Sandpipers and Moths

Lade - 0530hrs - warm, dry, sunny, e 2 - Last night was near perfect for moth trapping with light airs, cloud cover and high humidity, so it was with much excitement that I sprang out of bed to cover up the trap before the local Blackbird got stuck in. There was eight species around the trap, always a good sign, but only a total of 45 species, so slightly disappointing, but three new for the year in Magpie, Least Carpet and Oak Eggar bringing the seasons tally so far up to a respectable 124 species.
Down at the Kerton Road Café two Scarce Chocolate-tips were trapped last night; Dungeness being just about the only place this moth is resident, although they may well have been migrants of course.

                                Least Carpet

                                Magpie

Oak Eggar - the females come to light early in the night while the darker males fly in the afternoon

ARC - From Hanson another decent showing of waders on the shingle ridges with two Wood Sandpipers the highlight, supported by four LRPs and Common Sandpipers, plus singles of Dunlin, Green Sandpiper and Redshank and 220 Lapwings. Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk kept the waders and ducks on their toes while a pulse of 20 Sand Martins moved south.
More Common Sandpipers were recorded on Burrowes, and at the Midrips where also Wood and Curlew Sandpipers and Greenshank (OL, TH).

                                 Wood Sandpiper, ARC