Migrant search

An early evening wander to see if there were any passerines settling down for a migration rest. Hoped for redstart, wheatear and whinchat didn't materialise but 2 yellow wagtails in a flock of at least 52 pied wgatails was a pleasing find. As usual, they were feeding around livestock's hooves. Also, as I returned a juvenile yellowhammer popped up, as shown here. Photos 1 and 2 yellow, photo 3 pied wagtail and lastly yellowhammer
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Coldest night for August

Can't have been more than 4C last night so I was in no hurry to visit the trap. However, after sifting through the few regulars, square spot rustic, setaceous hebrew character, silver y and yellow underwings I discovered an new moth for me. I suspect a Webb's Wainscot, an uncommon moth for Hertfordshire. Photos here, which have been forwarded to the county recorder for verification. Up to 2006 17 records for this moth that requires reedmace as its larval foodplant. First found in Herts in Bishop's Stortford in 1994.
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Herts bird trip

A trip around Herts hotspots today, beginning in good sunshine at Amwell and then Kings Mead, Broxbourne Woods and ending in horizontal stair rods at Tyttenhanger gravel pits. Good birds at each stop. At Amwell I came across a female/1st year redstart which I excitedly reported to the text service for good birds only to be informed it had been present since Sunday! 3 photos here, the first showing the elder bush it favours. A few teal, 100's of canada geese and coots + several lesser black backed gulls, lapwings and great crested grebes. 2 common sandpipers flew through, the only waders. At Kings Mead, under the A10 flyover, stock dove, sand and house martin and reed bunting were added to the list before a quick trip to Broxbourne Woods near Brickendon. Very little before 4 crossbills flew overhead, calling continuously. Excellent. This was, as is the redstart, new for my year list. Glowering skies greeted my arrival at Tyttenhanger where a quick scan of some 500 black headed gulls gave views of a single mediterranean gull; a juvenile. Another, perhaps the same, was seen from the hide before heavy rainfall meant a soaking as I wandered, head down to the car in shorts and sunglasses! A visit to Rye Meads RSPB was postponed due to inclement weather. A juvenile goldfinch posed near the carpark before the rain (4.) At Kings Mead both a common darter (5) and a ruddy darter (6) were recorded along with a brown hawker and migrant hawker. An emperor had beeen observed at Amwell. A juvenile 1 day old coot (7) seen at Tyttenhanger. In all 52 species including oystercatcher, common tern,little ringed plover (juv) at Tyttenhanger. I missed the fly through greenshank at the main pit, reported
on the Herts bird site found at http://www.hnhs.org/birds/
I arrived home to be presented with a dead female oak eggar, passed on by a local villager, found in their light fitting. Not a common moth for this area, last photo, taken on my phone, giving an idea of its large size. The only other moth seen was a shaded broad bar at King's Mead (9.) A few butterflies were seen, small tortoiseshell, large white, speckled wood, peacock and a single red admiral. All in all a pleasant day.
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Another good number of moths

An 86 moth haul including 2nd generation emergence of swallowtail and light emerald (photo 1.) Usual suspects were all present: 22 setaceous hebrew character, 8 brimstone, 7 silver y and 5 green carpet. A flounced rustic (2) was also present and only the 2nd straw dot of the late summer (photo 3)
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Red kites

Just missed some great kite photos as 2 soared low overhead, but no camera as I drove down Chapel Lane in the village. Got camera and shot back: these were the best + a yellow barred brindle on a fence post.
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Good collection

86 macros in the trap this morning with 23 setaceous hebrew character (photo 1,) 9 square spot rustics, 8 flame shoulder, 7 green carpet and 6 brimstone. However, a September thorn (2 and 3) was a new moth for the records whilst a grey pine carpet was new for 2012. Also, a common wainscot (4) which have been in very low numbers this year. A light brown apple moth was a new micro. This moth first appeared in the UK, Cornwall in 1936, coming from Australia. Finally, a hungry jackdaw on adjacent aerials.
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Bank holiday round up

Very quiet at the moth trap, probably for a variety of reasons. Firstly, temperature has dropped at night, secondly, I have been attending to it later than usual, after 7 a.m. And lastly, my companion the juvenile robin is still present. Now moulting into adult plumage it is still adept at taking moths from the sheet and in flight after release. Last photo shows the demise of an angleshades moth. No really noteworthy moths, a lesser swallow prominent shown here (photo 1 and 2) and a couple of angleshades and finally a broad bordered yellow underwing.
2 walks, yesterday around Hadham Hall gave views of the resident barn owl but little else. Brown hawker, migrant hawker and ruddy darter dragonflies were on the wing as well as red admirals, whites and a solitary comma.
In overcast/damp conditions I set off this morning for a westerly walk. Highlight were 3 nuthatches and a small party of linnets. A flock oflesser black backed gulls were loafing around, irritating corvids. One shown on a telegraph pole and then in flight. A poppy, newly opened, was worthy of a photo.
In the garden, records of coal tit, overhead buzzard and hobby were the best of a reasonable list that also included chiffchaff and willow warbler.
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Soggy trap

A visit to the trap last night alerted me to proceed with caution when emptying it later: 3 hornets were present! A selection of regular moths were caught including 10 setaceous hebrew characters, 5 brimstone and 6 large yellow underwings. However, a 1st square spot clay for the year (photo 1.) A green lacewing Chrysopa pallens was also noted, identified by the black spots between the antennae (2)
A clay (3) was only the 5th year record and an immaculate female orange swift (4) were both worthy of a photo.
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Selection of moths

A warmer night meant I was hopeful of a good haul, but, apart from the large Old Lady (photo 1) most remained as usual. A yellowshell (2) and plenty of setaceous hebrew character (3) were around the trap whilst a turnip moth (4) was only the 3rd record of the year.
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Amwell visit

A few hours at Amwell NR this afternoon to see if there were any signs of vis mig. 3 common sandpipers were present, all newly arrived and the first wigeon of the Autumn was also recorded. A spotted flycatcher, garden warbler, willow warbler and several common terns were also noteworthy.
A trip around the dragonfly trail gave views of common darter (photos 1 and 2) migrant hawker. Brown hawker and common blue damselfly (3.) A solitary comma (4), several large and small whites and red admirals were the only butterflies. An unusal bee caught my attention, nectaring on teasel, a Psithyrus sylvestris, I think!
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Quiet night, again

Moths were few and far between last night, so I searched local buddleia by torchlight. Not too much success, an angle shades (photo 1) and several brimstone found. This morning a couple of silver y, a black arches (2), a flounced rustic (3) and orange swift (4) whilst brimstone and riband wave boosted the numbers. At least 8 of the former
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