RXwildlife Sightings

In the middle of Romney Marsh the banks of a new farm reservoir were sown with a legume mix a few years ago. This still persists and is attracting foraging insects. Bumblebees were well represented with the shorter tongued species such as the white tailed bumblebee foraging on strawberry clover Trifolium fragiferum which was particularly frequent where the grassland appeared to be more regularly trampled.

Other legumes, such as lucerne Medicago sativa ssp sativa and bird’s-foot trefoil were attracting Read the rest of this entry »

Sunday 5th July 6.30am to 12noon. The tide was low but on the way up, with high tide being around 11am. The first thing that happened as l got out of the van was, what looked like a snow storm with what turned out to be 75 Avocets in a flock taking wing, with there alarm calls filling the air. There seems to have been some movement in the last few days, certainly on the wader front, with 2 Ruff with part of the ruff still showing on both of the birds. Other waders about were 4 B.T.Godwit,3 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 1 Green Sand, 2 Dunlin, along with good numbers of Lapwing and the Curlews numbers building up nicely to 80. the largest number since the winter and spring. Some 20 Oystercatchers flew around the pools but never stayed long, but 2 Whimbrel put in appearance. On the sea there is still some Common Scoters and 9 Eiders flew east. Other sightings, Hobby and Peregrine. A much better day for a change, good birdwatching Pete.

Almost 70 species in the Lime Kiln moth trap this morning, about as good as it gets here. Personal highlights were a couple of Leopard Moth, a species that looks as though its front half has been fashioned from cotton wool, and The Blackneck (bottom), a new species for me and only the fourth reserve record.

Leopard Moth
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