Migrants trickle through

There were good numbers of moths this morning, although again avoiding the Wasps in the traps was highest on the agenda! Steve had Double Lobed yesterday which brought up the 300, although there is a slight doubt on one my records while Steve was away and I'm beginning to think that Toadflax Pug is dodgy ID from me and should be taken off the list :-(. We did have Sycamore today and the smart micro Lozotaeniodes formosanus!

Lozotaeniodes formosanus

Sycamore

I arrived before the birds started singing this morning and managed to hear both TAWNY OWL and LITTLE OWL before a SONG THRUSH led the way for the day time singers, closely followed by a YELLOWHAMMER. CHIFFCHAFFS and GREEN WOODPECKERS were most vocal in the car park and moving on the SWALLOWS were really high by 5.30. Several BLACKCAPS tacked from the top hedge, probably a family party, there was also a GOLDCREST there.
The lakes were surrounded by NUTHATCHES, I counted at least 8 birds and a couple of TREECREEPERS tagged along with them flitting from Poplar to Oak and back again. Also a KESTREL flew through there and a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER called from the very top of one of the Oaks.

Suddenly Yellwhammers have started posing again!

I had an hour and a half to grill the hedges, firstly I followed a small mixed flock of birds down the bridleway, there were a couple of WHITETHROATS, BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS several DUNNOCKS and another SEDGE WARBLER which showed just about long enough for a quick snapshot. A bit further on I could hear a bird moving in the hedge and could see the odd leaf flicker as it made it's way through the hedge, not wanting to give itself away to easily, eventually it did, REED WARBLER (103), like the Sedge Warbler it showed briefly then dropped back into the safety of the hedge.

Blurry Sedge Warbler

and Reed Warbler!

All the time that I was out in the fields, I kept one eye to the sky in hope of a passing wader, they are pretty few and far between here but you never know! What I did see was a LITTLE EGRET flying high and heading north. CROSSBILLS were heard again this morning but I failed to pick them up in flight. Luckily when the Swallows and Starlings started dispersing quickly and sounding the alarm, the HOBBY that flew through was much easier to find!