Clouded Yellow

Very light winds from all directions till lunch, then settled from the west. A warm sunny afternoon.

South Shore (MD)

A morning check on the rising tide.

Mediterranean gull 9+ - there was just one adult on the beach near the jetty, but at least 8 adult/3rd calendar year on Red Nab with the Black-Headed gulls.

Rock Pipit 7 - Red Nab was quiet today with just one, there were three together along the foreshore. 

Both the ringed male and the female were above the lighthouse nest site, but not going down to feed them, looked like they were trying to entice the young to come out of the nest. It was ideal conditions with almost no wind. The third "helper" bird had not got the message though and was still taking food to them. Anyway it confirms that this is the second brood this year for this pair.

This clip is the female, she was distracted by a small passing fly, it wasn't passing for long!

Middleton Nature Reserve mid afternoon (MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult still with 7, now quite large cygnets 

Little grebe 3 adult

Warblers singing 

Cetti's Warbler - just the "no swimming" pond male

Willow Warbler, 

Chiffchaff, 

Lesser Whitethroat 2 singing today, not heard them for a while

Common Whitethroat 

Reed Warbler 

Sedge Warbler 

Blackcap 

Stock Dove 2 flew east, later a single bird, probably one of the earlier two flew to water treatment works.

There weren't lots of butterflies, but a good variety of species.

Ringlet - by far the most common

Meadow Brown several

Gatekeeper - just one probable 

Speckled Wood just 1

Large Skipper several

Small Skipper 4

Red Admiral 1

White - probably green-veined 1

Clouded Yellow 1 female was flitting around to the west of Tim Butler pond. Unfortunately a pack of dogs passed by mid flitter and I lost sight of it. Possibly heading for the grassland to south of Tradebe.

Clouded Yellow

This shot with the sun shining through its wings shows the dark upper wing pattern

Moths

Narrow bordered Five-Spot Burnet - everywhere!

Silver Y, 3 - this one was feeding frantically 

Dragonflies 

Again a decent variety

Emperor 6

Male Emperor Dragonfly 

Black Tailed Skimmer 8

Broad Bodied Chaser 6

Four-Spotted Chaser 1 

Male Four-Spotted Chaser

Common Darter 2

All the regular Damselflies were active too including this Common Emerald Damselfly

Damselflies do not normally rest with their wings spread, but Common 
Emerald Damselflies are actually part of a subgroup called Spreadwings.
Their other name is Common Spreadwing

I think these are Cardinal Beetles, whatever they are they seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.