A name and lots of work

Firstly the insect that was unidentified yesterday now has a name - Nemophora degeerella. This is a micro moth. Everyone was wondering how it managed to move around without falling over its antennae!!  A final check will be made but this looks like yet another new species for the reserve.

The volunteers worked very hard today at a variety of tasks. The main one being the completion of placing all the coloured marker posts along the woodland walk.  All posts throughout the reserve are now in their correct place!  A big thank you to everyone who helped with this task.

Richmond WI came for a guided walk around the reserve and thoroughly enoyed themselves.  Many visitors, several of whom had not visited Foxglove Covert before, were thrilled with what they had seen.

Whilst all this was going on the bird ringers had arrived at 04.15 to put up the mist nets to begin their ten and a half hours for CES 3.  155 birds were processed including some juvenile Robins, Greenfinches and Chaffinches - the first of the crop for the year.  This was the highest total of new birds and retraps ringed on day 3 since our CES began 19 years ago and is in stark contrast to day 1 this year which was almost our worst!  Thank you to everyone who helped in the ringing room today including our polished scribe!

Although the wind is still blowing and it is not exactly June-like weather there are plenty of flowers to be seen including the first of the roses in bloom.

The Northern Marsh Orchids (see photo below) are a beautiful splash of purple/pink around certain parts of the reserve.  The leaves of the Common Spotted Orchid are still protecting their flower buds.