Dewick's Plusia !

 Dewick's Plusia- good to see they are still around (didn't record one last year) Previous on this here DEWICK'S PLUSIA - maybe the only population in the UK? 

 Oncocera semirubella 

 The Small Red-eyes are back on the Northern Lake (my main lens is still broken hence the particularly bad shot). Also had a fly by Whimbrel. The White Stork flew off high to the south east at 1325.

Popped into Thursley this morning with Johnny from Broadwater and Beyond

Male Black Darter 

Small Red Damselfly

Common Lizard 

Nice evening at the farmlands

White Stork still present (David Campbell)

Blackwits, also 10 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 10+ Lapwing 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull - one of three today

Long-tailed Tit- about 50 of these on site in three different bird waves which included 2 Willow Warblers, 10+ Chiffchaff, 3-4 Common Whitethroat, 5+ Reed Warblers, 6-7 Blackcap, 10+ each of Great and Blue Tit and 1 Reed Bunting

It's that time of year again- one or two Jersey Tigers in recent evenings.

Swallow-tailed Moth- been pretty good for moths over last few days 

This evening's crew- Dave, Christian and Magnus

How many moths species can you see here? 

Work Day

 Viburnum Leaf Beetle doing what it does- the mess they make of Viburnum Tinus is a common feature to most gardens round here 

A Chilean Myrtle I was told- only one of I know round here 

Thursdays are a bad day- its the day I have no flexibility at work and have wall to wall appointments (to meet clients to price up work)  from 9 to 4. Despite this I'm usually looking out for interesting things in people's gardens (have had Firecrest, Waxwings, Purple Hairstreak, migrant birds, wild orchids etc in the past). Here's a couple of bits from today.

LITTLE OAK

White Stork, Beddington Farmlands, July 2016

A day in the life

Quite a lively day. Here's a picture story:

 As usual day started off at the yard, sorting out the green teams for the day to head out in our local area. Here's one of our latest ventures- creating biofuels for the energy market.

 Then back to the obs to sort out the moth trap. Good numbers of Ruby Tiger, Silver Ys and Knot Grass last night.

 Lozotaeniodes formosana- the first for the year

 Black Arches- what a beauty

 Then into town for supplies- all supposed to be from companies that are pro people and nature 

 Then at the obs wildlife gardening tidying things up and watering the plants 

 Loads of interesting bits in the wildlife garden- first time I've seen this miner on Rowan

 Then got a call from Marcus from the reserve saying he might have a Blyth's Reed Warbler. Went over there to check it out then another call saying he'd got a White Stork! 

Looks totally different to what it did a few days ago- same bird? No rings either! The plot thickens.

Now back at the obs eating steak and chips waiting for Dom Mitchell to come and twitch the stork before it gets dark. 

Sid Day

Started off at Queen Mary's Woodland practising with the GPS and then over the farmlands where we bumped into Mike and Co. Then back to the obs for identifying what we collected and ended up watching the 72 most dangerous animals in Australia on the Netflixs.

The sacrificial crop on the north mound is coming through. The blue flowering plant is Linseed. 

The incinerator (the gulls death star). Considering that Herring Gulls are red listed the closing of the landfill site poses a rather bizarre conservation question? 

Catoptria falsella

Bud Moth?

Pale Prominent 

Common Darter

 Short-winged Conehead? 

Long-winged Conehead?

The final stage of landfill and unfortunately one which involves the filling of the famous enclosed lagoons which have attracted Beddington classics such as the 1984 Lesser Yellowlegs and various Pectoral Sandpipers and countless other waders including flocks of up to 38 Greenshank, 10 Wood Sandpipers and 30+ Little Stints. 

The last of the enclosed beds- scheduled to be drained within two years. Hopefully the  new wet grassland habitat will be created before we loose the last remaining wetland areas 

Six-spot Burnet

'WHITE STORK'!

 This 'White Stork' was in with the gulls at the farmlands at about 1230pm today for about an hour before it disappeared. Presumably the same bird was the one reported circling Heathrow at 3pm. The bird was ringed with a white flag on the bottom of the tarsus on one leg and a bluish looking ring on the tarsus on the other leg. It looked 'strange' with apparent black bill and legs. Maybe an escaped Oriental White Stork . Also in some images looks like there is some white in the wing? Maybe a soiled White Stork or just the dodgy pics? My 400m lens fell apart last week so the photos were phone scoped.

Bird Forum thread HERE

Bit of discussion on facebook here (click the facebook symbol)

European White Storks in Bulgaria a couple of weeks ago. The reddish bare parts are needless to say obvious. Also they look slighter? 

 About 50+ Six-spot Burnets up on the mound mainly on the Field Scabious. 

 Also while the others were dipping the Stork Frankie showed be Great Burnet (above) and what he thinks is Lesser Stitchwort (below) 

A load of moths again last night- Pebble Prominent was first for year, also good numbers of Dunbar, Knot Grass, Scarce and Common Footman, Riband Waves, also Ruby Tigers, Nut-tree tussock, Great Oak Beauty- about 50 or so species.