July 27th 2008

Arrived at Draycote just after 5am with the place to myself. Lovely and peaceful and more activity than expected with Great-spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, and a Reed Warbler in toft shallows and on the opposite side at the inlet there was another Grey wagtail, 2 Lesser Whitethroat and Garden warbler. On my return to toft bay were Greenshank, Dunlin and 2 Common Sandpiper but the pride of place goes to the Osprey which was present at six thirty and may have been the same bird seen later over Coventry at 9:15am. Gull roost is starting to build up with at least 500 present in the post roost – mainly Lesser Black-backed and Blacked Headed Gulls but also included 2 adult, 1 first year and 2 near adult Yellow-legged Gulls and a few Common Gulls. Back home for breakfast and shared with Sparrowhawk soaring overhead and a Comma butterfly.
Out later looking for other flying things at Southam Quarry and Ryton Woods ending up with the most butterfly species I have seen in a single day in Warwickshire with Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Comma, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Holly Blue, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Ringlet, Marbled White, Purple Hairstreak, Meadow Brown, Brimstone, Purple Emperor, and Small Copper. Moths were represented by, Chalk Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Yellow Shell, Lesser Treble-bar, Blackneck and a stunning Hummingbird Hawk-moth a migrant so presumed its come on the warm winds we are having at the moment. Dragonfly’s came in the form of Emperor Dragonfly, Common Hawker, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Large Red Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly. Had my first Old Lady of the year – no innuendo it’s a moth.

Richard