SUNSET SWARM

Spent the last hour of daylight along the Pyefleet seawall at Reeveshall on Saturday 19th. The tide was well out and although there was plenty of mud on show, the light was fading fast.

Feeding amongst a small group of black-tailed godwits was a ruff which was an unexpected find. The main waders along the Channel were redshank, curlew and black-tailed godwits but other waders were rather absent. Only 3 spotted redshank and two whimbrel were of note.

In the Channel 6 great crested grebe were seen and there was still the shelduck family with four ducklings. One or two common terns and little terns were hunting along the Pyefleet.

On the Reeveshall pool were 4 green sandpipers, 12 lapwing and a grey heron but little else.

The main bird activity over the Reeveshall fields were the large numbers of sand martins and swifts. Birds were swooping low along the seawall, hawking back and forwards across the Pyefleet and flying around the fields, sometimes high up sometimes low down. It was difficult to estimate how many there were but it seemed like there were a few hundred sand martins.

However a good half hour after the sun set, the martins flocked together into a vast swarm high above the Reeveshall reedbed. The flock had become more cohesive and twisted and turned like a column of smoke blowing in the wind. It seemed like there was now a couple of thousand sand martins gathered in this roost flock. After a few minutes of circling around, the birds soon dropped quickly down into the reedbed of Broad Fleet, where they would spend the night.
Earlier in the day there had been a noticeable sand martin passage occuring over the park around mid-day with about 200 birds flying west during a fifteen minute spell.

Also at Reeveshall two male marsh harriers left the Island after sunset, crossing over to Langenhoe. Just before I left the area, the regular barn owl was seen hunting over the big grass fields of Reeveshall.

A brown hare sprinting away over a grass field, was one of two seen during the evening.

The moth trap was switched on for Saturday night and a few moths were found the next morning inlcuding this close-up picture above of the common drinker moth. Several of these have been found on recent mothing sessions and is a very noticeable moth when it comes crashing into the trap. Drinkers soon settle down and fold their wings high up over their body like a tent, as in the picture below.
The weather conditions weren't ideal with a cool north-west breeze, clear sky and a bright moon shining all conspired to keep the moths away. About 90 moths of 19 species seemed a low tally for mid July. Moths found included buff-tip, magpie, brown-line bright-eye, common footman, scalloped oak, dark arches, light arches, buff ermine and common emerald.

The distinctive brown band on this female lackey moth, caught the eye as the moth lay resting near the trap.

One of the commonest moth at the moment is the dusky sallow, one pictured above. Around 20 were found inside and around the trap by early morning.