Oak Eggar

Lade - warm, dry, cloudy, n 2 - Yesterday evening I went into the garden several times after dusk to watch the bats flitting in the lee of the leylandiis hawking insects. A steady passage of Whimbrels could be heard passing over the cottage along with a few Greenshanks and at least one Wood Sandpiper, amongst the regular sounds of Curlews and Oystercatchers going to and fro from the bay. This morning an Oak Eggar was the best of a meagre catch in the garden moth trap.

                                Oak Eggar

  There was a noticeable increase in warblers around the ponds and willow swamp today with Willow, Sedge and Reed Warblers in double figures, plus lesser numbers of Common and Lesser Whitethroats. On south lake the two Black-necked Grebes were still present amongst increasing numbers of ducks (Pochard up to 180), Coots, grebes, Little Egrets and a Common Sandpiper.
  It was a profitable day on the bird reserve with ARC being the pick of the sites where 10 Wood, five Common and one Green Sandpiper, 50 Lapwings, 10 Dunlins (including one large individual), five Ruffs, two Little Ringed Plovers, Avocet and our first juvenile Little Stint of the return passage. Also noted two Great White Egrets, a juvenile Cattle Egret, two Med Gulls, two Garganeys and regular Sparrowhawk sightings.
  On Burrowes, yesterdays moulting adult Black Tern spent the afternoon patrolling the lake, while the Red-crested Pochard was still on Dengemarsh. A Wheatear, Hobby and several Marsh Harriers noted from the access road.