Clouded Yellows and Meadows

 Clouded Yellow- had four or five on the southern mound with Holly. Saw Czech and he said he had 35+ up there! (Dodgy pic as camera lens is still in for repair) 

 Sparrowhawk- one of three from yesterday (they seem to be on the move at the moment). Also Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Hobby yesterday so looks like raptors are beginning to move. 

 Female Light Brown Apple moth- wind is from the north east at the moment so the clear nights are cool- not many moths- a few Square-spot Rustics, a Rush Veneer, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, White-point and Oak Nycteoline, 

The Southern Mound has had its autumn hay cut- earlier than usual due to the need for Ed to get in there and clear some physical contamination- some metal rods and bits of concrete. Shame to see all the Great Burnet go (there were 20+ plants up there eventually) but hopefully will reappear next year and the mowing regimes are designed to encourage a species rich habitat. The new RAMP (the restoration management plan ) has been signed off by the council recently and will soon be implemented. The RAMP supplements the Conservation Management Plan (CMP)- basically the CMP is the vision and the RAMP is the action plan- how to implement the vision. 

 Spent yesterday evening with Gillian checking out some local LNRs which despite living in the borough all my life and never visited. The first was The Warren SINC which is off Kings Road.

 Then Belmont Pastures LNR 

 and finally Banstead Downs SSSI