Red Kite bird table

There are now two or three Red Kites that patrol Elton village looking for food all day every day. Every now and then we put some food out on a high table in the garden and it isn't long before a kite is along to take it. There were three birds circling the garden today so we gave it a go and this one took it on the third attempt. Spot a second bird swooping in to try to steal it.

Red Kite Milvus milvus

Canon EOS 500D 18-55mm IS USM

This week's moths

67 species recorded over the past couple of days. A full list below the photos.

Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus


Small Elephant Deilephila porcellus and Elephant Hawk-moths Deilephila elpenor


Small Elephant Deilephila porcellus, Elephant Deilephila elpenor and Poplar Hawk-moths Laothoe populi


The Cinnabar


Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria


Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria


Cochylis hybridella


Tinea semifulvella


Double Square-spot Xestia triangulum


Canon Powershot A640

67 species recorded over the past two days:
0246 Tinea semifulvella
0870x Oegoconia sp.
0925 Phtheochroa rugosana
0965 Cochylis hybridella
0977 Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana)
0980 Variegated Golden Tortrix (Archips xylosteana)
0989 Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana)
0994 Clepsis consimilana
1002 Lozotaenia forsterana
1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana)
1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
1032 Aleimma loeflingiana
1033 Green Oak Tortrix (Tortrix viridana)
1076 Celypha lacunana
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana)
1115 Ancylis achatana
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)
1301 Crambus lathoniellus
1342 Eudonia angustea
1392 Udea olivalis
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella)
1439 Trachycera advenella
1654 Figure of Eighty (Tethea ocularis)
1669 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)
1682 Blood-vein (Timandra comae) (both forms)
1711 Treble Brown Spot (Idaea trigeminata)
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata)
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata)
1742 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata)
1758 Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata)
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria)
1817 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata)
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)
1931 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia)
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata)
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)
1992 Small Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus)
1994 Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)
2040 Four-dotted Footman (Cybosia mesomella)
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
2069 The Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae)
2087 Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum)
2089 Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum)
2154 Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae)
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea)
2302 Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea)
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha)
2327 Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion)
2333 Large Nutmeg (Apamea anceps)
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)
2380 Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica)
2381 The Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines)
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Caradrina clavipalpis)
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) (both forms)
2473 Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula)
2489 The Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis)

Stenurella melanura at Bedford Purlieus

This was new to me. I only identified it because my copy of the excellent new photographic guide to the insects of the New Forest arrived today. This has a good selection of longhorn photos in its comprehensive pages. I've a bit of a soft spot for longhorn beetles and this one, which is smaller than most, is given the common name Black-striped Longhorn Beetle.

Stenurella melanura

Canon Powershot A640

Black Hairstreak, Bedford Purlieus

Found this at Bedford Purlieus this afternoon. I've only ever seen them at Glapthorn Cow Pastures before now. It's had a hard time of it and seems quite early in the season.

Other insects about were Large Skippers, loads of Speckled Woods, a Red Admiral, Southern Hawkers, a teneral Common Darter and a fair few Common Blue Damselflies. Green Oak Tortrixes were flitting around the oak trees and the grass moths Crambus lathoniellus and Chrysoteuchia culmella were in the grassy areas.

Elephants and Hook-tips

Hawk moths have been in relatively short supply so far this year so it was nice to get two Elephants this morning. Beautiful Hook-tip was another highlight as was yesterday's Phoenix (only the second for the garden), which unfortunately did not sit for a photo.

Elephant Hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor




Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis f. aurea


Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula


Canon Powershot A640

Mull Mountain Hares

Another cracking week on The Ross Of Mull. The highlights were the confiding Mountain Hares around Fidden Farm.

Mountain Hare Lepus timidus




Skylark Alauda arvensis


Raven Corvus corax


Lapwing Vanellus vanellus


Canon EOS 500D EF 70-300mm IS USM