29th June

Another quiet week for birds although I did see a Reed Warbler collecting nesting material in the Magic Garden, potentially the first breeding in 75 years. I also watched a day flying Tawny Owl here. Elsewhere two early Green Sandpipers were on the Swale and a Red Kite was reported by an angler near Morton bridge.

Given the lack of any interesting bird photos I’ll pop in this portrait of a Chiffchaff taken near the river…  

It was insects again which provided the most interesting sightings. This tiny micro moth, Pammene regiana (which sounds like a rather upmarket cheese!) , was spotted by my wife on the garden path. A new record for the village and only the fourth sighting in north-west Yorkshire…

This smart Mullein caterpillar was, perhaps surprisingly, also a new species for the village. Appropriately enough it is feeding here on Great Mullein…

And the third new species is this poorly photographed beetle, a Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn. Until recent years this was very much a southern/eastern species but has progressed north at a significant pace…

I also added a few new flower species to the parish list with a nice patch of Common Restharrow…

Greater Knapweed…

And Tutsan, a shrubby relative of the St John’s-worts…

And I’ll finish with this…

Showing Bournemouth Beach wasn’t the only place the social distancing rules were ignored.