Overview: generally a quiet time of year between seasons. Weather variable, but mostly dry with sunny spells. Light north-west winds. Min night temp 10C; max day temp 18C.

Birds                                 Comments

Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Mallard
Teal
Gadwall
Shelduck                             juveniles only 
Tufted duck
Great Crested Grebe           five on the Swale
Little Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Marsh Harrier                     several hunting across the reserve
Kestrel                               pair hunting around the hides
Hobby                                taking dragonflies around the cottage; allowed close approach
Merlin                                seen by Mary near the exit from the farm yard
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher                      a few on the Swale
Curlew                                numbers already building >100
Lapwing                              ditto
Golden Plover                     one smallish flock near sea wall
Grey Plover                        large nos. on the Swale; some still in breeding plumage
Ringed Plover                      a few on the Swale
Redshank
Turnstone                        one on the Sale with plovers & redshank
Black-headed Gulls          ubiquitous
Herring Gull
Greater Black-back Gull    one on the Swale
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Barn Owl                            seen once quatering grassland at dusk
Little Owl                           two around the famr yard; noisy!
Skylark                               only one or two
Swallows                            constant passage; migration in full swing
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Raven                                one on a pylon beyond the old school
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Magpie
Starling                             nos. beginning to build
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
Reed Bunting                     a pair disturbed from feeding near the sea wall

Lepidoptera - butterflies
Small White
Red Admiral
Painted Lady one next to Spithead hide
Small Heath numerous still on the wing

Lepidoptera - moths Trap set in three locations
General observation: only two non-Noctuids - no Geometridae, for example. Surprising!
Orange Swift - Triodia sylvina single specimen; trapped at disabled car park
Agriphila tristella grass veneer micro-moth; small numbers
Flounced Rustic - Luperina testacea abundant
Large Wainscot - Rhizedra lutosa single specimen; trapped at farm yard edge
Common Rustic - Mesapamea sp. single specimen; trapped at farm yard edge
Lunar Underwing - Omphaloscelis lunosa quite numerous
Bright-line Brown-eye - Lacanobia oleracea single specimen; trapped next to cottage
L-album Wainscot - Mythimna l-album small numbers
Square-spot Rustic - Euxoa obelisca quite numerous
White-line Dart - Euxoa tritici small numbers
Large Yellow Underwing - Noctua pronuba small numbers
Setaceous Hebrew Character - Xestia c-nigrum small numbers

Dragonflies
Migrant Hawker Numerous
Common Darter Numerous

Mammals - bats detector only used near to cottage
Noctule
Brown Long-eared
Nathuis's only one pass
Common Pipistrelle most common of those recorded
Soprano Pipistrelle

Mammals - terrestrial
Brown Hare
Rabbit
Stoat short video of egg-rolling sent to you by Mary
Fox barking from near old school one night