Birdwise it was predictably quiet with early morning sorties delivering the usual Sand Martins and Yellow Wagtails overhead and a few more broods of Tufted Ducklings on the water. A Hobby was slumped on the Desert powers lines yesterday, while three Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk enjoyed the thermals over the airfield this morning.
Good numbers of butterflies and dragons were on the wing around the willow swamp and in the back garden, including plenty of Red Admirals and Gatekeepers, plus several Black-tailed Skimmers, Brown Hawkers and Emperors. The moth trap delivered a meagre 23 species this morning with only Blood-vein, 10 Marbled Greens and 12 Lackeys of any note.
On Saturday the RSPB held the Lade Pits Open Day affording access to the `Sound Mirrors` via a swing bridge. These structures regularly attract hundreds of visitors from far and wide on open days, and although I see them on a near daily basis it made a change to be able to access the island and look back across the site from a different angle. On a botanical note there were plenty of clumps of Ragged Robin and Hemp Agrimony in flower in the marshy ground in front of the 30` mirror.
The only other local news this weekend was a Bee-eater briefly over the bird reserve on Saturday and the first post-breeding Great White Egret of the summer back on Dengemarsh.
Brown Hawker
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