Wall Brown

Lade - 0700hrs - mild, cloudy, sw 3 - Another poor catch in the garden moth trap yielded just 15 species of macros. With a blustery wind the prospect did not look good on the local patch and so it proved with the only grounded migrants being two Wheatears. However, 20 Yellow and a Grey Wagtail went over calling, while a steady procession of Sand Martins and Swallows pushed on south over the Desert towards Dungeness.

                                Great White Egret - now a common sight on the bird reserve

RSPB - Yesterdays Cattle Egret showed intermittently and distant around the cows in the Boulderwall fields alongside several Little Egrets and Grey Herons, plus passing Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzard. On Burrowes up to five each of Great White Egret and Common Sandpiper, plus several Dunlin, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers and a Ruff.

  

                                Wall Brown - a scarce butterfly in these parts

  However, the undoubted highlight for me concerned my first sighting of a Wall Brown butterfly since I`ve lived here, basking in the sunshine atop a plant in front of Dennis`s hide. This once common butterfly has taken a bit of hit in recent times, so it was a pleasure to see, even if (a bit like me) it was past its prime.
  Over the road on ARC several each of Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Little Stint, Garganey, Pintail and the usual eclipse ducks.
ps: Late news this evening concerned reports of a Red-necked Phalarope at the south end from the causeway road.