August

August has been a an odd month with the hot weather, though very nice, didn't help with the wildlife as things seemed to edge off with lesser numbers of everything.  Though we had one or two highlights with the moths with twelve species being the first time I've caught them this year and if accepted one new species for the garden.  

Catching my 4th & 5th Portland Ribbon Wave as a nationally rare species was very nice to find in the trap. Another moth which was a little unusual for me was a Rosy Wave being only my sixth record here and for colour I caught several more Jersey Tiger. Also one or two moths which are considered as migrants Rusty Dot Pearl, Diamond-back Moth,  Rush Veneer, Vestal and White Point.

Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria © Nick Hull

Rosy Wave Scopula emutaria © Nick Hull

The new species for the garden moth trap was Scrobipalpa ocellatella I have to say it isn't much of a looker and it is pretty small being a micro.

Beet Moth Scrobipalpa ocellatella © Nick Hull

One other moth that was recorded this time in the garden was our first Hummingbird Hawk-moth which we haven't recorded for a couple of years.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth - Front Garden © Nick Hull

As for butterflies we recorded 14 species during August and the highlight was our first Clouded Yellow for the year in the 16th on the home patch in the scrub patch at Turlin Moor.

Clouded Yellow - Turlin Moor © Nick Hull

As for the Odonata I recorded just six species in August but one of them was a lifer Willow Emerald a damselfly which has been exclusively a south eastern species in the UK but over recent years has started to move and expand its range.  They have been breeding on Hengistbury Head for a few years and last year one was found on Grove Pond at Upton Country Park and was seen again there this year. But Jackie and I had taken the grand kids to Blashford Lakes for a walk and I had been told that Willow Emerald had been seen there this year.  So as we walked the path that took us past the South Ivy hide we came to a slight open area where the sun was warm and there were a few Common Darter, a Migrant Hawker zooming around and one or two Blue-tailed Damselfly. 

Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis © Nick Hull

After taking a look at everything that moved I eventually found a Willow Emerald which allowed me to take a few shots and allowed the kids to get good close views. To finish our visit a Golden-ringed Dragonfly flew around us before heading off again which Jackie enjoyed as its her favourite and her first this year.

Willow Emerald Chalcolestes viridis © Nick Hull

As for the birding, well August was an awful month for us we only added a single species in August with Wood Sandpiper at Lodmoor, in fact there were two present when we visited, both too far away for a good photograph. 

Wood Sandpiper & Lapwing - Lodmoor © Nick Hull

Otherwise we did have a couple of good days out, one with friends Neil and Michell who live up in Lancashire who we haven't seen for a few years, we had a great day out  catching up and doing a little birding.  Neil had a short list of birds he wanted to see and by the end of the day we had seen all but one.  Woodlark decided to be off the menu but we managed two, maybe three Osprey and we had pretty good views of the male White-tailed Eagle which flew out of the Wareham Channel carrying a good size fish and headed off towards Arne.

Male White-tailed Eagle - Hydes Heath © Nick Hull

Next day Jackie and I with friends went out on a Birdboat with Birds of Poole Harbour heading up the Wareham Channel then back to the Poole quay via Brownsea Lagoon.  As always it was a good trip, we saw 34 species in all the highlight were four Osprey and the male White-tailed Eagle.  The Eagle made an amazing effort crossing from Holton where it was sat in a tree, to Ridge in a powered flight to harass an Osprey for its catch.  The Osprey dropped the fish but the eagle didn't seem to be able to find it so all the effort seemed a bit of a waste of energy.  

Distant hunting Osprey Wareham Channel © Nick Hull

Male White-tailed Eagle powering to catchup with the Osprey © Nick Hull

We had a pair of Sparrowhawk which flew close by to the boat in fact one soared over us for a short time giving excellent views.

Sparrowhawk (No1) Wareham Channel © Nick Hull

Sparrowhawk (No2) Wareham Channel © Nick Hull

As always at this time of year there is always a few terns in the harbour whether they are from the Brownsea breeding colony or migrants passing through they are usually recorded from the boat trip and we saw both Common and Sandwich Tern. The highlight though was when we left Brownsea Lagoon heading for the quay I picked up two Little Tern flying off of the lagoon and they came right past the boat. Little tern though recorded most years in or around Brownsea are very hard to connect with as they never seem to stay for long, so it was probably my best birds of the trip, plus I picked them up first.

Little Tern - Poole Harbour © Nick Hull

Well that sums up August, so I will sign off now with a shot of an Osprey with Corfe Castle in the background.  Roll on September let's hope the weather doesn't stay as wet as it's started and brings a few good birds in for us to enjoy.

Distant Osprey with Corfe Castle in the distance © Nick Hull