Tuesday 28 June 2011

new moths 28.06.11









new moths from the trap over the last few days. Still several that are potted and in the fridge awaiting id. From the top:
  • beautiful hooktip
  • brown tail
  • buff arches
  • dot moth
  • dun bar
  • elephant hawkmoth
  • elephant hawkmoth
  • scalloped oak
  • yellowtail.
  • Also, a swallowtail moth was noted at the trap last night, but didn't remain overnight. Also, 2 eyed hawkmoths, 1 brimstone, plenty of heart and dart and heart and club,

Little Hadham walk 26.06.11


8 of us set out in good conditions for a wander to Standon, returning via Bromley and Ash Valley Golf Course. Being June the birds were in short supply, with singing whitethroat, grey heron and skylarks being the best of a poor assortment. However, insects more than made up for the dirth in birds. Marbled white, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, ringlet, small and large white, small and large skipper, gatekeeper and meadow brown were all recorded along with cantharbis rustica, oedemera nobilis and strangalia maculata. Photos show marbled white and a well lit small tortoiseshell.

Thursday 23 June 2011

More moths: 23.06.11

A load of moths in the trap this morning, with these 3 being new for the year.  barred straw (1) small emerald (photo 2) and large yellow underwing (3)


Also of note, a beautiful hooktip, several dark arches, 2 bright line brown eyes and numerous heart and dart along with 1 brimstone. From yesterday: firstly a bright line brown eyes, followed by a brown rustic

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Dungeness and Kent tour 21.06.11









A whole day birding around Kent and West Sussex. A super day which began with picking up Gary and Dave at 3.30a.m. and then Graeme at 3.40. A stop on the M20 for double expresso was eventful only for the fact that a.) a dunnock was singing and b.) Graeme realised he had come without his binoculars!
We arrived at the sea watch hide  at Dunge by 5.30 and soon realised there was nothing about. A putative glaucous gull was seen briefly at The Patch along with black headed, common, lesser black backed and herring gulls. Several common and sandwich terns were observed and a small passage of gannets headed down channel. Off to the trapping area and the desert: nothing!! A robin, reed warbler and sedge warbler were recorded at the Long Pits along with a coot. So far not really worth the petrol so off to the Fishing Boats. Here several wheatear were seen in an assortment of plumages and finally the first year glaucous gull was photographed.
We then headed to the RSPB reserve and arriving before opening time did the walk around anti clockwise. A booming bittern was heard but no sign of either the great white egret or squacco heron. Marsh harrier and hobby, along with numerous whitethroats and a few ringed plovers were highlights beofre a trip over the road to the ARC pit. Better fare here, with a female goosander, redshank, summer plumaged dunlin, another hobby and tree sparrow at Boulder wall farm.
We now headed off to Rye Harbour where, en route a superb summer plumaged med gull was seen from the car at Camber Sands car park. The gullery and ternery were full with common and sandwich tern, med and black headed gull as well as oystercatchers. A pint and some chips for Dave before a run across county to Cliffe. Here, we were immediately into birds with a fly over little gull, a cuckoo and kestrel feeding on a slow worm. The temperature had risen and the light improved so a few butterflies were witnessed (red admiral, comma, peacock) Late birds to the list were goldfinch with a flyover green woodpecker, pheasant and common buzzard being recorded from the car. A return time to Green Tye of gone 8.30pm meant it had been a long day, but superb to be out and about.
List in full:
little grebe, great crested grebe, gannet, cormorant, bittern (heard), little egret, grey heron, mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose (10sp) shelduck, mallard, gadwall, pochard, tufted duck, goosander, marsh harrier, common buzzard, kestrel, hobby (20sp) pheasant, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, little ringed plover, ringed plover, lapwing, dunlin, redshank (30sp) snipe, black headed gull, common gull, mediterranean gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, great black backed gull, little gull, glaucous gull, little tern (40sp) sandwich tern, common tern, wood pigeon, stock dove, collared dove, cuckoo, swift, green woodpecker, skylark, sand martin (50sp) swallow, house martin, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, wheatear, stonechat, song thrush (60sp) blackbird, blackcap, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, sedge warbler, cettis warbler, reed warbler, chiffchaff, great tit, blue tit (70sp) magpie, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, tree sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch (80sp) reed bunting,
81 species in all is pleasing, especially for June.
Photos from the top show
1,2,3 and 4 glaucous gull
5. black headed gull
6. view at Rye Harbour
7. kestrel
8. wheatear

Sunday 19 June 2011

2 new moths


2 new moths in the trap this morning, firstly a clouded brindle and secondly a dark arches. A little bird watching in the garden produced 3 swifts over the chapel accompanied by a solitary swallow. Usual starlings, wood pigeons, collared doves, goldfinches, chaffinches and great, blue and coal tits. Obviously a newly fledged family of great tits knocking about in the cherry tree. Single lesser black backed gull over and a kestrel hunting over Brick Kiln Hill.
Also noteworthy was a hummingbird hawkmoth, seen nectaring at the hanging baskets outside the Nag's Head at lunchtime.

Monday 13 June 2011

weekend moths






A few new moths came to the trap over the last 4 days. Unfortunately, the heavy rain on Friday night meant the bulb broke. A new one os on order, so a few days without a trap. From the top:
  • beautiful golden y
  • burnished brass
  • burnished brass
  • common footman
  • lychnis
  • lime hawk moth
  • lime hawk moth.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

new moths this morning


3 new species in the trap this morning: blood vein (got away before a photo) plus eyed hawkmoth and poplar hawkmoth, both shown above. The poplar being the first photo. Also: plenty of heart and dart and nutmegs + 2 minor sp, a willow beauty, a double square spot, a privet hawkmoth and a green silver lines

Sunday 5 June 2011

Hadham Hall ponds and lagoon: 5.6.11







An afternoon wander to check out the ponds for dragon and damselflies. Overcast conditions were not conducive to finding too many specimens, and so it proved. However, added bonuses came in the shape of a turtle dove and a male yellow wagtail. The former was seen behind Hadham Hall before flying off towards St Cecilia's church whereas the wagtail was feeding at the water's edge of the main lagoon. Also seen around here were several linnets, 1 male reed bunting and 2 pied wagtails. On the water were 7 tufted duck; the largest number I have seen here.
An immature black tailed skimmer and 6 common blue damselfies were recorded and photographed as well as a common blue butterfly. Other butterflies were in the form of meadow brown, large and small skipper, small white and 1 comma.
Photos, from the top:
  1. riband wave
  2. cinnabar
  3. ingrailed clay
  4. black tailed skimmer (immature)
  5. common blue damselfly
  6. common blue butterfly
  7. coot family

Saturday 4 June 2011

moth trap































I have recently bought a skinner moth trap and am now beginning to work out a few of the moths that come to the light every evening. A fascinating look into the nocturnal world of my garden.
from the top:
  • beautiful hooktip
  • brimstone
  • brown rustic
  • buff ermine
  • buff tip
  • clouded silver
  • common carpet
  • common white wave
  • common swift
  • flame shoulder
  • green silver lines
  • heart and dart
  • large nutmeg
  • light emerald
  • pale tussock
  • peppered moth
  • pine hawkmoth
  • privet hawk moth
  • scorched wing
  • setaceous hebrew character
  • silver ground carpet
  • small fan foot
  • spectacle
  • nutmeg
  • the fan foot
  • the flame
  • udea olivalis
  • vines rustic
  • white ermine
  • willow beauty.
Still about 20 species as yet, unidentified. Think the above are correct, but if anyobne knows that I have made a mistake, please let me know.

This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander