Stanground Wash Migrants

An inspired decision to head along the North Bank this lunchtime netted a few grounded migrants and a PBC lifer.

This is the year for Lapland Buntings. The numbers being recorded countrywide are huge and the first one in our area this year was reported over earlier in the week, predictably by the workers on the Nene Washes. However while I was watching the chats pictured below I heard an unmistakably 'pu' call and looked up to see four birds flying south over my head. This is not a species we get around here very often so I've listened to recording of the call every autumn for years to keep familiar with what to listen for. I always dreaded my first being a distant one calling just once and leaving you wondering if you were hearing things. But this was calls close by overhead and repeated several times. Couldn't want for better.

My 237th PBC species and 212th find for the area.

This is a very late date for Whinchat locally. In the past 10 years or more there is only one later record and that was on 13th Oct.

The Wheatear was one of two. Overall quite a lunchtime haul from this excellent little patch.

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe


Whinchat Saxicola rubetra


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77x20

Slender Groundhopper

A woodland clearing at Easton Hornstocks held plenty of these little orthopterans. A new species for me but overlooked rather than uncommon.

A bit later in the day my SX10 developed a lens fault so these might be the last pics we see from this excellent camera.

Slender Groundhopper Tetrix subulata, female


Canon Powershot SX10

Moths last night

1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 1
1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1914 Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria) 1
1923 Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) 1
1961 Light Emerald Campaea margaritata 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 1
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 2
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri) 2
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 6
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 30
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 2
2364 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis) 1

Terns, Ferry Meadows

A party of 8 Black Terns dropped in on Gunwade Lake at Ferry Meadows this morning as I cycled to work. One juvenile Common Tern also remains and this was close enough for a shot at one point.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo, juvenile

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 ad Leica APO77x20

Dusky-lemon Sallow

Only the second for the garden. The first was on the same date in 2006.

Dusky-lemon Sallow Xanthia gilvago


The Sallow Xanthia icteritia


1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 3
1342 Eudonia angustea 3
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1
1825 Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata) 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) 1
1914 Dusky Thorn (Ennomos fuscantaria) 2
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 4
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1
2198 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 2
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 16
2274 The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2275 Dusky-lemon Sallow (Xanthia gilvago) 1
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 1
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis) 1
2477 The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1

Ventnor Wall Lizards

A return visit to the Botanical Gardens at Ventnor where the wall lizards were showing extremely well. Perhaps 30 or more seen in a variety of ages, sizes, colours and markings.

Common Wall Lizards






Canon Powershot SX10

Isle of Wight birds

A couple of snaps from the Needles.

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe


Kestrel Falco tinnunculus


Canon Powershot SX10

Kittiwake, Ferry Meadows

Found by Chris Park on Gunwade Lake. Only my second ever in the PBC area and a very obliging bird. With the winds continuing strong NWly for another day or so could there be more seabirds yet to come?

Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla



Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77x20

Fin Whale, Bay of Biscay

This surfaced several times directly along the port side of the ship. At the same time there was another on the starboard side.

Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus

Canon Powershot SX10

Common Dolphin, Bay of Biscay

Some of the 806 seen on the Company of Whales trip on the Pride Of Bilbao.


Canon Powershot SX10

More Santurtzi Wildlife

The second visit to the hill.

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio


Large Conehead Ruspolia nitidula


Italian Cricket Oecanthus pullescens


Short-winged Conehead Conocephalus dorsalis


Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera


Calliptamus italicus



Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi


Praying Mantis Mantis religiosa


Wood White Leptidae sinapsis


Wall Lasiommata megera


The Vestal Rhodometra sacraria


Marbled White Spot Protodeltote pygarga


Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis


Also seen on the Pride of Bilbao:
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua fimbriata


Canon Powershot SX10

Santurtzi, Friday

Some of the wildlife seen on our first bit of shore leave from the Pride of Bilbao.

Graphosoma lineatum


Marbled White Melanargia galathea


Small White Pieris rapae


Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus


Common Blue Polyommatus icarus f. boalensis


Canon Powershot A640

Oncocera semirubella


Mallow Skipper Carcharodus alceae


Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus


Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus


Grey Bush-cricket Platycleis albopunctata


Canon Powershot SX10

Wryneck Jynx torquilla


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77x20

Pilot Whales, Bay of Biscay

A pod of Long-finned Pilot Whales, some of 70 seen on this Company of Whales trip on the Pride of Bilbao.


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77x20

Bedford Purlieus north

A lot of dayflying moths about today at the north end of Bedford Purlieus. As well as the ones here there were Silver Y and Straw Dot plus plenty of Common Blue butterflies.

Treble-bar Aplocera plagiata


Small Scallop Idaea emarginata


Brown Argus Aricia agestis



Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus



Canon Powershot SX10