Garden Tiger

Lade - 0700hrs - mild, damp start, sunshine and cloud later, w2 - Despite last nights rain a respectable catch in the moth trap this morning was largely due to the wind dropping away. Loads of the dreaded Brown-tails and Dark Arches lurking in the egg boxes, while a splendid Garden Tiger was the pick of the catch. Formerly of course the Tiger was a common moth across the country but not any more in this part of the intensively farmed world, so was a delight to see and photograph.
1100hrs - With the rain clearing and the sun shining managed to entice Mrs PT for walk around the Lade Loop. By the pits a decent spread of butterflies warming up included Small Coppers, Small Skippers, Hedge Browns and Marbled Whites, while a stunning Emperor was the pick of the dragonflies. Bumped into a couple of visitors from up County botonising who`d come down specifically to see the White Mullein of which there was a least 5 plants in full flower. Two Common Sandpipers `flicked` across north pit and both Sandwich Terns and Med Gulls passed over calling. Not too much along the beach part of the walk apart from legions of gulls, Oystercatchers and Curlews on the shimmering sands.

                                          Garden Tiger, Lade