Biodiversifying at Grimley

I was at Grimley yesterday, hoping to time my visit with the annual spring wader influx that (sometimes) reaches this far up the Severn. A stunning summer plumage Dunlin was feeding along the northern shoreline, but as the day went on it was clear that the majority of wader passage was happening south of Worcester, with five Whimbrels at Ripple Pits and a pair of Wood Sandpiper at Clifton.

I diverted my attention to day flying moths, of which there should be swarms in this kind of weather. In reality though, a single Esperia sulphurella disturbed from dead wood, and a couple of Incurvaria masculella amongst the hedgerows, were the only things flying. Megatoma undulata - a scarce beetle on dead wood - was nice to see, and Dyseriocrania subpurpurella mines are starting to appear on fresh oak leaves.

 Esperia sulphurella

Megatoma undulata

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella