Swift Half update - 26th June 2011

• A bit of a few days at "Swift Half".... in rocketing temperatures and blue skies.
• Moths caught in moff trap over the last few days - beautiful hook tip, buff arches, scalloped oak, coronet, yellow tail, the first of this year's buff ermines, old lady, light emerald, magpie, lunar yellow underwing, gothic and dunbar.
• Drinker moth caterpillar on privy door this afternoon.
• Hobby chased through garden at around 0800hrs this morning.
• Anna found a leopard moth on the back door mat the other day - badly injured in the heavy showers (seems like such a long time ago looking at the weather now)! Other than the shocking pink elephant hawk moths, this in my opinion is the second most spectacular moff in the UK. Unfortunately it was dying (it was in a shocking state) but we put it in a tumbler, as she seemed insistent on laying her eggs in her death throes. We'll glue the eggs to a suitable leaf when we get time.
• Scarlet tiger moths are regular in the garden also now as are big emperor dragonflies flying through.
• One emperor dragonfly though unfortunately met with Trouble (our black hen) this morning.
• I was buttering some toast and all hell broke loose in the garden it sounded like.
• I flung open the door and found the hens chasing each other round the garden, shouting at each other - the lead hen being Trouble with a great big emperor dragonfly in her beak.
• I therefore joined the chase and rescued said odonate - placing it in the buddleja to recover.
• Truth be told though  - Trouble's sharp beak had done a bit of damage to the wing muscles of the teneral male emperor (would have become an adult this morning, as he turned blue - an adult male emperor colours during the day) and he'll certainly die in the next few days I think. Shame.
• Woodmouse appears to be enjoying life in the coop- hoovering up spilled seed from between the hens legs without caring about the clucking hens!