Tree-lichen Beauty

Lade - hot, dry, sunny, light airs - One of the hottest days I can remember since living down here with 30C recorded during the early afternoon at Lydd-on-Sea. Guiding for Ann today we kicked off with another mothing session here at Plovers where Bordered Pug and the migrant (and new for the trap site) Tree-lichen Beauty, were the highlights, plus an unidentified macro that is awaiting judgement from SC. At the Kerton Road cafe a Jersey Tiger was the top moth.

                                Jersey Tiger, Lydd-on-Sea

                                Tree-lichen Beauty, new for the Plovers trap

  To say it was a difficult birding day was an understatement in the oppressive heat as many passerines hid in cover. We checked out Lade pits for White Mullein by the ponds where a few  warblers were noted in the bushes. On Burrowes the Common Terns put on a fine show in front of Firth hide where also a Common Sandpiper and a Grass Snake, while we jammed protracted flight views of a Bittern at Hookers and brief views of a Lesser Emperor by the corral.

                                Common Sandpiper, Burrowes

                                Great White Egret, ARC

   We finished the afternoon at Hanson hide where a Wood Sandpiper, three Ruffs, five Dunlins, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, two Great White Egrets, two Sandwich Terns, two Mediterranean Gulls a Garganey and Wigeon were present. Most of the gulls and terns on the islands were panting like dogs in the heat which had set forth vast clouds of flying ants for the gulls to feed on.
  Over the past two day we managed to rattle up 89 species of birds for our guest, plus a host of moths, butterflies, dragonflies and plants.