Little Hadham Birding: 2021

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

October Moth review

As the temperatures begin to drop, so the moth numbers reflect these changes. In October, I trapped on all but two days for the month, taking just 187 moths.

New macro species for the year were all as expected: In total, 9 species made up of: Blair's shoulder knot (2nd Oct,) Red green carpet (3rd,) Merveille du Jour (7th,) Black rustic (10th,) November moth (all gen detted 13th,) Yellow line quaker (20th,) Feathered thorn (24th,) Red line quaker (27th) and Brick on the 31st.

Black rustic

Brick

Blair's shoulder knot

Feathered thorn

Red Green carpets

Red line quaker

Merveille du Jour

November moth

Yellow line quaker

Only 3 new micros were recorded in October: Acleris rhombana (7th,) Lyonetia clerkella (9th, leaf mine evidence upon the garden apple tree) and Udea ferrugalis on the 20th October.

Acleris rhombana

Leafmine evidence of Lyonetia clerkella on apple

Udea ferrugalis

The October additions took me species list for 2021 to a reasonable, but no where near record breaking 402 species for our small garden with a Skinner 125 MV trap placed at the bottom of this long and thin habitat. This number made up of 243 macro species and 159 micros.

Only a few more possibilities to add to the list, plus a little more checking for leaf mines over the next week. I am expecting Sprawler, Winter moth and December moth plus always the chance of a good micro and a rarer migrant. However, the first night trapping for November coincided with the first frost of the season, consequently an empty trap and night time temps look to remain low for the next week or two.

By the 31st October I had recorded 8036 moths and only anticipate this total rising by 50 or so by the end of the year.

Sunday, 3 October 2021

September moth review

East Herts garden running a Skinner 125MV trap. Trapped every night with the middle part of the month supplying good numbers, albeit similar species.

New for year macros were: Centre barred sallow, Hoary footman, Brindled green, Frosted orange, Green brindled crescent, Feathered gothic, Brown spot pinion, Cypress pug, Lunar underwing, Deep brown dart, Barred sallow, Mallow, Beaded chestnut and Sallow.

Sallow

Brown spot pinion

Barred sallow

Only 3 new micros for September: Acleris emargana, Cochylis molliculana and Cochylimorpha straminea.

Acleris emargana

Cochylis molliculana

In total, 1878 moths were recorded with big numbers being supplied by Setaceous hebrew character (314) Square spot rustic (120) Lesser BB yellow underwing (184) Lesser yellow underwing (100) Snout (173) Large yellow underwing (146) White point (134) and Common wainscot (662)

These numbers are totals for the year, not just September.

In all, the total moths for the year stood at 7879 on 1st October, made up of 156 micro species and 234 macro species. Should pass 400 in the next couple of weeks. Still a fair few often taken by now that have not showed eg Black rustic, Red line quaker, Yellow line quaker, Merveille du Jour, Pink barred sallow etc.

Wednesday, 22 September 2021

Long Day in North Norfolk 21.09.21

Setting off at 5am, arrived in Wells Next The Sea for a coffee at 7.15. Slow journey due to fog in places. After the coffee I headed to North Point Pools where it was apparent is was going to be a bright day. Great for photos but meant that I was unlikely to come across any rarer migrants that may have been pushed inland off the North Sea due to the very calm conditions.

Usual fare at NPP, a ruff flew in, several snipe and herds of greylag and Pink footed geese. I checked the dense hawthorn but just a few chiffchaffs. A reed warbler scratched a call, unseen before I headed back to the car. The sun was still low so viewing to the east was not good whereas looking west was superbly lit. However, far to the east, a Spoonbill was noted.

Ruff

3 of 100's of greylag geese

Upbeat and noisy Black headed gull

Still noisy on the downbeat

I now headed to Cley beach where I first checked the sea. A sandwich tern went by with a food item, 3 Guillemots dived relatively close in and a Red throated diver headed west. From here, I wandered east along the shingle. I checked the wire fence and posts for the inevitable Wheatear, at least 3. Also, a solitary Whinchat and plenty of Meadow pipits. Back at the sea, I noted another 2 Guillemot close in and a Common seal popped up to check me out.

Typical Wheatear pose

Another distant Wheatear

Guillemot

Guillemot, showing small wings that are used as flippers underwater.

Gone again

Back up

Common seal, youngster, I suspect

Common seal.

Back to the car and parked at Snipe's Marsh to check Walsey Hills before a wander along the East Bank. Not too much around, finches at Walsey Hills and plenty of butterflies and Colletes hederae (Ivy bee) on flowering ivy. Plenty of Black tailed godwit around the Serpentine but the sun meant views over Arnold's Marsh were silhouettes and heat hazed. I headed back to the car and off to Gramborough Hill.

Here, a large flock of Goldfinch along with more Meadow pipits, Wheatears and very territorial Pied wagtails. I sea watched from the top of Gramborough Hill. A very distant Great Skua headed into the sun towards Sheringham whilst an Arctic skua chased a Sandwich tern, too fast for the camera.

Red admiral

Comma

Goldfinch

Juvenile Little grebe

Battling with a shellfish

Pied wagtail on Salthouse beach

Meadow pipit, Salthouse beach

Time to head west, so off to Brancaster Staithe for a check on the mud as by now the tide was out. Black tailed godwits, Turnstones and a Little egret all present, plus a selection of gulls. Chatted to a photographer, Sheila who was busy getting great images of a confiding Turnstone. By now the temperatures were approaching 20C and the sun was at its highest, a little too sharp for photos but all was enjoyable.

Adult Turnstone

Herring gull

Black tailed godwit

Common gull

Turnstone, another adult showing the last few summer plumage feathers

Little egret

Off to the final destination: Titchwell RSPB Reserve. If you have not been here for a while, plenty of changes with diggers putting in new channels in the reedbeds and plenty of new islands upon the Freshmarsh. This area was full of birds: 100's Golden plover, Lapwing, Ruff, several Dunlin and Avocets. In one corner of the Freshmarsh near the path to the Parrinder Hide, Meadow pipits, Pied wagtails and a flock of linnets sat on the mud whilst a skulking Reed warbler was noted in the reeds.

From the Parrinder hide more of the same along with Ruff and Teal. A Little stint busied itself in the newly turned mud, distant and tiny.

Off to the beach. A Grey plover on the Tidal Marsh before a trek out to the mussel beds which are uncovered at very low tides. These were covered in waders and gulls but nothing on the sea apart from a small raft of Common scoter. A wonderful place to be and by now the light was just beginning to fade as the sun began to set over towards Holme. Another check from the hides to see if the Stint had moved closer, it hadn't, before I finished the day with a few photos showing pleasing reflections in the calm conditions and low sun.

Back to the car and home by 9.30 after a coffee stop on the way. Super day out. I shall be returning on Saturday with a birding friend. I would like the weather to be a little more damp and stormy on Friday but presently, that does not look likely, so more of the same species, I suspect.