Two Great White Egrets

Lade - 0700hrs - cool, cloudy, sw 3 - A decent enough catch in the garden moth trap with the first hawk of the year in Poplar and Small Square-spot also NFY.
With cool conditions and the wind speed increasing it was no surprise that south lake attracted several hundred Swifts and hirundines, mainly the former. Whilst scanning through we noticed two large white birds approaching from the north that turned out to be Great White Egrets. They passed high over the lake and headed towards ARC.

                                Poplar Hawkmoth

                                                 Small Square-spot

                                          Yellow-barred Brindle

ARC - 1100hrs - A walk down to Screen hide and around the pines delivered a couple of Hobbys. On the lake there were loads more Swifts and hirundines but no further sign of the two large egrets.

                                Oxeye Daisys and Valerian, Lade ponds

Lade - 1600hrs - We had some hefty old showers this afternoon, but once they went over we rechecked the Swifts and hirundines over the lakes, of which there were still plenty present. I could watch Swifts all day, masters of the air, and they have some great local names too, my favourite being Rain-dodger.

                                Rain-dodgers, Lade