year, along with 5 Sanderling and 2 Ringed Plover. These are all real high Arctic breeders and they are still in time to breed there this summer, if they get a move on. That said they departed to the south-east, so perhaps they will not make Greenland after all.

The Great Spotted Woodpeckers have fledged but were back in the nest hole in the heavy rain, but I don't expect them much after this. The Common Terns are sitting well on the rafts on Ivy Lake, the rain meant all were sitting tight giving a good chance to count the nests, I think there are sixteen sitting birds, at least. Unlike last year, they laid more or less at the same time, so hatching should be more or less together.

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