A change is as good as a rest

Things on the patch remain quiet despite the influx of rare herons elsewhere in the country! Highlights over the last couple of weeks have been few and far between with single Common Sand on the 10th hardly setting the world on fire, and todays WEBS count being depressingly mundane. Aside from the local Brown Hare population providing a distraction there has been little of note so I have been forced to do a bit of looking around elsewhere to brighten up the notebook. A visit to Abbots Wood in May will (these days) result in a sighting of Pearl-bordered Fritillary so I  wrenched myself away from the levels on the morning of the 16th and stretched my legs amongst the bluebells. Fortunately I soon connected with the target and any number thereafter and had a number of photo opportunities including the one above. Also around were numerous Brimstone, Peacock, and Large White, but has anyone else noted the paucity of Orange Tips this spring. I bumped into Neil Hulme later at Park Corner and he has also noticed the relative lack of this species though was unable to offer an explanation. Perhaps there is room for me to take up a study of this species as it is my favorite and the lack this year is putting a real downer on my spring!

Whilst at Park Corner later in the day I came across my first Large Red Damsel (pictured right) of the year sunning itself on a beech leaf. Also at Park Corner were 2 Adders, numerous Brimstone, though a complete absence of the afore-mentioned OT.
So to today and following the WEBS count I decided to pootle off east and have a mooch about at Rye. Nothing to write home about but a couple of immature Spoonbill and the cacophony of breeding terns and gulls, along with the avian bully that is the Avocet, made for a welcome change. Along with a couple of cuckoo and a few Barwit all very nice.
A final footnote is the continued poor moth catches - I was putting this down to an old bulb and light pollution but having scouted around a few websites and spoken to a few people it seems I am not alone. Lets hope things look up in the near future...