Sunday 29 May 2016

ROADSIDE OWL

This little owl was watching the early morning traffic on Saturday 28th at the Waldegraves end of Chapmans Lane. It perched up long enough for a few photos to be taken.

There are several pairs of little owl around the Island and although they've been seen at this corner in the past, they've not been seen here in the morning before.
 The little owl was also seen in this area at the end of the day perched up by the allotment entrance at dusk.


After watching the bird from the car, the little owl carried on scanning the verge below for prey.


At the country park on Friday 26th a sand martin flew over the fields, a sparrowhawk, pair of pochard and a green woodpecker were seen at the pond. A cuckoo spent a few minutes calling from the top of a tree on the clifftop before it flew off to Bromans Lane.
Also noted in the sunshine was a hairy dragonfly, large white butterfly and two adders.


Noted at the park on Saturday 27th were 3 swift, pochard pair, cuckoo heard calling as well as a broad-bodied chaser dragonfly. The only butterflies noted were a holly blue and a speckled wood.


A firecrest was heard singing from the cliff-top trees at the park on Sunday 27th, although the breezy conditions made it difficult to locate. Also seen were a house martin, swift and a singing reed bunting on a bush in the main park.


This colourful cardinal beetle was resting on a nettle leaf along one of the paths at the park on Sunday. Two green hairstreaks were spiralling round with each other beside bushes near the clifftop path. An adder was seen briefly in the usual area in the morning.


Catches of moths at the trap at the park continue to be hampered by the clear and chilly nights.
Two cinnabar moths added a bit of colour on one recent night.


A couple of light emerald moths were also seen in the trap the next morning.

One or two of the common heart and darts have been recorded recently too.
Other moths noted have included common swift, common carpet, red twin-spotted carpet, sandy carpet, brindled pug, maidens blush, white ermine, marbled minor, setaceous Hebrew character and shuttle-shaped dart.

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