Sunday 1 August 2021

July Mothing, an overview

 Trapped every night bar three in July, running the Skinner 125 MV at the bottom of the garden where it has been for over 10 years. A good selection of moths including several new for Little Hadham parish records, a village a few miles west of Bishop's Stortford in East Herts.

New moths were:

Brown Scallop: 18.vii.21

Sycthropia crataegella: 10.vii.21

Rhyconia pinicolana: 18.vii.21

Eucosma conterminiana: 19.vii.21

Exoteleia dodecella: 19.vii.21

Caloptilia honoratella: 29.vii.21 gen det completed. This moth became the 800th species for my parish records. Also, a good county record for Hertfordshire. this was the 6th county record and only 2nd site record. All previous 5 taken from a garden in Stevenage, 1 in 2020 and 4 this year. All spring records. 

Sitochroa verticalis: 31.vii.21

A faded Brown scallop

Scythropia crataegella

Caloptilia honoratella


In total, 135 new species were recorded throughout July, made up of 62 macro species and 73 micros. Apart from those above, macro highlights were:

Leopard: 4th garden record 02.vii.21

Scarce silver lines: 1st garden record, 2nd parish record 04.vii.21

Blackneck: 3rd garden record

Eyed hawkmoth: 1st for 4 years, 05.vii.21 and again on the 11th

Waved black: few each year, only one so far this year on 21.vii.21

Magpie: 1st for 3 years 27.vii.21 and 2 more since

Rosy rustic: a reasonably early emergence 29.vii.21.

Rosy rustic

Magpie

Eyed hawkmoth

Scarce silver lines

Leopard.


Micro moths that were noteworthy included:

Chilo phragmitella: 10.vii.21. Not an annual to the garden trap.

Yposlopha dentella: 17.vii.21 Again not an annual capture.

Grapholita janthinana: 18.vii.21 2nd garden record.

Chilo phragmitella

Grapholita janthinana

Numbers were inevitably supplied by Common footman (385,) Rustic (75,) Dingy footman (50,) Least carpet (33) and Ruby tiger at 21 since 21.vii.21.

Invariably micro numbers were heightened by Yponomeuta evonymella (180 since 07.vii.21,) Cydalima perspectalis (69 since 10.vii.21) and Pleuroptya ruralis with 25 so far since 18.vii.21)

The running totals for the year were, on 31.vii.21 193 macro species and 138 micro species, giving a total moth species of 331. Not the best year by a long chalk. Often over 400 species for the end of July and many 1st generation species were missed completely in April and May. Early and Purple thorn only taken on 2nd gen examples this year.

On the 28 days of trapping I recorded, in total, 3004 moths for July with the best night being the 27.vii.21 where 180 moths were recorded of 56 species. Not the best species count, which  the 19.vii.21 with a record 65 species. Busy times. Obviously, the earlier I get to the trap in the morning, preferably at sunrise, the better the total as there will still be plenty of micros on the perspex and adjacent fence. These will have invariably flown by 7am.

Hopefully, the numbers and new species will continue into August.


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