High Summer at Beddington Farmlands

Small Elephant Hawk Moth 

Biting Stone-crop 

Short-cloaked Moth 

White-tailed Bumblebee- 200-300 bumble bees on site at moment 

Eristalis intricarius

Good mothing recently

New recruits

Been pretty busy recently with a bit of summer weather and a rush of activity. On the birding front it is relatively quiet but 12 Green Sandpipers about and Hobby putting in a few shows recently. Two Shelduck young are still surviving, at least three broods of Mute Swan, up to 12 Gadwall still around (will they breed?) and good numbers of Swift around. There are 60+ Stock Dove on the mound and also a post breeding flock of Lapwing is beginning to form on the Southern Lake- 15 there now. Skylark were carrying food on the mound. The ringers caught a few young tits and Robins this morning. Still a few warblers singing- Chiffys, Lesser White, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler and Blackcap but also a few families out now- with young tits in the hemlock on 100 acre and Whitethroats in the brambles.
The brambles are completely buzzing at the moment with bumblebees on the newly emerging flowers. I must have seen 2-300 bumblebees today. Also quite a few butterflies about- Meadow Browns have emerged now, quite a few Common Blues and lots of day flying moths- Sitochroa verticalis are particularly numerous on the mound with a few Cinnabars, Burnet Companions and Yellow Shells. Also quite a few dragonflies about now too- mainly Black-tailed Skimmers and a few damsleflies.
Recent pan-species ticks include Biting Stone-crop on 100 acre bridge and a Short-cloaked Moth.