Elton Water Meadows

After getting some unsatisfactory views of Scarce Chaser along the Nene at the water meadows a couple of years ago I have been keen to see them again. I managed it today although a morning trip was unsuccessful and I had to return in the afternoon. A female flew by first and a male immediately leapt from a previously unseen perch to meet her but it was a very brief encounter and I had to move a little further upstream before encountering a more obliging male. This is probably the limit of the species' range on the Nene so they are a bit thinner on the ground than further upstream but it was good to get some better views and even this passable photo.

Banded Demoiselles were abundant, and Blue-tailed, Large Red-eyed and White-legged Damsels quite common with just the odd Common Blue Damselfly. Large numbers of Meadow Browns, plenty of Small Tortoiseshells, the odd Ringlet, 1 Red Admiral and 1 Painted Lady. On the old railway line Speckled Woods, a Large Skipper and Small White. Plenty of other insects about including a Hornet and a small potter-type wasp nesting in the bridge over the Willow Brook near the railway. The wasp brought a grub as big as itself and inserted it in the hole.

Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva, male


Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens, male


Large Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas, male



Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans


Hornet Vespa crabro


Chrysotoxum bicinctum


Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus



Fun in the sun


Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea


Canon A640 some digiscoped with Leica APO77 x20

The Concolorous

A good night's mothing with 118 moths of 48 species. The two shown here were among the best, although I'd have a liked a shot of the garden's third Sandy Carpet. The Concolorous is only the second for the garden of this local speciality.

Other highlights included 4 Elephant Hawk-moths, Swallow-tailed Moth, Scorched Wing and Beautiful Hook-tip.

The Concolorous Chortodes extrema


Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi


Canon A640

Savernake Forest

I hadn't held out much hope for seeing a lot of wildlife on this weekend camping trip, which combined a bit of time in the forest with visiting relatives in three locations. However my low expectations were rewarded with some reasonably intersting sightings.

Best were some very active Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. At least four were calling like mad near the Saddle Oaks and two showed very well. It is the first time I think I've noticed the wing-flicking accompanying calling.

Another highlight was my second ever Broad-bodied Chaser, another female showing well in a very insect rich sunny glade with lots of honeysuckle and rose, which was very fragrant at night.

Nuthatches and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were active around the campsite where a few moths came to the tent including the Dark/Grey Dagger shown here.

Dark/Grey Dagger Acronicta tridens/psi



Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis



Canon A640

Spotted Flycatcher, Elton

First located in the churchyard last Thursday, its good to have this pair back and even better to get one in the garden over the weekend. Its a long way from the churchyard to our house so the garden bird may be a third one.

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata


Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Elton - Yarwell - Nassington

For the first time in a while we managed the circular walk from Elton via Yarwell and Nassington. Despite cool breezy conditions this was rather productive.

The Badger was a big surprise as it fed out in the open at 3 in the afternoon. We were crossing a hay field up wind of it so how it failed to notice us I don't know. The photo is digibinned with the Canon A640 held to one barrel of the Leica 8x32 binoculars. Walking along the old railway line shortly after the same badger or another appeared right next Karen hissing from the side of the path before nonchalently waddling off.

The first of the hoverflies is a first for me. Not sure of the status around here but it's not a very common species I don't think. There were other species around, including Eristalis, Syrphus and Eupeodes species.

Always good to see White-legged Damselfly. This one was near the iron bridge over the Nene just down from Elton Bridge; a regular spot for them. Also Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damsels and many Banded Demoiselles.

Very few lepidoptera about but there were a couple of Diamond-back Moths near Yarwell Junction, plenty of Nettle-taps, the odd Celypha lacunana, one Silver-ground Carpet, single Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell were the only adult butterflies.

I've included the otherwise not very good photo of the Mute Swan family as I rather like the cygnet taking a dive off the parent's tail. Spot another still riding nearer the neck.

A Hobby was bashing about the flood plain a fair bit, no doubt targetting the flocks of Swallows, House and Sand Martins feeding in the lee of the hedgerows. The Sand Martins appeared to be visiting a bank along the Nene near Nassington but I couldn't see any holes. 40 Stock Doves betwen The Island and the old railway line was a good count.

Badger Meles meles


Anasimyia lineata


Leucozona lucorum


White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes


Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans


Peacock Inachis io, larvae


Mute Swan family

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