SIX-SPOTS IN THE SUN

Numbers of six-spot burnet moths are increasing by the day with this newly emerged female already being mated next to its cocoon on a grass stalk. The sunshine on Wednesday 23rd was ideal for insect activity although the sea breeze kept many of the 20+ six-spot burnets low in the grass.

The first half-dozen small skippers of the summer were keeping low to the ground and out of the breeze. The orange-tips of the antennae as in this photo above, help to separate this moth from the similar Essex Skipper with its black-tipped antennae. Other butterflies seen around the park include a few meadow browns, small heath, large skipper, common blue, red admiral, speckled wood and holly blue.

This colourful clump of birdsfoot trefoil seemed to buzz with life with a handful of small skippers feeding as did a common blue, a couple of six-spot burnets and a Mother Shipton moth amongst the most conspicuous insects.

Had a late evening walk around the park on Monday as the sun dropped down, provding this view from the hide. A female pochard dropped onto the pond and quickly scuttled into the reedmace. The pair of swans were still looking after their single cygnet, while it appeared there were two families of little grebes also present.

On the pools in the grazing fields 2 green sandpipers were present, along with a black-tailed godwits, 4 redshank chicks, as well as 2 teal and a pair of shoveler.

The moth trap operating through Tuesday night produced 24 species of macro-moth but with low numbers of most except for the cinnabars. Numbers of the common dark arches, one well marked individual pictured above, are slowly increasing as we head into mid-summer. This moth will be the most numerous moth in the trap in a couple of weeks time. Other moths noted included eyed-hawkmoth, common swift, green carpet, sandy carpet, garden carpet, clouded silver, barred yellow, barred straw, single dotted wave, mottled beauty, buff-tip, buff ermine, white ermine, flame, heart and dart, large yellow underwing, white point, marbled minor and middle-barred minor.

This small fan-foot is the first record for the park, although with a widespread distribution across Essex, it's probably surprising it hasn't been noted here before. The larva feed on the healthy and withered leaves of a variety of broadleaf trees such as oak, birch and hawthorn.

This shoulder-striped wainscot is a common moth of grasslands and with plenty of that habitat here, several are regularly recorded at the trap throughout June.