PLODDINGBIRDER: Pine Hawkmoths!

Monday 7 July 2014

Pine Hawkmoths!

This morning at The Patch I could only muster a single Mediterranean Gull, 2 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls and c30 Common Terns over the boil. The Black Redstart was on the perimeter fence collecting food for its young.

The south end of the ARC held the usual Little Egrets, Cormorants and eclipse ducks but no sign of the Glossy Ibis.

A walk from Springfield Bridge to Dengemarsh hide was notable only for the several 100s of Sand Martins that moved through. Hayfield 3 is now more or less dry, so much so that even the legions of Crows have deserted it. The Common terns seem to be getting on with nesting on the rafts, though I didn't see any young today. A very tatty female Marsh Harrier was quartering Christmas Dell.

Back at Springfield Bridge I met The Joker, while chewing the fat a Bittern flew across the reed bed, the mornings highlight. I went home and while consuming my breakfast alfresco in the front garden, I watched at least 1,000 Sand Martins that were hawking over the Bean fields. As Beans are prone to Black Fly I can only think they attracted the Martins. 2 Marsh Harriers were also quartering the fields and 2 Little Egrets flew over.

We met again at the visitor centre where a summer plumaged Sanderling, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and a Ringed Plover were the highlights.

Back at Plodland I opened the Moth trap and was surprised to find another Pine Hawkmoth, a slightly more worn individual than the one I caught late last night.

This afternoon at the fishing boats I joined The Joker again and PT. The highlight for me was what PT(he is an ex salty old sea dog) assured me was a Russian anti aircraft carrier steaming down channel. Apart from that it was good to see a few Terns fishing successfully inshore, a single Fulmar, 2 Curlew and 2 Common Scoter and the banter was up to its usual low standards.

Below a small selection of images below of some of the moths from the Plodland trap over the weekend.