Moth Target achieved

At the beginning of the year I set myself a target of trying to catch and identify 10,000 moths of 500 species. The 500th species, a Phyllonorycter platani from London plane was taken on 13th November but I had to wait until last night to pot the 10,000th moth.
The moth was, not unexpectedly, a winter moth to the actinic 15W trap set on a footpath on Ash Valley Golf Course, 1 of 33 attracted to the light along with a solitary mottled umber. Previous to this I had spent time with a headtorch and net visiting several of the sites I regularly trap in the parish, taking:
6 winter moth at Hadham Hall
2 winter moth at Suffyldes Wood
5 Satellite, 2 dark chestnut and a mottled umber at Hoecroft Lane
7 winter moth to headtorch as I set the trap on the golf course.

Dark chestnut

December moth

Mottled umber, 255th macro species for 2016

Satellite

Mottled umber and 2 dark chestnuts

This left me on 9998 moths and, upon returning to the trap at 10pm pleased to find the collection to take me past the target.
Just to finish off a good night I had the 1st garden moths since 15th November, with a winter moth attracted to our porch light and a December moth in the trap this morning.
Over the year, with the addition of the Heath trap that I bought in March, I have trapped at 14 away sites in the parish as well as the garden. I have missed 14 nights in the garden and been hunting moths around the parish on 195 separate occasions.
Next year I plan to be more a species hunter, going for less common moths by setting the trap at the right time of the year next to specific larval plant foods. One of the first species targeted will be Sloe Carpet, which usually flies when the blossom is on blackthorn, but the trap will need to be set right inside a flowering clump of this plant to stand any chance of capture. This moth is yet to be found in Hertfordshire, so a bit of a long shot! Should also find reasonable numbers of water carpet at the same time. Another plant I shall target is gorse, which grows successfully on Ash Valley Golf Course and to run the trap here, I shall require permission. So far, all my trapping on the golf course has been on public footpaths that cross the course at several places. The other target is to pass 700 species for the parish

Wander back from town

After a Costa coffee I set off in sharp, frosty conditions with bright sky, looking forward to some bird photography. However, very little on show and what I did see was too distant for worthwhile shots. Great and blue tits abounded along with robins, dunnocks and a few long tailed tits. Several flyover jays and plenty of wood pigeons were about the sum total for the whole 4 mile wander.

Posing blue tit

However, the walk was saved along the path from Green Street to Millfiled Lane. Across the field I noted 1, then 2 foxes playing near the field edge, before they bounded off into the long grass. A couple of long distant fox photos are always pleasing.

Distant pair of foxes

As I approached a gap in the hedge, I noted a 3rd fox rooting around in the brambles close to a ditch.

Unaware of my presence

Heard the camera from 40 yards away

I used the bend in the footpath to slowly approach the gap in the hedge, hidden from the foxes view. Of course, she could hear me and was not present when I crept around the corner. However, foxes are by nature, inquisitive creatures and I knew she would be somewhere close watching me. I slowly found a space in the undergrowth and only had to wait a few minutes.

As expected, she came out to see what was going on.

 Rather disappointingly, there were a few bramble shoots across the face and obscuring the eyes, so I needed to move. She had her gaze firmly on me and wasn't going to move anymore into the open. Chatting quietly to her, I moved a yard or so to the left and managed some pleasing shots in good light.

Better shot

Quick change of camera settings to highlight the fur colour.

After about 30 seconds she was gone into the undergrowth and I carried on, spotting common gull, yellowhammer, jays, skylarks and a solitary meadow pipit. A quiet walk with a definite highlight. Whilst I appreciate that these mammals can be destructive to chicken farmers etc I fail 100% to comprehend the desire to rip them to pieces with hunting dogs. So much more pleasant to see then looking this healthy in a rural setting and not the mangy ones that can be spotted emptying fish and chip wrappers from bins in the town. Clearly, by the state of the coat and the brightness of the eyes, this is a very healthy young vixen and it was a privilege to watch her in her habitat, not mine.

Western Conifer Seed bug

Sent from my iPhoneCame across this W.C. Seed bug whilst gardening in Little Hadham on Tuesday. Only my 2nd record in the parish, so good to see. Looking for a good hibernation site, I suspect.

Red Kite

Whilst wandering up to Little Hadham Place to check for leaf miners yesterday afternoon, I chanced upon one of the local red kites. The light was good so a few photos. Unfortunately, the closest it came was when I had the sun directly between me and the magnificent bird. However, a few pleasing snaps.

Flyby male kestrel, too

Norfolk Day

A not too early start and then a queue due to a serious accident near Mildenhall meant I arrived at Holkham Bay at 10.15. Leaving the car in Lady Anne's Drive and immediately registering wigeon and pink footed geese, I set off, firstly through the woods for firecrests but only goldcrests heard and seen. I headed to where a large flock of shore lark had been reported. They were still present, but distant so not really worth taking photos. In total I estimated around 80, the largest flock I have seen since the 1990's, so a great start to the day. The light was fantastic as I headed to the dunes for a sea watch.

Lady Anne's Drive wigeon

Brent geese at Holkham Bay

Distant shore lark

As close as I wanted to get!

The sea was full of common scoter, with a solitary red breasted merganser whilst several red throated divers were seen further out. As usual, sanderling ran around in the surf and oystercatechers roosted on a rapidly disappearing sand bar. Meadow pipits and skylark overhead. A flyby gaggle of brents.

easterly herring gull

few of the 100's of common scoters

Sanderling flock

Sanderling

And another sanderling

After several hours enjoying the beach I headed back to the car and off to Cley. After a pastie I checked the 3 main hides in the middle of the reserve but very little of interest, so continued to Sheringham with a view to finish the day with a sea watch as the tide would be high about half an hour before dusk. Turnstones, as usual on the promenade lent themselves to a few photos but no sign of purple sandpiper in its usual winter haunt outside the Funky Mackerel cafe. Very little of note out to sea, so a change of plan. I headed back to Cley beach where I could sea watch and check the area to the west for short eared and barn owls. Nothing really happened so eventually packed up and headed home.

Jackdaw at Holkham

Cley scrape from Daukes Hide

drake teal at Cley

Solitary black tailed godwit in fading light

Black headed gull at Sheringham

Confiding turnstone, Sheringham

Looking west from Sheringham promenade

Leaf Mining Days

Last Sunday, 6th Nov, we met up in Millennium Wood for a leaf mining search. Leaf mines are marks left on leaves from where moth, fly and beetle caterpillars and larvae eat their way around the leaf, between the 2 layers. By autumn these tracks have become clearly visible as the leaf fades to autumnal colours. 10 children, accompanied by adults, spent an hour wander ing around the wood, collecting bags of leaves to be checked. Between Graeme Smith and myself we managed to identify 20 species of micro moth from the leaves discovered.
To identify these firstly you need to know the tree from which the leaf was taken and then each caterpillar makes a track that is often specific to that species. www.leafminers.co.uk is a most helpful site to help with identification.
I then spent time in local woods where I have run moth traps to add to the year list. Still have several larger woods to check in the next few days, before all the leaves disappear.

Millennium Wood path

Guelder rose berries

Glorious morning in the wood

Leaf mine on hazel of Phyllonorycter coryli, the nut blister moth

On hazel, Phyllonorycter nicellii

Stigmella aceris on field maple

Several species have mined this hazel leaf.

Waxwing Photos

Last Sunday a solitary first year female waxwing showed up in Bishop's Stortford. I managed to get a few photos in dreadful light but today I had time to return and, in brilliant light managed a pleasing set of shots.