Those keen on the beautiful game will have possibly already made the tenuous links between the title of this posting and the continuing increase in the number of Essex skipper in Gwent. At Llandegfedd Reservoir on Sunday the butterfly community was populated by small, large and Essex skippers, a dark green fritillary feeding on meadow black knapweed was a surprise and just two marbled white seemed rather low for a species now very widespread. Other lepidoptera included, peacock, gatekeeper, small white, common blue, meadow brown, ringlet and small tortoiseshell.
July and August are peak months for orthoptera. Roesel's bush cricket was in electrical song at around the Usk inlet, dark bush cricket was also noted. The attractive yet common hoverfly Chrysotoxum bicinstum was present in the species rich meadows that now encircle the northern end of the reservoir.
There was no evidence of any significant bird movement. Chiffchaff and at least three reed warbler were still in song and a great created grebe was sitting on a late brood. However, gull numbers were building with two great black backed gull among a gathering of around 50 birds.
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