July 3rd 2011

Woke to a crippling headache and just about managed to clear down my trap and cancel today’s visit to Buckinghamshire with Dave before crawling back to bed. Dave had a look at the pond seeing Common Sandpiper, Common Tern and Little Ringed Plover before managing to coax me out late morning.
Devoid of any energy we had a brief look for butterflies by the Little Chef on the A45 finding 15 Marbled White and Small Skipper before taking a look at nearby Draycote Meadows.
Here the sun came out for awhile and the place just heaved with butterflies with an estimated count of 400 Marbled Whites, 200 Ringlet, 100 Meadow Brown plus easier counts of 6 Large White, Brown Argus and 2 Small Tortoiseshell. Unfortunately half way round some insect took revenge on me big time and bit me on the mouth and with in seconds I started to look like some Botox freak as my lower face swelled up.
Dave had a good count of 380 moths of 68 species with V-Pug, Gothic, Early Thorn and Toadflax Pug while I managed 46 species from 247 moths.
JJ had Vapourer caterpillar in his Long lawford garden and managed a Hummingbird Hawk-moth while walking the dog.

Richard