A summers day at last!

At The Patch this morning with AJG an adult and 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, c25 Common Terns and the usual Black-headed and large Gulls. We next walked around the Trapping area and southern Long Pit, noting 2 Blackcaps, 2 Reed Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler and several Common Whitethroats singing.

Next stop the Willow Trail where the trees and bushes were absolutely dripping with Cuckoo Spit, also a Grasshopper Warbler had been reported there earlier, sadly all I could find was a family of Wrens, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and another Cetti's Warbler.   

 Juvenile Wren in the Willow Trail

Lunch time at the ARC car park a Hobby flashed over and Cuckoo was calling, in the screen hide the Swallows were feeding 4 young,

 This afternoon at Scotney of note a Spoonbill on the eastern back lake viewed from the conveyor belt, also good numbers of Yellow Wagtails were feeding young still in the nests as were several pairs of Corn Buntings. On the back lake there appears to be at least 15 pairs of Avocets trying again on a different island, after a complete failure first time round due to unknown causes. At least 2 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers there and 6 feeding Little Egrets.

 This evening on the marsh of note a distant Barn Owl, 3 Little Owls, a Turtle Dove, 2 Cuckoo's, a Sparrowhawk and a Marsh Harrier.

An Eyed Hawk Moth from last nights catch of a miserly 13 species.