Worrying times

A walk from town back home, along some 6 miles of country lanes and verdant footpaths gave further examples that something is badly wrong with nature at present.

I have already noted the paucity of moths this year. This can partly be put down to the coldest spring and early summer on record, but it cannot disguise the fact that something more important and unexplained is happening to insects. An example is the heart and dart moth. This remains the 2nd most common moth in my garden and in Hertfordshire as a whole. Last year I trapped in excess of 200 during its flight season, often taking 35 in the light trap in a single night. So far this year, 2 specimens!! If the whole reason was just the cold then no moths of certain species would be on the wing. However, I am trapping solitary moths frequently so they are flying, just in amazingly low numbers.

Another example; today's walk, 10th June, temperature around 12C and not a single butterfly, damselfly or dragonfly was observed. 3 years ago, in June I recorded 42 species of birds, 13 species of butterfly, 4 damsels and dragons and plenty of common green grasshoppers. A very marked decline in an incredible short amount of time. Today: 21 bird species.

Bird wise: it seems as if willow warblers are not bothering with Little Hadham this year. None recorded this year when there used to be in excess of 10 breeding pairs just 3 - 4 years ago. Why are they appearing to be moving further north where they are being recorded in good numbers? They are arriving in the UK, plenty recorded at bird observatories on the south coast.

Anyway. for today the usual fair: 1 garden warbler, several whitethroats, 1 lesser whitethroat, and 3 blackcaps + 6 chiffchaffs (June 2010 15 singing birds in early June.) Just one kestrel, no cuckoos.

Sadly, I feel that I am now recording what I don't see rather than what I do.

The reasons are probably complex and a combination of factors but clearly, if the food chain is being broken at the insect stage then obviously insectivore birds are not going to flourish. Just a look around the parish shows evidence of hedge flailing in early spring, late winter. This has the potential to destroy the eggs or pupa of moths and butterflies that have been laid the previous summer/autumn. By smashing the hedge, the microclimate that the developing insects require is destroyed and the frost and snow can penetrate to the heart of the hedge. Chemicals sprayed on the land, not only in the UK, but in Germany and Denmark can have a huge effect on developing insects. It has been shown that the fine spray chemicals being put on crops in Denmark are being wind blown over the North Sea and settling in East Anglia, polluting both the land and wetlands. The latter being vital for the development of dragon and damselfly larvae. With the slow but sure change of the seasons the farming practices have to change to accomodate the season. Consequently, insects that appear at certain times as they are dependant on specific leaves, grasses etc are emerging to no food. These are all suggestions and conjecture and plenty of research is needed (and promptly) to get to the bottom of this mess. I can safely predict that there are going to be moths (and maybe birds) that are going to become extinct for Hertfordshire in the forthcoming decade.

Ask yourself a few questions: When did you last see several butterflies together? Did you hear more than 1 cuckoo this year? How many kestrels do you see compared to 5 years ago. A country walk would give views of the latter on just about every occasion, freqently with several being observed. Today, one lone male was recorded.

I wish I could be more upbeat and positive but what I am observing and recording is anything but uplifting. Consequently, I would be very pleased to hear from any locals in the Little Hadham area reporting all butterfly sightings. No need to worry if you can't identify them, a simple photo will suffice. Please do just send them on to this site.

Photos all taken in poor light this morning:

chiffchaff

wren

swallow

blackcap.

Couple more new moths for the year

A poor haul last night due to a cold northerly breeze. A spectacle, large nutmeg and mottled pug were new for the year whilst regulars such as flame shoulder were once again present. Yesterday's tawny shears also put in another appearance


large nutmeg

mottled pug

spectacle

At last, a new moth

The best evening trapping so far this year, with 5 flame shoulders, 2 poplar hawkmoths and a dagger sp making up the regular visitors. A privet hawkmoth, white ermine and brown rustic were all new for the year whilst a tawny shears, shown below, was a new one for the garden. A well marked specimen that takes the garden total to 257 species. My target to reach 300 this year now seems rather distant after what has certainly been the worst spring and early summer for moths on record.

tawny shears



tawny shears

brown rustic

white ermine

privet hawkmoth

flame shoulder

Moth round up

At last, a few new moths to report, if only new ones for this year. No new ones for the parish but with predicted warmer evenings over the weekend, something good may turn up in the trap. After some warm days (20C+) it was a shame that evening temperatures dropped markedly, meaning no double figure counts of moths in the trap. However, a nutmeg and rustic shoulder knot were taken on Wednesday whilst Thursday brought a pale prominent, red twin spot carpet and buff tip, meaning a very low figure of 48 species for the year. Last year, in what many considered the worst year for a long time, the garden count was 83! A big difference.

rustic shoulder knot

red twin spot carpet

buff tip

pale prominent.

Lakenheath Fen and Weeting Heath

An early start for Lakenheath Fen today meant I was on the reserve before 6.30a.m. Plenty of whitethroat and reed warblers evident as I walked on to the main path via the closed visitors' centre. My targets were savi's warbler, golden oriole and red footed falcon, but plenty of other birds were about to make it a worthwhile visit. A great crested grebe on the first open water was in good plumage as a great spotted woodpecker and pheasants called. Cetti's warblers were also in fine voice and after about 10 minute walk the first of two grasshopper warblers were heard. This bird has a similar call to the savi's only faster and higher. The savi's also has a habit of singing from the top of reed beds whilst grasshopper warblers prefer sedge and greener vegetation. A walk past a stand of trees gave up the first target as a golden oriole, male, flew very briefly. Superb flash of yellow but then gone. A cuckoo flew over a reed bed before the unmistakable sound of a savi's. There, in the distance was a small brown bird, very like a reed warbler in looks, reeling away. Good views as it sang continuously for about a minute.

great crested grebe

male reed bunting

female reed bunting

great spotted woodpecker

savi's warbler

reed warbler
 

A quick scan over the final fen from the benches gave up some more reed warblers, a marsh harrier and distant hobby. Cormorants and a few greylag and canada geese made their way overhead as more cuckoos called. 2 bitterns boomed from the bed and one was briefly seen in flight, for no more than 200 yards.

No sign of the rare falcon and enquiries later at the centre led to me being informed that it may still be about but that it had been in a spat with a local sparrowhawk the previous evening and so may well have gone elsewhere.

Once I had re checked the woods for anymore orioles I left and made my way 5 miles up the road to Norfolk Wildlife's Weeting Heath Reserve. Here, from the west hide, were good but distant views of stone curlew with 2 chicks. By now the temperature was 17C so heat haze made photography virtually impossible.

stone curlew in front of hide!!

reed warbler

whitethroat.

 

All in all, a wonderful morning and just an hour away. The savi's, oriole, bittern and stone curlew all go on to the year list, which I shall update at the end of this week.

Walk to Standon and back

An 8 mile wander to The Star in the next village East of Little Hadham for refreshment. Reasonable butterfly numbers including orange tips, peacock, large white and speckled wood.
A sparrow hawk overhead had all the martins screaming and whitethroats, chiffchaffs and blackcaps were in good numbers. However, a stunning male yellow wagtail near Broken Green was the undoubted highlight. Several red legged partridge, skylarks and finches and tits also observed. A wonderful walk in good sunlight.

yellow wagtail

yellow wagtail, male at Broken Green

speckled wood

Canary Wharf and The Shard from 32 miles away.

large white

female orange tip sending out pheremones that attracted several males.

rather battered peacock

This is the footpath?

muntjac, Westland Green

Moth morning

Best night so far this year, but still not great.
A chinese character was new for the year whilst a waved umber, 5 brimstones, 2 common swifts, 2 white spotted pugs and and, as yet, unidentified pug made up the macros.
A garden pebble, Epiblema cynosbatella and a crambidae sp were also present. Hopefully, things will now continue to get better.

chinese character

waved umber

Evening wander

A quick wander around Hadham Hall to see if the barn owls have reared any young this year. As I approached one appeared from the long grass carrying a mouse/vole. Several quick shots but I was in the wrong position and the light was not good. Hence, rather disappointing results. A few other views but no evidence that they returned to the next hole with food. However, it seemed only one bird was out so the female maybe on eggs.
Swifts, swallows and house martins over the lagoon whilst reed buntings, yellowhammers and linnets were calling from the hedgerows and a juvenile green woodpecker was inspecting a telegraph pole. A pair of tufted duck came into spend the night on the lagoon, as shown below.
Hopefully, with the temperature presently over 12C it could be the best moth night of the year. That is, if it remains overcast as it is at present.

Amwell visit

A quick morning trip to Amwell to make up for the postponement of my planned trip to Lakenheath Fen Reserve. Weather was so poor at 5.15a.m. I deceided against going as the red footed falcon, golden oriole and sav's warbler would not be showing well on a wet and windy day. Maybe next week?
Amwell remained as it has for a fair few weeks: little ringed plover, redshank, little egret, lone out of season wigeon, common terns etc. Plenty of whitethroat, sedge warbler and reed warbler singing, plus reed bunting.

common tern

common tern

moorhenchick, only few days old.

Moth species: a running total

Below are the moths taken already this year. A very low total for this time of year. Weather continues to be dreadful with only a couple of nights in the whole of 2013 where I have trapped more than 20 insects, never mind 20 species!
By this time last year I had trapped 71 species; here is this year's list. (red shows a new moth for me)

dark chestnut, winter moth, pale brindled beauty, grey shoulder knot, march moth, early moth, red chestnut, chestnut, common quaker, oak beauty (10 sp) hebrew character, shoulder stripe, twin spotted quaker, clouded drab, spring usher, dotted border, satellite, herald, early grey, brindled pug, (20 sp) oak tree pug, grey pug, small brindled beauty, early thorn, streamer, engrailled, common swift, garden carpet, white spotted pug, scorched carpet (30 sp), brimstone, waved umber, poplar hawkmoth, latticed heath, pebble prominent, lesser swallow prominent,  pale tussock, heart and dart grey/dark dagger.

A total of 39 species indeed highlights the chronic weather conditions.

dark chestnut

grey shoulder knot

streamer