Wednesday 21st May

I am off to Bristol for a few days with work but managed to fit in an hour and a half visit around lunchtime today.

Best sighting was 2 (probably 3) Hobby (94 for year) hawking over the Millstream path/Millstream Lake - a new one for the year for me. Other birds of note were a single Cuckoo, 2 displaying Sparrowhawk, several Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and a single Nightingale. A few Swift, Sand Martin and House Martin were also around.

Butterflies were thin on the ground. A Grizzled Skipper was in the far corner of the East Scrub by the railway line, a probable Small Copper, 1 Speckled Wood and a Small White were about it.

A dark (newly emerged?) Broad-bodied Chaser was in the West Scrub, a single Large Red Damsel, 2 Hairy Dragons, 1 Banded Demoiselle and hundred of 'blue' damsels of various species. Some Common Spotted Orchid are also emerging in the West and East Scrub.