Its that tern again

The juvenile Arctic Tern that has lingered in the Prior's Fen and North Bank area since 16 Sep (see here) put its final appearance in today. It was fishing the River Nene alongside the North Bank Road and came incredibly close. This photo was taken only using the camera's 4x zoom.

Arctic Tern (Sterna paridisaea), juvenile

Nikon CP 995

Portland Hawks

A weekend at Weymouth and Portland proved very enjoyable. The weather was very warm and our first stop at Osmington Mills (Smugglers) revealed a number of Clouded Yellow and Red Admiral butterflies. A couple of Ravens cruised over and one or two Common and Sandwich Terns lingered on the sea.

These were among several orthoptera present on the very warm, south-facing, steep gully.

Grey Bush-cricket (Platycleis albopunctata)



We stopped a The Fleet to take a look at a few waders before heading onto Portland where Wheatears, Chiffchaffs and Rock Pipits were at the Bill and a party of Gannets lingered just offshore. Two summer-plumaged Red-throated Divers passed low directly over our heads and landed on the sea nearbly for a while before continuing off to the east. A single Manx Shearwater cruised in from the SW before turning and heading back the way it had come.

A look in at the Observatory failed to reveal the roving Firecrest but we did get a good look at the two Convolvulous Hawk-moths shown here.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli)

Large Rannunculus

Large Rannunculus and Beaded Chestnut were the first this year but The Sallow is another garden tick!

The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia)


Large Ranunculus (Polymixis flavicincta)


Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis)


Nikon CP995

1342 Eudonia angustea 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 14
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 3
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 3
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1
2252 Large Ranunculus (Polymixis flavicincta) 1
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 39
2274 The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis) 1
2477 The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) 7

Tufted Duck

Fletton Lake is one of those places you check but nine times out of ten there is nothing out of the ordinary there. Anyway the light was nice and the eye of this duck looked good so I took a few snaps.

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix 995 and Leica APO77 with 20x eyepiece.

Bulrush Wainscot

Ran both traps (125W MV and a15W actinic) in the garden for the first time in a few weeks. The Bulrush Wainscot was the first for the garden and appeared in the actinic.

Bulrush Wainscot (Nonagria typhae)


Incidentally this is a female and she has laid eggs:



1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 7
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 6
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 3
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 4
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 21
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1
2369 Bulrush Wainscot (Nonagria typhae) 1
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) 7

Montagu's Harrier

Inspired by Weedon's World of Nature to bare barely presentable artwork I decided to blog one of my finds of the year.

We were having lunch along the River Nene when Karen noticed a commotion in the air just behind us. I quickly got onto the slender, almost gull-like raptor being mobbed by a few crows and the pulse quickened as I realised it was something special. As it struggled to shake off the corvids it managed a bit of soaring flight to gain height and with the wings raised in a shallow V we were certain we were watching a Harrier of some kind and a slim bird like this had to be either a Hen, Montagu’s or Pallid.

Overhead against the sky it was impossible to see much of the plumage detail but this bird had a long slim tail and narrow, pointed wings, kinked at times making it look almost like a tern. I was now sure it was not a Hen Harrier and when it did bank enough to see the white rump (the “ringtail”) it was tiny and very hard to see, unlike the broader white splash on a Hen. Although it was hard to be sure, there didn’t appear to be any colour on the underside so I guess it was an adult female: immature Montagu’s Harriers have rusty-brown, almost orange underparts.

Now in all honesty I couldn’t say it was definitely not a Pallid Harrier as these are incredibly hard to separate from Montagu’s, especially in this plumage. But since Pallids barely occur annually in the whole country and have never been recorded in Cambridgeshire I feel pretty justified in adding Montagu’s Harrier to my PBC list.

I always carry my notebook with me but for once my bag had been emptied and I had to use the back of a fag packet (well being a non-smoker the back of an old business card). This hasty pen sketch is an attempt to capture the tern-like jizz and the relative proportions compared with a Carrion Crow.

Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) with Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

The Sallow

WeBS count on the Sunday so the trap went out at Stibbington on Saturday night. The Sallow was my first here and the Burnished Brass is of the juncta form (compare with this one).

The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia)


Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)


Nikon Coolpix 995


Stibbington, 15W actinic Skinner
1138 Epinotia nisella 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 2
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2274 The Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 2
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) f. juncta 1

Elton, 125W MV
0465 Plutella porrectella 1
1342 Eudonia angustea 2
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 9
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 4
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 3
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 9
2364 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis) 2
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) f. juncta 1
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) 10
Tree Wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris) 1

Arctic Tern

I was hoping for a seabird out on Prior's Fen today but this smashing little juvenile Arctic Tern was worth braving the strong northerly wind for. It flitted past me looking ghostly white before landing in the field nearby. The wind made digiscoping almost impossible but this shot wasn't too bad considering.

Arctic Tern (Sterna paridisaea), juvenile

Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix 995 and Leica APO77 with 32x eyepiece.

Other birds present:
Pintail, 1
Dunlin, 4
Ringed Plover, 3
Greenshank, 1
Redshank, 1
Snipe, 5
Little Egret, 3
Hobby, 2
House Martin, 2
Meadow Pipit, 2
Common Buzzard, 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Ferry Meadows is hard work! Two hours in the intermittent rain and drizzle this morning and very little to show for it. But you have to keep at it. This first calendar year male Great Spotted Woodpecker kept returning to feed at one particular bush along the edge of Heron Meadow. Despite the dull conditions the bird was still enough in one of the 22 shots to provide this picture.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major


Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix 995 and Leica APO77 with 20x eyepiece.

What a whopper

The Frosted Orange here was much larger than the illustration in Waring.

Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago)



Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria)


Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)


Nikon Coolpix 995


1342 Eudonia angustea 1
1682 Blood-vein (Timandra comae) 1
1690 Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria) 1
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 5
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 12
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 11
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 3
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 2
2198 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 1
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1
2269 Centre-barred Sallow (Atethmia centrago) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 2
2364 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 2
2477 The Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 2
Nicrophorus investigator 1

Lunar Underwings

Cooler weather and the approach of the full moon make for smaller (and more manageable) moth catches. Lunar Underwings are one of the commonest species in the trap in autumn and they are now appearing at the rate of a few each night. They come in a range of colour forms including some much darker than the ones illustrated here.

Lunar Underwings (Omphaloscelis lunosa)


Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria)


Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)


Nikon Coolpix 995

Prior's Fen

Prior's Fen has really come back to life recently. This Wheatear was on the field near Stone Bridge Corner where a party of c.50 Meadow Pipits had also lingered.

The Little Egrets are part of the group that has reached six birds recently - a record count for the Peterborough area.

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe


Little Egrets Egretta garzetta


Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix 995 and Leica APO77 with 20x eyepiece.

Chaffinch

Common birds rarely get the attention they deserve so here's one on the drive making the most of Vine House Farm's best.

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs


Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix 995 and Leica APO77 with 20x eyepiece.

Small Blood-vein

Good to see Small Blood-vein in its second generation (not noted in previous years) even if this one has had a very close encounter with a bat or bird.

Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria)


Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata)


Centre-barred Sallow (Athethmia centra)


Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)


Nikon Coolpix 995

Thorny Issue

Another garden tick taking the number of moth species recorded in the garden comfortably over the 400 mark. Large Thorn is a fairly localised species so is a welcome addition. This Dusky Thorn is a slightly smarter individual than the garden first a couple of nights ago.

Large Thorn Ennomos autumnaria


Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria


Large Thorn Ennomos autumnaria & Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria


Nikon Coolpix 995

White Stork

My turn to blog the Peterborough White Stork. This has been present since 1 Sep but up until today it has been too far away or I haven't had all the kit with me for a decent photo. OK these aren't the best shots in the world, mainly due to some heat shimmer (for much better pictures see here).

The bird can be seen in fields either side of Gunthorpe Road on the NE edge of Peterborough.

White Stork Ciconia ciconia



Digiscoped with Nikon Coolpix 995, Leica APO77 and 20x eyepiece

Two Garden ticks

Ran two traps last night. The actinic at Stibbington GP was quite interesting with a Maiden's Blush (Cyclophora punctaria) and a Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria), continuing a good year for the latter, but the MV in the garden produced a couple of garden firsts. There have apparently been a few second generation Treble-bars recently in the area. The Light Emerald is also a second generation adult and was noticably small.

There were 120 Large Yellow Underwings (Noctua pronuba) in the garden trap, which is a record number for me.

Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria


Treble-bar Aplocera plagiata


Light Emerald Campaea margaritata


Nikon Coolpix 995