June 15th 2011

Someone must be smiling on me as I woke to the garden crawling with moths and ended up with 255 moths of 53 species from my two traps plus a few found roosting around the garden. Highlights were 161 Heart & Dart plus Beautiful Golden Y, Common Emerald, Phoenix and Common Footman all new for the year then I joined Chris and Neville for a trip out to the Brecks visiting Weeting Heath, Laken Heath Fen and May Day Farm.
I have not had much luck with Stone Curlew over the last few years so I was stunned to look out of the hide at Weeting to see a pair with two young 150 yards from the hide giving excellent views and another 2 adults further away on the ridge. Also seen were Curlew, Hobby going straight over, many Small Heaths on the heath opposite and Yellow Shell.
We moved on to Laken Heath Fen and while Chris and Neville put the time in to successfully see a male Golden Oriole I preferred to look for dragonflies and spend a considerable amount of time looking over Joist fen. I managed male and female Garganey, flight views of Bittern, distant Crane in flight, 8 Cuckoo, 4 Hobby, 3 Bearded Tit, Water Rail and 4 Marsh Harriers. Dragonflies included Variable, Azure and Red-eyed Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Scarce Chaser and Banded Demoiselle.
A look at May Day farm produced very little except for a Silver-washed Fritillary and 6 Brown Silver-lines.

Richard