PECKED PAINTED LADY

There was the colourful sight of a painted lady butterfly on buddleia next to the café at the country park on Wednesday 16th. Looks like a bird might've tried to snatch it by the wing as it shows a bit missing. A painted lady was also seen at the park on Friday 17th. They have been scarce this year here.

Two or three red admirals have been seen around the park, this one resting on an oak bush, while others have been feeding on the buddleia. A small copper, small heath, speckled wood, meadow brown, gatekeeper, holly blue, common blue, small white and large white have all been seen in recent days with brown argus being reported too.

Recent bird sightings of interest have been two common buzzards soaring together over Shop Lane on Tuesday 14th, also the red-legged partridge family of five young still at west end of Bromans Lane. In trees by the park buildings a spotted flycatcher was seen briefly with a tit flock and a willow warbler early on Tuesday, later a Mediterranean gull flew over the car park.

On Wednesday 15th three swifts flew over Bromans Lane heading west, while two little owls were seen by Martin Cock from the footpath to the north of the park, also a few sand martins and yellow wagtails passing over the park. A common sandpiper was seen along the park dyke by Andy Field. At Maydays 2 common sandpipers and a green sandpiper were seen by Martin, also a clouded yellow.

A willow warbler and a yellow wagtail were noted at the park on Thursday 16th, as was the noisy young sparrowhawk by the pond. On Friday 17th five whitethroats, 2 lesser whitethroats and 2 willow warblers were at the park, also 7 whimbrel and 10 house martins seen over Bromans Lane. A whinchat was seen near the Reeveshall seawall by Martin on Friday, also a common sandpiper and 300 swallows.

The first teal of the autumn were back on the park pond on Sunday 19th with nine present along with 20 mallard. At Meeting Lane a spotted flycatcher was found by Martin on Sunday and a juvenile sparrowhawk calling at Gyants Marsh.

On Monday 20th a hobby passed over the fields near Bromans Lane while a sparrowhawk flew into the flock of 400+ starlings feeding in the stubble field. Two willow warblers called from the park and a willow warbler also sang briefly in Firs Chase early on Monday. A willow warbler was calling at the park on Tuesday 21st and 5 yellow wagtails passed over Bromans Lane.
Two spotted flycatchers were seen at Meeting Lane on Tuesday by Martin Cock and a garden warbler was found later near here. At dusk a barn owl was seen hunting the fields near Bocking Hall.

Red squirrels have been showing at the park and also along Bromans Lane where one was seen first thing on Tuesday 14th. A red squirrel was also seen at the west end of Bromans Lane on Saturday 18th. There were various sightings of a red squirrel in Bromans Lane on Tuesday 21st, first by Jo Norris early morning and then three sightings in the afternoon by different drivers as a squirrel worked its way along the lane. A red squirrel was seen in the park by Jo Watkins on Monday 20th.

The red underwing moths have been making their usual appearances on the outside of the park buildings on some recent mornings, this one seen on the 17th, while one was present the day before.

The moth trap has been operating at the park on a few recent nights with this colourful herald a nice sight.

The appearance of the rosy rustic in late summer matches the colour of the first fallen leaves off the trees.

A chunky looking bulrush wainscot is an annual visitor to the trap each late summer.

The first hornet in the moth trap was found in the morning of Tuesday 14th. It seems hornets have become established at the park in the last couple of years and no doubt there will be more of them dropping into the moth trap at night.