Muggy night mothing

A couple of warm days were followed last night by cloud cover and still conditions. Ideal for mothing and indeed there were swarms of insects around the light so you couldn't get near it at times. I haven't seen it like that for a long time.

The result was 100 moths of 50 species with another 5 still to identify.

Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli, female


Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor



Cream-bordered Green Pea Earias clorana


Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis f.juncta


0247 Tinea trinotella 1
0014 Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli) 1
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 1
0647 Brown House-moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 2
0765 Teleiodes vulgella 2
0779 Bryotropha affinis 2
0870x Oegoconia sp. 1
0985 Carnation Tortrix (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) 1
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) 1
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella 1
1301 Crambus lathoniellus 1
1380 Phlyctaenia perlucidalis 1
1392 Udea olivalis 2
1421 Large Tabby (Aglossa pinguinalis) 1
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 4
1654 Figure of Eighty (Tethea ocularis) 3
1682 Blood-vein (Timandra comae) 1
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 3
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 3
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 1
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1887 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1
1931 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) typical 3
1936 Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 2
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 1
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 2
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 1
1997 Sallow Kitten (Furcula furcula) 1
2040 Four-dotted Footman (Cybosia mesomella) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 4
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 4
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 1
2089 Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 7
2098 The Flame (Axylia putris) 1
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 2
2278 Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala) 1
2302 Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea) 1
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 6
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 7
2340 Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula) 1
2380 Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica) 2
2418 Cream-bordered Green Pea (Earias clorana) 1
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 1
2450 The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 2
2474 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 5
2489 The Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis) 2
2492 Small Fan-foot (Herminia grisealis) 2
Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) 1

Hen Harrier, Fascadale

This gorgeous male treated us to nearly half an hour of hunting action close to our overnight stop on Ardnamurchan. The sea in the background hosted rafts of Manx Shearwaters plus Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills, Black Guillemots and Great Northern Divers plus the odd Common Dolphin and Porpoise.

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, male, Faskadale

Mull & Ardnamurchan

A small selection of the wildlife seen on a week's holiday on Mull and Ardnamurchan. Other highlights were Common Dolphin, Common Porpoise, thousands of Manx Shearwaters, many Great Northern Divers, Whimbrel, Corncrake, White-tailed Eagle, Great Skua. Noticably more Siskin and Redpoll about than in previous years.

Dunlin Calidris alpina, Sanna Beach




Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, male carrying food, Sanna Beach


Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, male, Faskadale


Twite Carduelis flavirostris, Fidden Farm


Six-Spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae, larva, Sanna Beach

Moths

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi


Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda

Black-necked Grebe

Found by Matt Webb on Overton Lake.

Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis

Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Iceland Gull

Located with many gulls in a field opposite Dogsthorpe Tip.

Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides

Digiscoped (at some distance) with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Least Black Arches

Very little time for mothing recently and virtually no moths when I do but this one was in the house this weekend.

Least Black Arches Nola confusalis

Garden Warblers

Came across three singing this morning, this showy one at Ferry Meadows.

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin


Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Ring Ouzel

A great find by Mike this morning after the one at King's Dyke failed to show yesterday.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus

Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Purple Thorn

A rather smart arrival in the trap this morning.

Purple Thorn Selenia tetralunaria




Red Chestnut Cerastis rubricosa


1919 Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria) 1
2139 Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa) 1
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 1
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 2

Bee-fly, Easton Hornstocks

More Orange Underwing action today but the Bee-flies stole the show and still no Light Orange Underwing.

Bee-fly Bombylius major

Test Valley Scenes

The Bunnies and the distinctive thatched fishery buildings



Sedges like tree ferns left exposed after reed burning


Longstock Church


Stockbridge Down with Woolbury Ring on top


Chilbolton Radio Telescope

Hampshire mothing

A selection of common moths trapped in my parents' garden in Hampshire.

Pale Pinion Lithophane hepatica


The Chestnut Conistra vaccinii


Oak Beauty Biston strataria


Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda


Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta


Early Grey Xylocampa areola


Canon Powershot A640

Leckford Garden Birds

Great Spotted Woodpecker drums at the bottom of the garden but this is the female (which also drum sometimes). The male Kestrel often uses this perch and drops onto prey in the garden. Other good birds include Blackcap, Nuthatch and a fly over Red Kite (not so common in Hampshire as Northants).

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus major


Kestrel Falco tinnunculus



Robin Erithacus rubecula


Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Twin-spotted Quaker

Twin-spotted Quaker makes a return to the garden after a two year absence.

Twin-spotted Quaker Orthosia munda


March Moth Alsophila aescularia


Last two nights:
Common Quaker, 4, 2
Hebrew Character, 1, 2
Clouded Drab, 2, 2
Small Quaker, 3, 0
March Moth, 2, 2
Twin-spotted Quaker, 0, 1

North Norfolk

What can you see in North Norfolk without going to Titchwell. Well plenty of Barn Owls for a start. We saw at least 4 out hunting at all times of the day in the Burnham Norton/Overy area. Little Egrets were also scattered all over the place and could be found in any old ditch or stream. Other bits and pieces included Red-throated Diver past Salthouse and a few other birds pictured below.

Barn Owl Tyto alba




Little Egret Egretta garzetta


Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta


Dark-bellied Brent Geese Branta bernicla bernicla


Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor, Roydon Common



All digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Eye of Toad

Common Toad Bufo bufo


Canon Powershot A640