HAIRY AND HAIRSTREAKS

The continuing sunshine has brought the first dragonfly onto the wing at the park on Tuesday 4th. This female hairy dragonfly settled on a low bush that made it easy to be photographed. The close-up picture above shows its hairy body, especially the brown thorax.

The hairy dragonfly has become an annual sight on the Island in recent years although there's usually just the one sighting each year at the park each May / June period. Whilst this one was posing on the bush, a couple of male green hairstreak butterflies were spiralling around nearby. Further along the sheltered path another green hairstreak was noted and then in the afternoon, there was the nice sight of two spiralling males in the car park. Two green hairstreaks were also along this park path the previous day too. Martin Cock noted two green hairstreaks west of Shop Lane on Monday morning too.

Other butterflies enjoying the sunny weather at the park on Tuesday were small heath, holly blue, orange-tip, small white and speckled wood.  Two adders were also enjoying the warmth although tucked into the base of a bramble bush.

Two common terns flew along the beach beside the park. Two Mediterranean gulls flying over the park calling, has become a daily feature recently. On the park fields on Tuesday a greenshank on the pools was the first Island record this year, although it soon flew over to the pools by the Golfhouse where 3 avocets were present. Also on the fields a black-tailed godwit, 8 gadwall, 4 lapwing, 2 oystercatchers, 2 redshank and the unexpected appearance of a family of swans with at least 7 cygnets. It's not clear where this family nested as the main resident park pair are still at the pond.

Singing in the sunshine at the park were a reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, 5 common whitethroats, 2 blackcaps and a chiffchaff. Passing overhead were a house martin, sand martins and 5 swifts.

The hawthorn bushes are covered with the May blossom at the moment, adding colour to many of the hedgerows about the park.

The scrubby copse of Gyants marsh near Meeting Lane has been getting a bit of attention over the last couple of days since a garden warbler was found here on Monday by Martin Cock. The bird has shown itself best on both Monday and Tuesday mornings when it has been singing from the tops of bushes in the sunshine. In the evening it has kept lower down despite lots of singing.

Also here have been two singing blackcaps, chiffchaff, lesser whitethroat, yellowhammer, while two turtle doves flew over Meeting Lane on Tuesday evening and also a marsh harrier over Reeveshall.

A yellow wagtail and house martin were seen in Chapmans Lane while a little owl was perched up by Bromans Lane at dusk on Tuesday. Two Mediterranean gulls flew over Shop Lane on Monday as a pair also did over Firs Chase later in the evening. Two turtle doves have been reported again by the Walls family in their garden near Willougby car park.