Where Have All the Bears Gone?

The highlight of the moth trap on Tuesday was a Garden Tiger, a bit strange this, as they used to be so very common, one of those few moths that everyone knew. Now I see perhaps one or two a year and the abundant wandering "woolly bear" caterpillars of late summer are but a memory. I have not heard any explanation of this change, the caterpillars eat a wide range of common plants, so it cannot be lack of food plant, perhaps a parasite is involved.
Birds included a Common Sandpiper on Ibsley Water and a Green Sandpiper moving between Rockford and Ivy Lakes. Both Little Ringed Plover sitting in sight of the Tern hide are still doing so, the Common Tern chicks are getting more adventurous with more turning up on Ibsley Water each day. The single Great Crested Grebe chick on Ivy Lake is getting quite large now, I confess I had not realised it was still surviving until I saw it today, it has been at least two weeks since I had last seen it.

The increasing numbers of large gulls gathering in the afternoons on Ibsley Water usually include a Yellow-legged Gull or two, I have seen only adults or near adults but younger birds have also been seen recently.

Finally the log outside the Ivy South hide had a large Grass Snake on it as I locked up, the eyes were very milky looking, I assume because it is just about to moult.