Great afternoon

The good weather in the last few weeks has really got the insects moving and what a welcome relief that is from earlier in the year! Birds are also moving onto site, with lapwing numbers soaring, waders moving through and some late records of migrants and breeders. Here are this afternoon's sightings.... First migrants hawkers of 2013, coronet moth roosting on Phase 1, silver Y's feeding on Phase 1, best butterfly transect of 2013 including 108 individuals of 14 species - purple hairstreaks doing really well on the big ash tree above our modular board and gate at woodland entrance, kingfisher on Phase 1, 2 flocks of bullfinches and several small groups of goldfinch and linnet feeding on thistle heads on Phase 2, curlew on silt lagoon 7, 3 green sandpipers and 1 common sandpiper, greenshank on Phase 3, loads of snipe on Phase 2, small groups of yellow wagtails feeding on Phases 2 and 3, a group of large gulls including many pristine adult lesser black-backed gulls on Phase 3, a reed warbler singing on Phase 2 - a bird moving through, a tufted duck with a new brood of 2 young on Phase 2, 2 hobbies feeding over the public footpath and Phase 2, 300+ lapwing on Phase 1. Pretty good!