Green Long-horn

 

Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella (female). I was chuffed to find this jewel of a micro in the garden this afternoon. The males have longer antennae but I haven't been able to track any down yet.

 

Orcombe was again pretty quiet this morning with migrants represented by just 2 Swift, 4 Swallow, 1 Garden Warbler and an Arctic Skua.

From the garden - 30+ Dunlin, 10 Sanderling, 40+ Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Tern, 1 Wheatear, 7+ Whimbrel, 6 Swift and 7 Black-headed Gull. A flock of 40+ Starling was feeding on the playing fields but no juveniles yet...

Very little seen yesterday but another Fulmar, this time gliding downriver, just above the water off Mudbank, was a surprise sighting from the back garden.

 

 

I've been fairly critical of the lack of wildlife-friendly farming on Orcombe over the years, but allowing cattle to graze the fields with hundreds of Green-winged Orchids in is surely taking things to a whole new level? The National Trust has been informed. Let's hope these rare flowers aren't too adversely affected by trampling.

 

One of six singing male Whitethroat noted on Orcombe this morning. Not all the patch covered though. The same number of singing male Blackcap was counted too.

This Poplar Hawkmoth joined 1 Knot Grass, 2 Flame Shoulder, 1 Light Brown Apple Moth, 2 Rusty Dot Pearl and 1 Brimstone in the trap last night. Low numbers. Must have been chilly.

This Wheatear was perched on a neighbour's roof for about an hour before I realised I could photograph it from the loft.

With no background traffic noise the local Blackbirds are way more audible than usual. One of the things I'll miss most when lockdown ends is the peace and quiet.

Yesterday evening from the back garden. Moody.

This dark-phase Arctic Skua was picked up circling quite high, in a very leisurely fashion, off Orcombe Point before heading over to Sandy Bay to check out the Kittiwakes.

Green-winged Orchid - a nice dark purple one growing in the Bristol Schools field which, of course, isn't being used at the moment.