Scarce Dungeness Moths & Wood Sands

Lade - 0600hrs - warm, dry and sunny, sw 3 - Another poor night in the garden trap due to the brisk overnight wind. However, not so elsewhere across the peninsula where a number of rare/scarce moths were in situ at the Kerton Road Café including Dingy Shell, Silver Barred (RDB immigrant), Campion and Confused (along with the Uncertain, that has to be one of the more poignant moth names...)
Plenty of Tufted Ducklings on the water at south pit, plus Red-crested Pochard and two Little Egrets.

                                      Confused, KRC

                                 Silver Barred, KRC

                                Supermarine Spitfire, Lade

RSPB - Burrowes was pretty quiet with only a couple of Dunlin and Ringed Plover on the wader front, plus four Little Egrets and a Kestrel over. On Dengemarsh the Great White Egret flew across the reedbed where we also had brief flight views of a Bittern. Several juv Marsh Harriers were finding their way around, as were a family party of Green Woodpeckers. Over the road on ARC two more of Dunlin, LRP and Common Sandpiper from Hanson, while two Wood Sandpipers in front of Screen hide didn`t stay for long but constituted a Marsh year tick (196); thanks to Wendy and Doug for the tip off. The Swallow chicks were doing well in the hide and several pulses of Sand Martins passed over heading south.

                               Swallow chicks, ARC

The Tree Sparrow colour ringing scheme continued apace this morning at Boulderwall with mist-netting in progress. Around 50 birds have now been marked and any sightings around the Marsh away from Boulderwall would be greatly appreciated by the Society, either at the VC or via the RSPB website.