Waders, Moths, Fritillaries, and Bees!

The day started with six calidrid-like waders flying east over the house. On size I’d go for Knot, but very frustrating!

With the children, I then examined a huge haul of moths that had been trapped over a stick night. Lots of Hawk-moths (including our first ever Small Elephant.)

Elephant Hawk-moth
Privet Hawk-moth
Poplar Hawk-moth
Buff-tip
Dot Moth
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Common Emerald
Clouded Silver
Small Magpie
Small Elephant Hawk-moth
Common Footman
Large Yellow Underwing
Burnished Brass
Buff Ermine
Riband Wave
The Snout
Willow Beauty
Buff Arches
Mottled Pug
The Flame
Garden Dart
Heart and Dart
Heart and Club
Double Square-spot
Bright-line Brown-eye
Varied Coronet
The Uncertain
The Rustic
Short-cloaked Moth
Endotricha flammealis
Udea lutealis
Acleris forsskaleana
Single-dotted Wave
The Spectacle
Light Arches
Brown Rustic

At midday we went to Hexton Chalk Pits to try for Dark Green Fritillary, a new Hertfordshire butterfly for me. We found two! Before a decent drink in the Raven, we also managed to find:

Red Kite
Buzzard
Marbled White
Meadow Brown
Essex Skipper
Six-spot Burnet
Pyramidal Orchid
Common Spotted Orchid
Common Twayblade

Just as we were leaving, Sam spotted this odd rose…

A bit of research revealed that it is actually a Dog Rose (or maybe Field Rose) with a hormonal imbalance due to the actions of a gall wasp.

The football in the afternoon (world cup semi-final Germany v Argentina) was interrupted by a huge swarm of Honey Bees numbering several thousand. Tom also found what he was sure was Large Skipper in the garden.