Butterflies, Waders & Wind

Lade - 0600hrs - Warm, sunny, ene 3-5 - The brisk easterly picked up throughout the day. Low numbers of moths in the trap last night with Cypress Pug and Straw Underwing being the most numerous. Whimbrel over the garden twice this afternoon calling, plus at least 10 Yellow Wags. The beach waders had a tough time today avoiding up to 100 kite surfers on the sands.
Kerton Road - 1030hrs - Called in at the cafe for some moth chat only to find plenty of `common` butterflies on the wing around the Buddleia, including Small Tortoiseshells, plus a couple of Common Blues on the Bugloss.

                                          Cypress Pug

                                          Straw Underwing

                                          Small Tortoiseshell

                                          Common Blue

                                          Little Stint, ARC (honest!)


Dungeness - 1100hrs - Nothing much of note at the Patch with just a Willow Warbler in the Lighthouse Garden and a Wheatear by the Brit. DB had a Pied Fly at one of his garden drippers earlier on.
RSPB - Several visits throughout the afternoon yielded a surprising number of birds considering the windy conditions. As per usual ARC was the hot spot with singles of Little Stint, Curlew Sand, Blackwit, LRP, plus 5 Common Sands, 6 Dunlins, 3 Ringed Plovers, 4 Redshanks and 50 Lapwings.
At least 3 Garganeys, 2 Wigeon, 2 Shelduck and a Pintail amongst the hundreds of eclipse ducks and 5 Little Egrets. The waders and wildfowl were regularly spooked by Peregrine and Marsh Harrier. Also, hundreds of Sand Martins and a few House Martins over the lake. At least 10 more Yellow Wags on the walk to Hanson, plus Reed Bunting, Long-tailed Tit and Green Woodpecker.
Elsewhere, a Hobby and RCP on Dengemarsh.