A weekend of weather contrasts. Saturday dawned hot and was quite unbearable in the heat despite getting out early whilst Sunday morning was still quite warm but with frequent rain, thunder and lightning early morning. A Lapwing (122) was sound recorded on the night of the 19th June, I thought I was going to have to wait until the autumn / winter to get one of these on the patch list. I was out early Saturday morning where I walked the patch for a few hours in hot conditions. Birds noted included 1 Mute Swan flying east at sea, 5 Swift, 2 Oystercatcher, 20 Black headed Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 4 Sandwich Tern, 1 Great crested Grebe, 1 Gannet, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Hobby chasing Sand Martins, 1 Jay, 1 Skylark, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroat, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Chaffinch, 11 Linnet and 1 Goldfinch. Butterflies of note included 42 Marbled white and 4 White-letter Hairstreak.
White-letter Hairstreak
Sunday was raining early on with thunder and lightning but it soon passed through allowing me to walk the patch. Birds noted included 5 Swift, 1 Curlew, 28 Black headed Gull, 12 Mediterranean Gull, 45 Herring Gull, 5 Great Black backed Gull, 1 Great crested Grebe, 1 Fulmar, 1 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Hobby chasing the Sand Martins again, 1 Peregrine, 1 Jay, 1 Skylark, c120 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 3 Chiffchaff, 6 Long tailed Tit, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch, 4 Linnet and 1 Goldfinch. Despite recording on a few nights, nothing of note has been heard flying over...yet!
Black headed Gull
Hobby
Hi Marc just wondering where you saw the White Letter Hairstreaks? Herne Bay Downs is one of my local butterfly watching patches but I've never seen them.
ReplyDeleteI saw them in Bishopstone Glen. I assume they've been there years as I've seen them in there a few times over the years. They were chasing each other and perching quite close the path as you walk through the Glen.
DeleteThanks I'll look out for them on my next trip.
DeleteIf I was to say, not expecting to see Marbled White any time soon in or anywhere near Lancashire, it would be bit of an understatement, and I only ever found one White-letter Hairstreak - brilliant image by the way - and it was in an area I didn't expect to see it.
ReplyDeleteRegards....Pete.