New Romney - warm, dry and sunny, NE 3 - A decent nights mothing from the garden trap with five new species including Webb`s Wainscot, Campion and, one of my favourites, Gold Spot, plus another Pebble Hook-tip. This afternoon I checked out the elm regrowth in Church Lane spinney, concentrating on two areas by the railway line where in previous summers I`ve seen White-letter Hairstreak. However, I drew a blank, but to be fair only had an hour to spare and they can be inconspicuous, spending most of their time up in the canopy feeding on honeydew. A number of Speckled Woods and Hedge Browns were on the wing along with the usual `whites`, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock.
Around the bird reserve Tufted Ducks aplenty are out on the water with their ducklings. The other day there were six broods on ARC, three on Burrowes and five around Lade; being a late breeder they seem to benefit from the lush ground cover in which to conceal their nests from ground predators. Hanson hide overlooking the lake and muddy islands continues to be the best spot for passage waders with small numbers of Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Common and Green Sandpipers, Dunlins and Black-tailed Godwits throughout, plus yesterday another adult Curlew Sandpiper and a Ruff (flying around calling, which threw me for a bit!). Up to six Glossy Ibis, eight Cattle and a Great White Egret, Kingfisher, Common Tern, Med Gull, Black-necked Grebe, Garganey and Goldeneye have all been reported this past week, along with the usual pulses of Sand Martins and Swifts, a trickle of Yellow Wagtails over and Willow Warblers calling from cover around the car park and willow trail.
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