Paul's Blog - All comments and views are my own,

Being so busy packing means having to fit in any natural history when I can, today I popped along for an early visit to Slimbridge WWT. Five Green Sandpipers on the Rushy are a sure sign that in the natural world the year is moving on as these birds will be returning south from the breeding grounds in the Artic, sadly because I forget the adaptor to use my phone on the telescope no decent pictures trying to hold the phone steady didn't really work for these birds. At the Robbie Garnett hide a Little Egret was a better target so despite no adaptor and therefore too much light getting into the phone a half decent result. Little Egret There were plenty of Orchids in flower with this  Common Spotted Orchid being just one of the species on show

Four Ravens over the garden again this morning, then an adult HOBBY through the garden this evening.

Been quite busy with other stuff today so just a quick update from the garden. Even though the garden flowers are "going over" there are still some nectar and pollen rich flowers to be found by any intrepid insect, here's a selection. Mullein moth caterpillar shedding its old (on the left)skin   This beetle is  remarkable look at those thighs!! its called ???noblis   This is a Brown Carder Bee   This a "fly" doing its best to look like a bumble bee, but since all my books are packed away I am unable to give it a name Something different these fossils were found in the gravel delivered by "Huntsmans" quarries the three on the left are a type of gastropod, while the other two are a type of Belemite?

Last night (15th) I set the moth trap in the garden, the first time this year! After a nice warm day and the first evening when it had been warm enough to sit outside until 10pm it seemed like I would have a decent capture. Well there were not loads, but the variety was great, The highlights were four species of "hawkmoth" this family are perhaps the largest moths we have in the UK and they are spectacular. The usual plain looking moths can themselves be quite smart when viewed closely, The species I caught last night were: Scorched wing: Spectacle: Flame: Heart and Dart: Small Elephant Hawk moth: Elephant Hawk moth: Eyed Hawk moth: Striped Hawk moth: Peppered: Magpie: Common Wainscot: Buff Ermine: White Ermine: Hebrew character: Buff Tip: Grey Arches: Bright Line Brown eye: Some fantastic names don't you think. Here are some photographs, apologies for the quality the flash on my phone camera kept coming on it was quite glum at 5am!!! Buff Tip Moth, look