Smooth Newt in Garden

Our pond has masses of tadpolls at the moment and they are just getting their hindlegs. We were watching them today when I noticed this fella lurking below. A very welcome garden first.

Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris

Canon Powershot SX10

Pictures from Mull

Some pictures taken on the Ross of Mull and Iona between 29th May and 5th June. The Black Grouse was in a roadside field on the A826 north of Amulree.

Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata pulchella


Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata ericetorum


Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia


Thrift Armeria maritima


Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens, immature male


Jackdaw Corvus monedula


Gannet Morus bassanus


Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix


Sunset from Ormsaig


Canon Powershot SX10

Mothing on Mull

Trapped six consecutive nights while staying on the north coast of the Ross of Mull between Bunnessan and Pennyghael using a 125W MV over a Skinner box. The first five species shown here were all new to me. I recorded a total of 51 species in all. I saw very few dayflying moths; just singles of Silver Y and Common Heath.

Light Knot-grass Acronicta menyanthidis scotica



Satyr Pug Eupithecia satyrata callunaria


Monopis weaverella


Ancylis geminana


Opsibotys fuscalis


Clouded Buff Diacrisia sannio


True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea


Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata


The Shears Hada plebeja


Glaucous Shears Papestra biren


Foxglove Pug Eupithecia pulchellata hebudium


Ruddy Highflyer Hydriomena ruberata


The full list of species with total number of nights recorded, total moths and maximum in one night.


Monopis weaverella 1 1 1
White-shouldered House-moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1 1 1
Agonopterix ocellana 1 1 1
Bryotropha terrella 1 1 1
Ancylis geminana 1 1 1
Crambus lathoniellus 1 1 1
Opsibotys fuscalis 2 2 1 (two different moths)
Fox Moth (Macroglossum rubi) 4 6 2 (all females)
Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata) 1 1 1
Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 2 3 2
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe ferrugata) 1 1 1
Striped Twin-spot Carpet (Nebula salicata) 3 4 2
Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 1 1 1
Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1 2 2
Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica) 1 5 5
Ruddy Highflyer (Hydriomena ruberata) 2 3 2
Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata) 3 6 3
Satyr Pug (Eupithecia satyrata) 1 1 1
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1 1 1
Narrow-winged Pug (Eupithecia nanata) 1 1 1
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 2 2 1
Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata) 6 243 67
Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 2 2 1
Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 2 2 1
Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 6 16 5
Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) 1 1 1
Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 4 4 1
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 2 2 1
Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) 2 7 5
Sallow Kitten (Furcula furcula) 1 1 1
Pebble Prominent (Eligmodonta ziczac) 5 9 2
Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma) 1 1 1
Clouded Buff (Diacrisia sannio) 1 1 1
White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 5 10 3
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 2 4 3
The Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae) 1 1 1
Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 3 5 2
True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea) 1 1 1
The Shears (Hada plebeja) 6 22 9
Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae) 1 1 1
Pale-shouldered Brocade (Lacanobia thalassina) 6 13 4
Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 1 1 1
Glaucous Shears (Papestra biren) 1 2 2
Broom Moth (Melanchra pisi) 3 6 3
Marbled Coronet (Hadena confusa) 1 1 1
Light Knot Grass (Acronicta menyanthidis scotica) 2 3 2
Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis) 2 2 1
Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea) 4 7 2
Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) 5 23 8
Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 1 1
The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 1 1 1


Canon Powershot SX10

Elton birds

Another pleasant evening stroll along the river. The Long-tailed Tit was feeding a fledged family of young and the Spotted Flycatcher on of two at the bottom of Back Lane in Elton.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus


Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata


Canon Powershot SX10

Evening Insects

An early evening stroll along the Nene in Elton after a warm day.

Banded Demoiselle, teneral female


Ephemera vulgata

Harpocera thoracica

Smart mirid bug in the moth trap last night.

Harpocera thoracica, male


Canon Powershot SX10

Cork Moth

First for the garden during a good mothing session last night. There was another first, Epermenia falciformis, although that will need confirmation. 26 species in all.

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella

Canon Powershot SX10

Elton Insects

Good selection of birds and insects along the Nene between Berry Leas and The Island.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Female


Male


Small Coppper Lycaena phlaeas


Canon Powershot SX10

Yellow Wagtail

A male that has been lingering, sometimes with a female, around the watersports centre at Ferry Meadows.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima, male


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Bedford Purlieus

There have been too many birds on this blog of late so it's time to redress the balance a bit. This collection was snapped at Bedford Purlieus in unexpectedly fine weather today. The Slow Worm was one of three seen and the hoverfly one of many. The latter is assignable to ribesii as it is a female and I can just about make out all-yellow hind femurae.

The longhorn moth is another female, the male would have antennae 2-3 times longer!

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis


Adela reaumurella, female


Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria


Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon


Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula


Syrphus ribesii, female


Canon Powershot SX10

A new world record

Mike and I set a new record for the number of species seen by bike in a day in Cambridgeshire (or the PBC area). 110 seen by bike and foot in 24 hours. Read all about it here.

Red-rumped Swallow

Not great but this was taken just after relocating it on its second day.


Handheld digiscope with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Frog tales

Common Frog Rana temporaria

Canon Powershot SX10

Red Kite again

Virtually landed in the garden this time and I had the SX10 handy.

Red Kite Milvus migrans

Canon Powershot SX10

Wheatear, Great Byards Sale

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Canon Powershot SX10

Red Kite

One of two low over the house this morning.

Red Kite Milvus migrans

Canon Powershot SX10

Leucistic Jackdaw

Co-incidentally found this bird in Elton today. Mike photographed a similar bird recently.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Ring Ouzel, Castor Mill

Another Don Gardener special and he even located another Redstart (probably the one seen nearby yesterday) at the same place on the western side of the Castor Mill houses.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Comma

Among a good selection of butterflies in the garden this afternoon, including Holly Blue and Orange-tip.

Comma Polygonia c-album

Canon Powershot SX10

Another Redstart

Another day, another Redstart, this time at Ring Haw NR. Hard to imagine how scarce these are normally. They average about 3 a year in April but we've now had 5 of which I've seen 4 and found 3.

These have been difficult to get good photos of but here's a record shot again.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20