Despite the breeze there are plenty of insects on the wing. Bar far the greatest presence was that of the Marbled White butterfly, however, both Large Skipper and Small Skipper butterflies were doing well. A few Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns put in an appearance whilst from the distinctive under wing I identified a Grayling sat wings closed on a rock outcrop. Plenty of the colourful Six Spot Burnet moths were active, indeed two were observed mating sat abdomen to abdomen upon a blade of grass. A less active Sliver Y took cover amongst the grass. Within a web was the out grown skin or moult of a spider.
Whilst there were many Grasshoppers seen (and no doubt Bush Crickets heard) with confidence time allowed only a Common Field Grasshopper identified thanks to the vertical strip upon it body sides.
Interestingly a Kestrel effortlessly passed by overhead with prey of some sort in its talons. Perhaps it was transporting this to some maturing young on the nest now capable of tearing their food apart themselves. Both Pheasant and Woodpigeon kindly provided their familiar but reassuring calls. About the car park a pair of Magpies hopped whilst the inevitable Robins were present in the scrub. One of a pair of Carrion Crows looked rather thin and possessed white feathers within its wings perhaps suggesting its being a juvenile. At least pair of Whitethroats called to each other in the scrub whilst neighbouring Chiff Chaff got on with business of catching a butterfly.
Of course with all these insects we must have flowers. Even the everyday Bramble or Blackberry flowers play host to hoverflies and bees in the sun. Flower spikes of Agrimony have mainly going to seed but Eye Bright, Pyramidal Orchid, Scabious, Century, Yarrow, Self Heal and Toadflax are amongst those in flower. Whilst the Yellow Vetchling possessed the most pea-like leaves it was the Horseshoe Vetch which displayed definite seed pods. In the sky a three quarter moon was to the west whilst at sea I saw two Cormorants and had the presence of Greater Black Backed and Herring Gulls.