Least Black Arches & Dew Moth

Lade - cool, sunny, nw 2 - A stunning morning for an early circuit of the local patch in glorious sunshine and light airs, although the breeze quickly picked up through the day. All the usual breeding birds were in place and two Marsh Harriers hunted the airport fields. The prostrate broom is now in full flower and a real picture it looks too, while the first foxglove spikes have bloomed.
Despite a cool night there was plenty of interest in and around the garden moth trap with a worn  Least Black Arches new for the site and five more NFY, including the localised Yellow-barred Brindle and the annoyingly variable Common Marbled Carpet...

                                Least Black Arches

Dungeness RSPB - An afternoon circuit of the reserve was more to look for and identify plants for a forthcoming walk than birding, although I did notice that the terns have now abandoned the third raft to a pair of Oystercatchers on Dengemarsh; the other two rafts having been taken up by Common Gulls. From the ramp several Bearded Tits showed well despite the strong wind.

                                            Foxglove, Dungeness

Kerton Road Café - The café trap site is a well known local refuge for rare moths and a couple of nights ago the little beauty pictured below came to light, a Dew Moth. This Nationally Scarce A moth has been recorded less than 20 times down here on the shingle where the lava feed on lichens, of which there are no shortage of, scattered across the storm beach ridges.

                               Dew Moth, Lydd-on-Sea (photo by Steve Broyd)