St Mary-in-the-Marsh

St Mary-in-the-Marsh - warm, dry, sunny, sw 3 - A change of scene this morning took us to CP`s two acre garden out on the Marsh to check through last nights moth catch. Over 150 macro moths of 32 species were recorded, including some I`ve not had on the coast this year so far such as Blood-vein, Smoky Wainscot and Flame Shoulder. 
This amazing wildlife garden was alive with breeding birds where both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers had recently fledged young, amongst a host of finches, tits, thrushes, sparrows and the like. Insects were everywhere in the warm sunshine buzzing around the wild flowers such as Comfrey and masses of Bramble blooms beside towering poplars.
As we joined Chris and Carol for a welcome cuppa on the patio Tree Sparrows came to seed hoppers only five yards away, while several Buzzards and Sparrowhawks soared overhead temporarily disturbing the feeding sparrows and finches. What a fantastic wildlife refuge.

                                House and Tree Sparrows


Dengemarsh - By midday the wind had picked up and a wander around from Springfield Bridge to the hayfields yielded little of note apart from a family of recently fledged Yellow Wagtails being fed by the parents. A male Marsh Harrier delivered prey to a female high above Hookers`s and a few Common Terns came and went.
Lade  - Working in the garden this afternoon the strong winds blew several species of grassland butterflies over, including Marbled White, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper.