Small Argent and Sable

Small Argent and Sable. 

A walk on Dartmoor this morning, hoping to find Silver Hook and Bog Orchid. No luck with either but good to be somewhere quiet and unspoiled. Very few birds - just a few Wheatears, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits etc. A couple of vocal Snipe too. Odanata included lots of Keeled Skimmers, Large Red Damselflies and Southern Damselflies. 

Southern Damselfly.

Large Skipper.

Heath Spotted Orchid.

Ringlet.

 Double-striped Knot-horn Cryptoblabes bistriga. Not an uncommon species but a new garden record for me.

True Lover's Knot.

Sallow Button Acleris hastiana.

Gorse Knot-horn Pempelia genistella.

Bright Neb

Bright Neb Argolamprotes micella. I've been hoping for one of these very tiny but very smart moths. 

Mudbank - 58 Black-headed Gulls, 30 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 27 Shelducks, 1 Sandwich Terns and 2 Sand Martins with a small number of House Martins and Swallows. 

Mudbank on the incoming tide, yesterday morning - c60 Black-headed Gulls, 21 Shelducks, c80 Curlew, 8 Sandwich Terns, 1 Mediterranean Gull and 1 Whimbrel. The Yellow-legged Gull remains a permanent fixture in the coastal waste recycling centre.

Saturday - 90+ Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, c50 Black-headed Gulls and 24 Shelducks.

White-backed Marble Hedya salicella - a whopping great tortrix and a brand new moth for me.

Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella

Small Emerald.

Buff Footman.

Long-legged Tabby Synaphe punctalis.

Fern.

Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa.

Cream-bordered Green Pea.

L-album Wainscot.

Commom Mompha Mompha epilobiella.

Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana.

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana.

Burnished Brass.

Coronet.

Lesser Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris.

Scalloped Oak.

Brussels Lace.

Dot Moth.

Lychnis.

Dun-bar.

Portland Ribbon Wave.

Fringed Water Lily - Countess Wear.

Scarce Chaser. I cycled over to Countess Wear on saturday. As previously reported - masses of Scarce Chasers along the canal, with a few Black-tailed Skimmers thrown in to make counting less straightforward.

Male Hairy Dragonfly.

Southern Hawker.

Grass Snake.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Azure Damselfly.

Red-eyed Damselfly.

White-legged Damselfly.

Eighteen Broad-leaved Helleborine spikes counted along Wright's Lane - all looking healthier than they did last year. Slightly down on the 24 counted a couple years ago but there may be more to find...

The Yellow-legged Gull was so close to the other side of the fence yesterday morning that I initially overlooked it. If it's never seen again it's probably to do with what it's eating!

Red-tipped Clearwings

I've tried, unsuccessfully, to find Red-tipped Clearwing in Exmouth, so decided to cycle over to the river Otter to check that the lure still works. Within 30 seconds of hanging it up, I had at least 5 buzzing around the lure, with several others thereafter. They're such smart little moths, even sitting quite happily for photos. We've got loads of sallows at the back of our house but so far no joy. Will keep trying...

Birds off Mudbank today included 85+ Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 17 Shelduck and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose that's been shunning Exmouth in favour of the Warren. Glad it's finally seen sense! The Yellow-legged Gull is still grabbing what it can in the recycling centre.

Second -summer Yellow-legged Gull.

Common Spotted Orchid - Highweek. The Southern Marsh Orchids at this site are past their best. Was back that way today for work. Popped in on Dad's grave too.

I'm not sure if this is a pure Common Spotted Orchid. Could it be Southern Marsh x Common Spotted?