Of Birds, Bats, Moths and things that Glow in the night...

Yesterday was a very long day for various reasons but it was the late evening session that made the day with a relaxed Late Night Opening merging seamlessly into a cracking Moth Night with added value Bats and no less than 14 attention seeking female Glowworms. 

The Barn Owls got proceedings off to a great start with three following each other around Aveley Marsh with enough light to enjoy them.

Steve Young..

One of the male Marsh Harriers showed very well indeed... Neil Hughes

The Bearded Tits had been showing well one else again all day and Mike Gibbons two shots were two of my favourites amongst get many...

They like the freshly filled oyster grit tray...

They are so cute... both youngsters... the male with the yellow bill

Caroline and Carole ran a busy cafe while Batty Caroline took people out for a walk down to the woodland where they saw and heard both Common and Soprano Pipistrelle and Noctule Bats while Pat Hart found the first of the 14 Glowworms. 

All a glow...

Vicki, Jim, Phil and Max kept and eye on the three moth traps around the centre and gave a great commentary on what we were attracting including leaf-like Drinkers, Yellow Underwings, Swallowtails, Mother of Pearl's, various pretty little micros and a big fluffy female Oak Eggar that took a liking to Max's face... which is strangely enough not at all unusual!!

More Pipistrelle bats hunted around our heads drawn into the circling flies and moths around the bright trap lights. 

However, one moth stole the show and not because it is actually quite scarce but because this male Gypsy Moth had the most astonishing antennae of anything we caught and the most animal like furry face of any invertebrate any of us have ever seen...

These two by me...

And this beauty by Neil Phillips...

We eventually left a little after midnight after a great evening made all the better by the enthusiasm of volunteers, staff and and above all, you guys,  the visitors.

PS... and not forgetting the lovely Indian family who had a celebratory picnic downstairs having stumbled across us after walking over the bridge from Purfleet.  I explained that Late Nights were not the norm but they loved it so much that they shared the remainder of their cake with everyone! Love this place...