The moth trapping activities have continued despite the wet end to June and early July, with over 75 species trapped over three nights in the last week at Tophill Low Nature Reserve, East Yorkshire.
Despite the species diversity, the main feature of the season so far has been low numbers, and despite warmer overnight temperatures, this has continued to be the case.
Buff Tip Phalera bucephala
The recording of Odonata has also continued to be a struggle, but sunny spells last weekend turned up a count of 600+ Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum, the first Emerald Damselflies Lestes sponsa, and low numbers of Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans, Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata and Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum.
Emerald Damselfly L. sponsa
Black-tailed Skimmer O. cancellatum
The best birds of last weekend’s visits all came late on Sunday afternoon when a 3rd summer Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis put in a brief appearance on D reservoir wall along with a couple of Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos and a male Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus moved east across the top end of the site.
esticadinhonature.wordpress.com 