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More excitement in the form of another new moth for the house list, and this one, a Dark Arches, is rather more photogenic.  One of the young Green Woodpeckers finally sat in front of the camera; not brilliantly, but it does a neat levitation trick.

Yet more danger in the garden, as one of our many young House Sparrows became lunch for our female Sparrowhawk.  If you’re upset by the sight of an animal suffering in the talons of another don’t look at the last picture, but what did you think Sparrowhawks eat, asparagus?

Dark Arches

Young Green Woodpecker

Look mum, no hands

Sparrowhawk and Sparrow

Still not much going on bird-wise, although we do have a family of Green Woodpeckers, which are noisy, but hiding from the camera.  There has been a changing of the guard with the moths, with the excitement of a new moth for the house list, Haworth’s Pug, a real stunner…

Haworth’s Pug, a new moth for the house list

A pair of Ears

This young Robin is well on the way to its adult red plumage

Pale Prominent

Peppered Moth

Small Ranunculus

The birding’s a bit quiet at the moment, so here’s a selection of invertebrates from the garden over a weekend that held 10 species of  butterfly

Enoplognatha ovata has a big breakfast on an Azure Damselfly

Garden Tiger.

Gatekeeper

Rosy Footman

Small Skipper

The garden’s getting to be a dangerous place at the moment.  On Friday I had one of my best birding moments when I witnessed a Peregrine take a Starling out of the air, and today I almost trod on a Grass Snake trying to swallow a large frog.  Unfortunately for the snake, the disturbance allowed its dinner to escape.  The frog didn’t croak, although it was bleeding from some tooth marks in its back, and the snake legged it.

A walk around the New Forest while Karen went riding was limited bird-wise, with a Spotted Flycatcher and a couple of Redstarts being the highlights, although camera shy.

These Keeled Skimmers were a bit more cooperative.

It’s been a bit quiet in the moth trap of late, but the hot weather has fixed that.  Four species of Hawkmoth: two Eyed, one Privet, one Lime (not frequent here) and a herd of six Elephants.

Privet Hawkmoth

Lime Hawkmoth

Eyed Hawmoth

The family photo (one of the Eyed refused to stay for it)

It’s getting busy in the pond!

Azure Damselfly, one of many

Southern Hawker(?) emerging from the pond

…but enough about me.  A late evening return to Church Norton meant that we didn’t have to compete with the heat haze or the crowds.  The Elegant Tern played its part by showing well, if a little distantly.  It went through a full range of antics: loafing on the mud, having a bath, trying it on with the local Sandwich Terns, flying around like a mad thing and stealing fish from a much-bullied Common Tern.

Little Bittern, of course, although after seven hours of looking at a windy Somerset reedbed and seeing nothing another interpretation was understandable. Early next morning the bird finally showed after another hour of watching.  Ham Wall is a remarkable place: there can’t be many other places in Britain where you can see six species of heron in a day, as well as a supporting cast including Hobby, Red-footed Falcon and Glossy Ibis. We travelled back a bit early to pick up the Elegant Tern at Church Norton, which showed eventually, but wasn’t photographable while we were there.

Great Egret was the most frequently seen heron

Bitterns boomed occasionally and gave the odd flypast

Little Egret

We had a couple of Cattle Egrets flying over

Heron

Finally the Little Bittern stopped hiding in the reeds and came up for a few minutes

It’s not just herons, there were loads of Cuckoos

A very sleepy young Adder was reluctant to get off the middle of the path

A day out on the east coast began with a very quiet seawatch at Flamborough.  A few Manx Shearwaters and some distant passing Puffins were the only birds of any note.  Moving on to Bempton Cliffs, we had to park in the overflow car park’s overflow.  The cliffs nearly gave way under the weight of people.  The only close Puffins were tucked up on their nests, but there’s always something to photograph.

Tree Sparrow

Fulmar

Fulmar

Razorbill

Bank holiday home improvement. The Gannets like weed…

… but the Kittiwakes prefer grass

Kittiwake

The Puffins were tucked up tight