New moth for garden. Species total 255.

After what promised to be a really good moth night, I was a little disappointed to find only several moths trapped. However, an early thorn was a new for year record and a mint example of a streamer made the early start worthwhile. An immaculate specimen still showing the violet hue that rapidly fades after emergence. This is the first record of this moth in the garden.

early thorn (Selenia dentaria)

Streamer (Anticlea derivata)

Streamer.

New moth for the year

A better evening's trapping last night with 2 small quakers, 2 clouded drabs, an early grey, 2 hebrew character and 2 heralds. The latter, shown below, is a new species for this year and also my first spring records of this moth.


herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix)

King's Mead Visit

I had to pop over to Hertford to pick up a payment, so whilst I waited I spent nearly an hour wandering around King's Mead: see here
Usual suspects in the shape of gadwall, mallard, coot, little grebe and moorhen with several tufties, a solitary male pochard and a fly in little egret. A check of the gulls showed they all to be black headed or lesser black backed. However, plenty of sedge warblers, few blackcaps and my 1st whitethroat of the year. Yr lister 157.
In all, a pleasant 45 minutes, but no grasshopper warbler that had been reported.

pair of gadwall

1st whitethroat of 2013

whitethroat in fine voice

flyby grey heron

grey heron

Remains quiet mothing

Just regulars thismorning. A few common and small quakers and a single hebrew character. On the micro front a Diurnea fagella and Agonopterix alstromeriana were the only representatives in the trap.
Forecast for the week looks like mothing may improve, with warmer night time temperatures.

Diurnea fagella

Agonopterix alstromeriana

Moth update

A few micro moths over the weekend, Emmelina monodactyla mostly plus an early grey. Very cold night meaning that moths are not on the wing.
Unusual angle of the early grey below, plus the micro plume moth Emmelina monodactyla and more orthodox view of an early grey.

Century scored

A full day in Norfolk, leaving 4.30 a.m. and returning at dusk gave views of precisely 100 bird species. Nothing outstandingly rare, but some good birds mixed in with the regulars along with one or two birds found in strange surroundings or odd time of year. In all, 12 year listers.
First stop was Hunstanton clifftop car park where, in the morning light goldfinches, siskins, lesser redpolls etc were moving west in large numbers. Good numbers of meadow pipits, too. A few sanderling, oystercatchers and sandwich terns were also recorded as we scanned the sea and sand.
On to Choseley barns were we scored with singing corn buntings, numerous pheasants and red legged partridge. Also, grey partridge pairs were viewed in several fields before we landed at Titchwell. With showers promised we thought we'd check the sea first and use the hides if it rained. Upon arrival brambling and other finches were noted on the feeders and a water rail adjacent to the path.

Choseley Barn corn bunting

goldfinch

obliging blackbird

brambling at Titchwell

skulking water rail, Titchwell.
 

We arrived at the sea, Gary, Dave and myself and quickly noted very little. A solitary great crested grebe, some distant wigeon and common scoter moving west and some in off curlews and godwits. Back in the hides, usual suspects were noted along with little ringed plover, white wagtail and grey plover. Along the path, a harrier, but this time not a marshie, a male hen. Good bird. This was followed by brief views of a whinchat which refused to emerge from its bush. The wind was strong and most birds were keeping a low profile. A few reed buntings were braving the gusts to sing from their song bushes.
After the boys finished their lunch (8.30a.m.) we popped into Holkham and Lady Anne's Drive but not too much to add and we didn't get to the lake, so no Egyptian goose. We stopped off at Wells Harbour, but the tide was in so all we got were 3 sticks of rock. A good sugar hit! Dave waxed lyrical about their various merits. Gary and I were unable to speak due to our teeth being glued together with rhubarb and custard flavour!
Off to Warham Greens where no migrants apart from a willow warbler were noted. The wind being southerly was spoiling our plans of newly arrived summer stuff, but never mind, on to Cley for more coffee.

little egret

male ruff

Titchwell ruff

summer plumaged spotted redshank

black tailed godwit

At Cley a few things were about, so we went in search of the (ex) long staying purple sandpiper. Gone. A walk in stiff breeze to the Swarovski hide gave views of skylark, meadow pipits, wheatear and not a lot else apart from 100's of brent geese in off. Weather was messing up their migratory flights. Then off along East Bank where a surprise awaited in the form of a female goosander on Arnold's Marsh. Not too much else so off to Salthouse beach where a troublesome pipit was relocated after an initial sighting. A rock pipit in a small puddle! Good bird. A count now revealed we were in the mid 90's species wise and the hunt was on. A grey heron made it 99 and so off to West Runton for hoped for fulmars. Nothing! A search through flocks of wood pigeons and starlings for ring ouzel and stock dove. Nothing. Off to Sheringham clifftops for more of the same. Nothing! Off to The Lobster for a pint and chips for the boys. Tick. Off to the Wyndham Arms for another pint. Tick. By this time the early start was beginning to tell so we set off for home. Near Fakenham a large bird of prey overhead. A red kite. The century bird. Great result and then home, stopping for a double espresso at The Swan, Hilborough. Dave too full of chips and rock to get out of the car. Home by last light, with a possible, but not counted hobby rapidly over the road a few miles from the village. Off to check on this at the weekend.
A super day out and a great bird list. Plenty we could have added had we searched new sites, as we did at Kelling Heat, but no warblers.

Complete Species list

 

great crested grebe, cormorant, little egret, grey heron, mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose, brent goose, shelduck, mallard, (10 sp) gadwall, shoveler, wigeon, teal, pochard, tufted duck, common scoter, goosander, red kite, marsh harrier, (20 sp) hen harrier, common buzzard, kestrel, red legged partridge, grey partridge, pheasant, water rail, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher (30 sp) avocet, little ringed plover, ringed plover, grey plover, golden plover, lapwing, sanderling, turnstone, dunlin, redshank, (40sp) spotted redshank, black tailed godwit, bar tailed godwit, curlew, ruff, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull (50 sp) kittiwake, sandwich tern, wood pigeon, collared dove, barn owl, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, sand martin, swallow,( 60 sp) house martin, rock pipit, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, white wagtail, yellow wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, wheatear,( 70 sp) whinchat song thrush, redwing, blackbird, sedge warbler, reed warbler, cettis warbler, willow warbler, chiffchaff, great tit (80 sp) blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, jackdaw, carrion crow, rook, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch (90 sp) brambling, linnet, lesser redpoll, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, bullfinch, reed bunting, yellowhammer, corn bunting (100sp)

 

Salthouse black headed gull

Titchwell song thrush

Titchwell avocets.

 

The ones in bold are year listers, taking my none twitching year total to 156. For another version of this trip, giving more details of Dave's dietary requirements please visit Gary's site:
http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk

Moths and an Amphibian

A wander down to the moth trap l night gave first garden views of a toad in the pond. I only completed the pond project a week ago, planting moth friendly plants around it, so really pleased it attracted an amphibian so quickly.

A warm night meant a good selection of moths. Of the regular species were 5 common quakers, 5 hebrew characters, 3 small quakers and 4 clouded drabs. Also, new for this year, an early grey, a double striped pug and micro moth Agonopterix alstromeriana.

Also, less usual, a satellite and oak beauty. In all 24 moths, best total so far this year.

early grey

satellite

Agonopterix alstromeriana

oak beauty

A couple of micro moths + regulars

14 common quakers, 2 small quakers, 3 clouded drab, 3 hebrew character and a single March moth. More interestingly and more tricky were the identification of 2 micro moths. First one I suspected to be an Acleris ferrugana. This specimen flew off before a photo could be taken. The other, a tricky individual is thought to be Diurnea fagella. 2 photos here, showing it with open wings and its more regular relaxed roosting position


Resting position of Diurnea fagella

Dawn chorus walk

I met with the 6 enthusiastic dawn chorusers at the village hall at 5a.m. All that could be heard was a solitary pheasant and an early starting skylark. As we walked through the village dunnocks, blackbirds, robins and song thrush all sprang into good voice. We wandered up Brick Kiln Hill, but no tawny owls, just more of the same along with great tit, blue tit and further along at the polo fields, yellowhammers. Carrion crows, rooks and jackdaws appeared to be the first into flight. Good bird song in Millfield Lane before we entered Millennium Wood. Magpies and jays were seen and heard whilst in the wood our first of 5 chiffchaffs as well as a wisping treecreeper. A couple of fieldfares called in flight as we headed towards Bury Green. Here, our first (and only) blackcap. First record for this bird of the year. Greenfinches, goldfinches and chaffinches could be heard in Bury Green along with several flypasts by 3 mallards. A bullfinch was seen fleetingly just before our first swallow. Round the fields of Clinton's Farm where we added more chiffchaffs and squabbling jays. As we left the footpath to walk back down Acremore Street to Ford Hill and the war memorial a yellowhammer burst into good song above us and 3 greylag geese flew overhead.

These were later seen doing several circuits of the village before heading off south.

sunrise at Bury Green

yellowhammer

yellowhammer in song

robin

All in all a most enjoyable walk in good company although not too many summer migrants appear to have yet made it to Little Hadham. Shall do another village walk in early May when we should get many more summer singers.

Complete Species list

greylag goose, mallard, red legged partridge, pheasant, lesser black backed gull, wood pigeon, collared dove, tawny owl (heard) green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, swallow, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, redwing, mistle thrush, fieldfare, blackbird, blackcap, chiffchaff, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, treecreeper, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, yellowhammer (39)

Moth morning

I checked the trap earlier than usual this morning 4.20a.m. as I was up to lead a dawn chorus walk. Usual insects were in the trap: 6 common quakers, 1 small quaker, 2 clouded drabs, 1 hebrew character but also a new moth for the year, a shoulder stripe. This makes the species count now 16 for the year, considerably down on last year when we had a warm and dry spring.

shoulder stripe

hebrew character

More moth activity

5 moths in the trap this morning, including a new for year species: a twin spotted quaker. Also, 2 common quakers, a chestnut and a satellite.
Temperatures look to increase over the weekend, so, hopefully, more new spring moths will be taken over the following week.

Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)



chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)

Common quaker (Orthosia cerasi)

Twin Spotted quaker (Orthosia incerta)

Tring reservoirs

An afternoon at Tring before a RSPB talk in Watford. At Wilstone my first sand martin of the year, but little else apart from an immaculate grey wagtail.

grey wagtail: Wilstone reservoir

Startops Reservoir Teal

Wigeon: Startops Reservoir

On to Startops where a water pipit was flitting along the water's edge. Year lister number 141.Over the reservoirs a number of swallows, but also a solitary house martin, year lister 142. Plenty of wigeon, shoveler, coot and black headed and common gulls


Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Quakers

4 common quakers of varying colour + a small quaker in the trap this morning. Note the small quaker in the photo, showing a few dark spots near the top of the forewing as well as being smaller in size. The small quaker is the insect trying hard to leave the photo, stage left. Note also, the distinct cross line on the 4 common quakers

Oak Beauty

A superb oak beauty was taken in the trap this morning. By far and away the most stunning Spring moth, as shown below. Although a common moth, this is only my 2nd parish record of this, following on from one taken 2nd March last year.