Francis Rose, who died on Saturday aged 84, was regarded as the “grand old man” of British botany. He regularly visited the RX area and frequently stayed at Winchelsea Beach from where he explored Hastings Country Park, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and Dungeness. He introduced me to many rare and difficult to identify species. An obituary can be read by clicking here.
With the continuing hot and humid weather the moth trap was virtually overflowing with 1,400+ moths counted and identified. The most abundant species were 484 Dark Arches, 129 Large Yellow Underwing and 99 Silver Y. New moths included Least Yellow Underwing and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. After a gap of several weeks we have started catch the second hatching of Straw Dot, Shuttle-shaped Dart and True Lovers Knot. No migrants of note.
The flock of 30+ Gannets continue to hang around close offshore (2nd summer pictured), this morning they were fishing at the River Mouth giving close views. An Arctic Skua was again present along Shore Ridges chasing Sandwich Terns, and nine Green Sandpipers were at Ternery Pool.
