Grey Day

Jonathan Taylor had a stroke of luck this morning when an adult male Montagu's Harrier cruised past heading north near Dog in a Doublet. I later made a search of the nearby farmland but apart from three male Marsh Harriers, a few Yellow Wagtails and three Grey Partridges I wasn't as lucky.

The Partridges were near Knarr Cross Farm and another "grey" bird was at the Dog in a Doublet, where a juvenile Grey Wagtail still with a rather short tail was evidence of early breeding success there.

Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)


Digiscoped with Nikon CP995 and Leica APO 77 + 20x eyepiece

Breezy Mothing

A cool and breezy night so I wasn't expecting much to the light traps.
* = year first.

1747 The Streamer (Anticlea derivata), 1
*1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata), 1
*1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata), 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata), 2
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi), 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica), 1
*2450 The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita), 1

The Spectacle Abrostola tripartita



The Streamer (Anticlea derivata)


Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata)


Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)


Nikon CP995

Garden Tick

The first moth shown here is the 358th lep species for the garden (I think) and the others are the first records this year.

Plutella porrectella



Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)


Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)


Nikon CP995

Bank holiday bugs

Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)



Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus). Thanks to Harry Eales for the ID.


Nomada sp. (a wasp-like bee living as a cuckoo in the nests of Andrena bees)


Nikon CP995

Good moth night

Best night of the year so far with high day time temperatures and a warm muggy night contributing to the good result. Here are a few of the moths recorded.

Two Lime Hawk-moths (Mimas tiliae)



Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)



Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria)


Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)


Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis)


Two Red Twin-spot Carpets (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)



Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)


Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina)



Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica)


Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)


Nikon CP995

Plenty in the garden

Esperia sulphurella


Common Frogs Rana temporaria



A bee feeding on Cowslip (almost certainly Anthophora plumipes)


Nikon CP995

Mothing at Stibbington NR

A small catch but with many Swallow Prominents:
1919 Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria), 1
2006 Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma), 1
2007 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula), 6
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta), 4
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica), 1
Black Sexton Beetle (Nicrophorus humator), 1

Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula


Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma


The two together


Black Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus humator


Nikon CP995

Muslin Moth and Chinese Character

With May around the corner and temperatures about to go through the roof this weekend a few new moths are appearing.

Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica



Chinese Character Cilix glaucata



Emmelina monodactyla (a plume moth)


Agonopterix arenella


Nikon CP995

Nene Washes

I reckoned there was a good chance of picking up some Whimbrel along the Nene Washes today, so I buzzed up there at lunchtime. There is only time to walk about half the drove in a lunchtime and I found out later that there were Whimbrel further along, as well as a few Avocets. Still I was pleased with a little party of three Wheatears (a male with two females) and the Black-tailed Godwits (both the local breeders and the passage Icelandic birds) are always entertaining.

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)


Digiscoped with Nikon CP995 and Leica APO 77 + 20x eyepiece

Minimal Mothing

There is always a bit of a lull in the number of moths about in mid-April. The early spring broods have just finished and the rush of different species to come don't really get going until the end of the month. Even so things have been rather slower than last year. But it isn't all bad news.

Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracillis


The Streamer Anticlea derivata


Brimstone Moth Opistograptis luteolata


Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata


Skin Moth Monopis laevigella


Acrolepia autumnitella (probably the 5th for VC31)


Nikon CP995