Summer returns

Dungeness - 0800hrs - warm, dry, sunny, sw 2 - A glorious, almost summer like day, with temperatures peaking at 20C by early afternoon. At the Patch at least ten Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns on the beach while distant Gannets continued to pass down-Channel. There was a fair bit of movement on the land with plenty of grounded Goldfinches and Meadow Pipits, plus more overhead along with a trickle of Skylarks, Siskins, Redpolls, Linnets, Chaffinches and Swallows.
Around the trapping area Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Stonechat and Blackcap all noted, plus a late Whitethroat. Several Small Coppers, Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellow butterflies were also on the wing.
  From Hanson hide on the ARC the Red-necked Grebe was still present way out on the lake, but there was little else on the shingle ridges apart from a few Lapwings and dabbling ducks.
  An afternoon visit to the fishing boats to check the sea yielded very little apart from a couple of Arctic Skuas beating up Mediterranean Gulls and a Kittiwake. The usual Gannets and a few auks were further offshore.

                                Small Copper

                                Back garden Red Admirals

 Lade - In the Plovers garden this morning Goldcrest and a Continental Coal Tit moved through the fir trees, while several Red Admirals, Peacocks and a Speckled Wood fed on the buddleia blooms and basked in the warm sunshine.