Pretty quiet on the moth front despite the warm weather- last night was mainly a few very boring looking micros like Platyedra subcinerea and Ephestia unicolrella. A Small Heath butterfly was a new for year.
Black-necked Grebes - the 12th record for the farmlands following two birds in 2015. The first record was in 1993, also of a pair which were seen in May and June (and also a young bird was seen in September). This started a run of records in the 1990s with 2 records in 1994, one in 1997, one in 1999 and then two records in 2003 and one in 2007. Then a long gap until the 2015 birds and then today's birds. Most have been spring/summer birds and several records include pairs indicating that the local vagrancy can be accounted to by prospecting travels. Young and non-breeding birds have also been recorded (between July and October) and may be the offspring of these locally exploring birds.
Oystercatchers- the first time I've seen displaying birds over the farmlands. We are hoping that now the landfill is closed and there are no so many gulls on the lakes that the lakes maybe more attractive to new breeding birds such as Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatchers and even Black-necked Grebe- all of which were on the lakes today displaying.
Hobby, appearing during the evenings
Looks like another good year for Reed Warblers. Reed Warblers are going through the roof at the farmlands with nearly 50 breeding pairs in recent years. This is in contrast to Whitethroat and Willow Warbler which seem to be consistently decreasing year on year. Willow Warbler have been particularly low in numbers this spring locally.
A bizzare fight between a Kestrel and Magpie on the footpath
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