BATTY ABOUT MOTHS

Our familiar friend the long-eared bat, has been leaving signs of its presence at the park during recent nights. For nearly ten years it has regularly rested up in the park's toilet block, munching through one or two moths that it has caught outside. In the morning various moth wings litter the floor under the ceiling light where the bat hangs from in between its foraging forays.

After several late-night trips into the ladies loo in recent weeks, I finally found the little chap as pictured above - its great long ears curling back towards the head.

Saturday 7th was National Moth Night and so the moth trap was switched on at the park under the shelter of a gazebo to keep any rain off the equipment. There had been continuous rain for most of the day but luckily it ceased in the early evening just in time for the moth-trapping. A handful of species arrived within the first hour although the only excitement was a cream-spot tiger. However by dawn at 4am, a great variety of moths had appeared with 40 species found.

The star attractions were four species of hawkmoth pictured above with elephant(top), poplar (top left), privet(bottom right) and eyed(bottom left) all discovered at dawn.

This elephant hawkmoth dropped onto some long grass and stayed motionless with its wings partially open to reveal the pink hindwings. Other moths of note were cream-spot tiger, white-point, shears, archers dart, lychnis, pale oak beauty, green pug, swallow prominent, maidens blush, silver Y, peppered, shoulder striped wainscot, green silver lines and cream bordered green pea.

I was passed this young grass-snake by a lady who had found it dead on the Strood seawall. It was only the size and length of a pencil but showing the distinctive pale yellow collar on the neck.

Sadly another creature found dead on Sunday was this hedgehog by the side of the East Mersea road. This one is showing off its fine set of sharp teeth.

One of the stranger discoveries underneath the Skinner moth trap was the sight of two earthworms happily locked together mating, until I had to take the trap away. The faintest touch of a nearby grass stalk, triggered an immediate de-coupling, with each worm rapidly disappearing down their own holes.

After the soaking on Saturday, Sunday stayed sunny all day. Birds are becoming harder to track down as their song period comes to a close and they busy themselves with raising their young. However the nightingale, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and skylarks still fill the air with their songs around the car park.
There was the welcome sound at dusk of a nightingale singing by the pond - the first time it has been heard this spring here. The entrance bird was also singing although the cliff-top bird hasn't been heard for over three weeks, although the calls have been heard here.
By the cliff a dozen sand martins were seen flying around while meadow pipits, skylarks and linnets flew out of the long grass in various places.

The main butterflies seen were several small heaths and speckled woods, while several black-tailed skimmer dragonflies were hunting over the grasslands.