year list update

 Time to add my latest year list: these were birds previously recorded:

Red throated diver, little grebe, great crested grebe, gannet, cormorant, bittern, grey heron, little egret, great egret, mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose, barnacle goose, brent goose, shelduck, mallard, gadwall, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, teal, pochard, tufted duck, long tailed duck, goldeneye, smew, marsh harrier, common buzzard, sparrow hawk, kestrel, merlin, red legged partridge, grey partridge, pheasant, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, golden plover, lapwing, turnstone, dunlin, redshank, curlew, snipe, black headed gull, herring gull, caspian gull, common gull, lbbg, gbbg, kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill, stock dove, wood pigeon, collared dove, tawny owl, little owl, barn owl, green woodpecker, gsw, skylark, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, stonechat, mistle thrush, redwing, songthrush, fieldfare, blackbird, goldcrest, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, bearded reedling, nuthatch, treecreeper, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, tree sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, reed bunting, yellowhammer, bewicks swan, whooper swan, red kite, pink footed goose, ringed plover, grey plover, black tailed godwit, bar tailed godwit, snow bunting, cettis warbler, siskin, lesser redpoll, kingfisher, coal tit, water rail, green sandpiper, knot, peregrine, ring necked parakeet, mandarin,red kite, chiffchaff, ruff, sandwich tern, med gull, red breasted merganser, reed warbler, water pipit, white wagtail, sand martin, raven, blackcap, garden warbler

To these 127 species I have added:
goldcrest (Little Hadham) willow warbler (Little Hadham) swallow (Little Hadham) wheatear (Little Hadham) house martin (Little Hadham) whitethroat (Little Hadham) cuckoo (Little Hadham) sedge warbler (Amwell) swift (Amwell) common tern (Rye Meads) lesser whitethroat (Little Hadham) little ringed plover (Amwell) common sandpiper (Minsmere)  nightingale (Minsmere) nightjar (Minsmere) hobby (Puckeridge) yellow wagtail (Hadham Hall) stone curlew (Weeting Heath) spotted flycatcher (Hadham Hall)

146 species is pretty poor for July, but with several trips coming up, I hope to bump this up before Autumn visits to Norfolk propel the total towards 200+
Archive photo: February 2008 and 3 days at a science show in Poznan, Polnad. Spent time in Wielopolska National Park, wandering along the frozen river Warta. Saw middle spotted and black woodpecker, short toed tree creeper, great grey shrike, hen harrier, beaver dams, wild boar, row deer, hawfinch, crested larks etc.

New garden moth

A good collection this morning including a new moth for the garden, a double lobed (photo 1.) New for 2012 were pine hawkmoth (2), clouded border (3) mottled beauty (4) and bloodvein (5.) Also, a photo of the hawkmoths present. Top is largest, a privet hawkmoth with an 11cm wingspan and then left to right, poplar hawkmoth, elephant hawkmoth and pine hawkmoth.
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New moth 07.07.12

After last night's haul only 8 moths in the trap this morning. Probably due to a combination of being washed away in the heavy thunderstorm, clear night sky and bright moon. However, a blackneck was new for the garden (photo 1.) Other insects were regualr visitors, common footman (photo 2) small emerald, heart and dart and an extremely worn angle shades (3)
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Busiest moth night

A very full trap this morning, containing at least 45 species of moth and in excess of a 100 insects. New for the year were beautiful silver y (legged it!) Broad bordered yellow underwing (photo 1,) scalloped oak (2) fanfoot (3) small emerald (4.)
As there were so many, a full list of macro moths: swallowtail, snout, garden carpet, peppered moth, poplar hawkmoth, heart and club, setaceous hebrew character, rustic, dot moth, heart and dart, silver y, eyed hawkmoth, clay, common footman (12) marbled minor, uncertain, flame, riband wave, common emerald, common white wave, light arches, dark arches, beautiful hooktip, small yellow wave, scorched carpet, willow beauty
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Busy moth trap.

A swallowtail (photo 1), drinker (2) least carpet (3) and knotgrass (4) all new for this year. Loads of stuff in the trap this morning, hoping for the same tomorrow.
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New moth for year

A common emerald (photo 1) found in a very wet trap this morning. Other moths included snout (2) buff ermine, poplar hawkmoth, uncertain, setaceous hebrew character, heart and club, heart and dart, marbled minor, dark arches, common white wave and light arches. Micros included small magpie, Agapeta hamana and bramble shoot moth (3)
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Busy trap 02.07.12

A wide variety of moths in the trap this morning, but only a new micromoth for the garden, a large fruit tree tortrix photo 1.) Also a newly emerged bird's wing was only the 3rd garden record (2) and a Eudonia lucrustrata (3.) In all 25 species.
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Garden surprise 01.07.12

Whilst working the the garden at midday, I chanced to look up and catch a glimpse of a red kite. Having dashed in the get binoculars to confirm it wasn't a black kite, I then shot off a series of distant photos. 4 shown here. The bird appears to be carrying prey.
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New year moths

A check on the trap today offered records of clouded bordered brindle ( photo 1), a new moth for the garden along with first of the year vine's rustic (2,) rustic and barred straw (3). In all 45 moths present.
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Amwell Visit 30.06.12

A quick evening visit to Amwell. Typical June/July birding day with little on offer. Common terns and black headed gulls predominated, with cormorants and canada geese everywhere. A flyover family party of 3 little egrets was good (photo 1) whilst it was pleasing to note the 2 pairs of long staying oystercatchers were still present (2)
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