On leaving the Learning Centre scores of House Martins were flying over head, being the most I have seen here this year. Hamish estimated five thousand Swallows (and House Martins?) passing over within an hour.
From the Wildlife Area the recording of a Grasshopper Warbler was being played by the Stour Valley Ringing (Birds!) Group. Hamish reported having seen all 9 Warblers bar the Reed Warblers so that gives us: Grasshopper; Sedge; Garden; Willow; Dartford; Marsh; Blackcap and Chiff Chaff I believe!
Helpfully sat displaying brown upper wings with orange fringe dots was a Female Common Blue. Something different caught my eye which I captured and identified as my first Clouded Yellow of this year. A pair of Wall Browns and half dozen Speckled Woods flew beside the Small Copse. Plenty of Meadow Browns along with a sprinkling of Gatekeepers flew in the sunshine upon the wares. An unidentified Darter Dragonfly vulnerably flew within the gully at risk of being eaten by a bird preparing for migration!
Within the gull from the scrub I could hear something pushing its way through grass. A mammal I hoped! I was delighted to see what was either a Stoat or Weasel. In fact it could be said as being both in that its dark tipped tail confirmed its being a Stoat also known as a Short Tailed Weasel. It actually approached me on the compressed open dry earth route and probably would have come closer than 4 metres if I had not been so foolish as to reach for my camera.
Around the rock outcrop I was able to “observe” Grasshopper conversations as an absence of tall vegetation enabled me to see these insects rubbing their legs against wing cases. Today I caught what I identified as a Stripped Winged Grasshopper. Also upon these rocks were remains of smashed snail shells indicating a Song Thrush having been here. Upon the rock outcrop were bird pellets. One contained fur, a rib and zigzag teeth indicating a Vole having been eaten by a Kestrel probably. Another pile contained seeds only.
Duke Banfield photographed a Jersey Tiger Moth on Small Leaved Lime, which might be better named a Zebra moth due to the colours.