Wednesday 24 August 2016

Amazing Moth night


After a long and extremely hot day, I switched on the garden Skinner 125W trap and set off for Hadham Hall with the battery powered Heath 15W trap. I planned to return to the same spot visited last month, between 2 ponds and surrounded by mature trees, some of them native.
Trap set to the right of this picture, on the edge of this well vegetated pond
By 8.30 the lights were on and, as it was not quite dark enough, I sat down and opened a beer. By 8.45 it was dusky and so off wandering with a bag of pots and headtorch and net. Agriphila tristella were everywhere, with well over 100 netted. After checking the first 30 for Ag. selasella (very similar) I became too busy to check anymore. I recorded 30 as the number encountered.
Things were slowly coming to the sheet next to the trap and I was potting these, then listing. I divided them all into 2 groups, release ones and need to take home for photos/identification confirmation.
I spent some time wandering the older woods near the carpark: green carpets and Pleuropyta ruralis but not too much else.
By 10.30 I had nearly run out of pots with several good species potted for photos, including Oak hooktip, lime speck pug, Tree lichen beauty, Achroia grisella (lesser wax moth) and Galleria mellonella (wax moth.) Clearly a bees' nest nearby. However, the highlight was what looked like Depressaria radiella (parsnip moth) which is listed as uncommon for Herts. Latter confirmed at home to be this species.
The lights were turned off at 11.15 and I headed home to check those I had retained. An excellent night. In all 98 moths of 32 species and 1 new for parish records and 2 new for 2016.
A surprise netting at 10.00pm, a flushed Holly blue!

Tree lichen beauty

Female Cataclysta lemnata


Achroia grisella

Galleria mellonella

Oak hooktip (NB This is a first gen insect, not the specific 2nd gen taken last night)
Hadham Hall Numbers and species.

Micros:

5 Agriphila geniculea
30+ Agriphila tristella
3 Pleuropyta ruralis
1 Blastobasis adustella
1 Pyrausta aurata
1 Evergestis forficalis
3 Crambus perlella
1 Depressaria radiella (new for parish records)
1 Cataclysta lemnata
1 Achroia grisella (new for year)
2 Galleria mellonella
1 Acleris forsskaleana
1 Acrobasis advenella

Macros:

1 Yellowshell
6 Green carpet
3 Snout
7 Brimstone
3 Square spot rustic
3 Orange swift
1 Six striped rustic
1 Angle shades
4 Setaceous hebrew character
1 double striped pug
1 Lime specked pug
1 Straw dot
1 Oak hooktip (new for year)
5 Flame shoulder
1 Small square spot
1 Tree lichen Beauty
5 Lesser BB yellow underwing
1 Garden carpet
1 Red twin spot carpet


Once home, I began potting all the insects that were on the fence and the top of the garden trap. There were a fair few and everytime I retrurned from identifying them and recording them in the moth shed, there were more. At 1.15 I had one last session ans potted a very bright micro. Confirmed as Enarmonia formosana, another new moth for the records.
This morning, slightly later than usual, I emptied the trap and in total, recorded, (including last night's garden haul) 86 moths of 41 species. These included new for year records of Treble Bar, Udea ferrugalis and Marbled Beauty. However, undoubted highlight, a Vestal. This a migrant moth from Europe that usually migrates north as from mid August, but an uncommon visitor as far inland as Hertfordshire. A pleasing capture indeed.
Vestal

Enarmonia formosana


Udea ferrugalis

Dusky Thorn
Moth species and Numbers from the garden

Micros:

2 Carcina quercana
1 Ypsolopha sequella
8 Emmelina monodactyla
5 Agriphila geniculea
2 Pyrausta aurata
1 Hypsopygia costalis
1 Pandemis corylana
5 Agriphila tristella
1 Enarmonia formosana (new for parish records)
2 Cochylis hybridella
1 Argyresthia goedartella
1 Agapeta hamana
1 Pleurpoyta ruralis
1 Yponomeuta malinellus
2 Celypha lacunana
2 Monopsis weaverella
1 Catoptria falsella
1 Acrobasis suavella
1 Udea ferrugalis (new for year)
1 Blastobasis adustella


Macros:

1 Green carpet
8 Brimstone
2 Scorched carpet
1 Dusky thorn
1 Snout
4 Straw dot
1 Light emerald
9 Square spot rustic
3 Lesser BB yellow underwing
1 Common carpet
1 Marbled beauty (new for year)
1 Maple pug
3 Flame shoulder
1 Common wainscot
1 Yellowshell
2 Small square spot
2 Six striped rustic
1 Common rustic
1 Copper underwing
1 Treble bar (new for year)
1 Vestal (new for parish records)

All these additions take the total to in excess of 5700 moths identified this year of 428 species for 2016, made up of 205 micro species and 223 macro species.
The new additions to the parish list mean I have now recorded 635 species in total in Little Hadham, made up of 326 macro species and 309 micro species. With a bit of luck and hard graft, could get to 650 species for the village by the end of this year.

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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