The Lyons Share

As I opened the car door at Graffham Common yesterday a beetle came flying straight into it. It was the nationally scarce Melandrya caraboides, the third time I have seen it on as many Trust reserves. It was well behaved enough for some photos too. There were also at least four singing Spotted Flycatchers on and adjacent to the Trust's land, a bird I have not seen in such densities when behaving territorially, perhaps ever. Also present was a singing Firecrest. I also saw Tanyptera atrata and Ampedus sanguinolentus.

A few days earlier, Bruce Middleton had spotted the scarce moss Dicranum spurium and had marked it out. Jane showed me the spot. This scarce moss is a new one on me and is very distinctive, especially when dry. I took a shot of it and then added some of my precious water supply to see what it looked like when it's not shrivelled up, there is perhaps 30 seconds between these two photos. I ended the day on 3322.