July 9th 2009

It was a cloudy day with the sun breaking out late afternoon so decided to visit a number of sites looking for clearwings. First stop was the Pick Your Own fruit along the old A45 just outside Dunchurch where I managed to entice 9 Currant Clearwings to a pheromone lure and disturbed a roosting Lime Hawk-moth. Moved on to have a look at Lawford Heath where there was a Green Sandpiper circling overhead joined by a Little Ringed Plover plus 4 Buzzard, Corn Bunting and many Skylarks.
Between Lawford Heath and Brandon Marsh the roadside verge held Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Large White and my first gatekeeper of the year while a Hobby was over Brandon Golf Course.
Brandon Marsh had Lesser-spotted Woodpecker flying over New Hare Covet, Sedge and Cetties Warbler families seen up close and the old farm pool produced a Beautiful China-mark and among the many grass veneers netted a Chequered Grass Veneer which I think is only my second record. Other sightings included Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Buzzard while butterflies here included Comma, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Large White and Small Skipper and a session with different types of pheromones produced Red-tipped and Red-belted Clearwing.
No luck with the pheromones in Ryton Wood but the butterflies showed with 6 White Admiral, 4 Purple Hairstreak, 4 Silver-washed Fritillary, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Large Skipper and plenty of Ringlets, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood.
This evening the garden feeders have a family of House Sparrows and Bullfinches and overhead at least 3 young Sparrowhawk sparring with each other.
Just received information that we added 17 species (10 micros 7 macros) to the Brandon Moth list from our moth night last Saturday so that's pretty impressive considering its well over the 500 mark already.

Richard