Breeding is over, many birds have lost their breeding plumage and will soon be moving on. Some are already passing through.
It only seems recently that we were looking at a ruff in breeding plumage rather than this plainer garb.
There are now flocks of dunlin and the coot are collecting in larger numbers. Lapwing will soon be forming large flocks, to be joined by golden plover.
This lapwing was taken by Lockhart.
Dean blogged about the poplar hawk-moth last week - it is hard to find!
Butterflies are easier to see with all the common species around. In the Wildlife Garden the Verbena bonariensis (tall with purple flowers) is good for peacock, small tortoiseshell and comma.
Meadow brown and common blue can be seen anywhere
A wall brown butterfly as seen by Lockhart
On Sunday, the viper's bugloss, Echium vulgare (which we have planted in the garden), was visited by a hummingbird hawk-moth. A wonderful moth on a great wild flower which grows wild in the area but, although seed is available in garden forms, is seldom grown. Colourful and great for bees, butterflies and moths so why is it not in lots of gardens?