SNAKES AND MOTHS

It was sunny enough for the adders to be out basking on Sunday 2nd in their usual spot in the park. The slight chill in the breeze kept the three adders hiding behind some tussocks, whilst soaking up the sunshine. These two photos are of the two females that are basking either side of a small bramble bush. One male has also been out not far from the females for the last three days.

As it was cloudy on the Saturday evening, the moth trap was put out in the park for the first time this year. By the morning 7 moths of four species had been caught. Several common quakers, pictured below, were found along with small quaker and the hebrew character.

This very pale looking grey shoulder knot was also seen in the trap on Sunday morning. Several of these were caught during March last year.

Whilst walking round the park I noticed this bundle of old twigs hanging on a low branch in one of the small woodlands. This is the old sparrowhawk nest which has been blown down in recent days by strong winds. The nest has been successfully used to bring up broods of young sparrowhawks over the last two summers.

Elsewhere on the park, it was pretty much the same sort of birds around as in recent weeks. On the grazing fields, 500 wigeon, 700 brent geese, 40 shelduck, little egret, a handful of black-tailed godwits and 25 curlew.
What was nice was the sight and sound of some of the lapwings going through their courtship displays with their tumbling flights and their loud peewit calls.

On the mud near the Point 400 golden plover all stood in regimented order facing the wind in identical plumage - except one! One plover stood out from afar and was already sporting full summer breeding plumage with a black belly and neck, whilst its companions still had their pale creamy underparts.
A red-legged partridge calling from the field near the park early in the morning, has been an elusive species in recent weeks.