NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

The garden's fifth Dotted Chestnut appeared in the trap this morning, and photographs prove it was different to yesterday's. Previous to these two, the other records from my Banstead garden are: 08/05/1998 17/03/2000 06/05/2000 I hadn't realised that it was a full 18 years since my last record - either time is flying by or my brain is slowly turning to mush... Or both. Update from yesterday: a late afternoon wander around Canons Farm, in rather splendid warm hazy sunshine, provided my earliest ever Hobby, a bird that slowly drifted northwards whilst feeding on insects. Also two Swallows.

The first decent haul from the garden MV this year - not so much for numbers but for quality. Top billing went to the fourth garden record of Dotted Chestnut (above) although it was a flighty individual and escaped before I could get a decent photo. Also a garden record of four Oak Nycteoline (below), plus Red-green Carpet (common here now), Small Quaker, Common Quaker, Hebrew Character, Early Grey, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Drab (bottom), Diurnea fagella, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and Emmelina monodactyla.