June 2022 — Just A Bird

June was mainly focused on getting back into insects again, with the warm weekend of 16th and 17th being excellent in the moth trap. I had a minimum of 137 different species over the two nights which is a very high total for so early in the season. This was due to unseasonally high temperatures in nearby France with a southerly breeze bringing the warm air to Guernsey. The highlight of the first night was the Dingy Shell which I only noticed afterwards perched on the vine leaves, the first record in the garden and only my second ever. The second night was even better because, as well as a nice selection of scarce species, I had a cracker of a first for Guernsey - a Scarce Silver-lines, and unmistakable, bright green species.

I didn’t manage many long nature forays but I found a few new species here and there. Armed with my new caterpillar ID guide, I eventually managed to ID a few larvae, including this unusual Chinese Character on a Blackthorn leaf at Pleinmont. Most of the critters I collected have not yet been identified but I did twitch a rare plant at L’Ancresse - Viper’s-grass. Rather than an actual grass, this is a clump of a yellow flower with long narrow leaves which grows on just one spot in Guernsey, and is exceptionally rare in the UK apparently.

Chinese Character larva - Pleinmont, 4 Jun 22

The most exciting bird encounter was watching a couple of newly-fledged Peregrines taking one of their first flights. (I won’t say the location for obvious reasons). They were screaming and squealing so loud with one of their parents looking on. They sometimes flew past me so close and fast, often just a couple of feet off the ground. Superb stuff.

Just A Bird

Just A Bird

Mark Lawlor's Nature Blog

Just A Bird

Just A Bird