Thursday 30 September 2010

Yellow-browed Warbler, 3rd time lucky

Yellow-browed Warbler (photo courtesy Tom Tams

Finally located not one but two Yellow-browed Warbler at Tynemouth today with the help of Tom Tams. One was around the Haven car park and the other along the slope below the Priory at the Haven just before the start of the Tynemouth pier.

Several birders turned up including John (Howdon Blogger) and Michael Frankis who had peddled from Jesmond.

Garden Warbler

Meadow Pipit

And a new moth for the garden last night.......

2091 Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Migrant Haven

A reported sighting of a Yellow-browed Warbler was enough to motivate a trip to Tynemouth and a scout around the  Haven car park. A fleeting glimpse of the YBW was all anyone had (I missed it though I did hear it) but there was plenty else to keep interest.

A Peregrine being mobbed over the Priory was an unexpected treat.

A constant stream of migrants dropped from the sky including Snow Buntings and Song Thrushes with Redwing and Fieldfare heard.

Taking advantage of the situation were at least 3 Sparrowhawks.

Other birds included Robins (everywhere), Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Ring Ouzel, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Siskin, Blackbird, Goldcrest and a beautiful Lesser Whitethroat.

Lesser Whitethroat

The only problem was the light - dull, making photography challenging, as you can see!

Sunday 26 September 2010

Les mites en France et un grand carp

40lb 4oz Mirror Carp

A fishing trip to France gave me the chance to trap a few moths that I wouldn't normally see. The lake I went to was in the Limousin region; beautiful, rural and populated from what I could tell by about 3 people.

MV lamp and sheet powered by a portable generator ...ready to rock!

As the sunset 50+ White Wagtails would gather and roost in the trees by the lakeside and Barn Owls from the local village Church would set out over the fields.

Feathered Gothics were the most numerous moth. In general numbers of
 moths were low with chilly nights down to 10 deg C.

Unidentified

Oncocera semirubella

Square-spot Rustic

Unidentified

Unidentified

Coronet

Poplar Grey

Flame Shoulder

Unidentified

Diasemia reticularis

Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea

Straw Dot Rivula sericealis

Crambus pascuella

2032 Black V Moth Arctornis l-nigrum

Acleris emargana

Orange Swift Hepialus sylvina

Sunday 5 September 2010

Moth trapping success at Stocksfield

Harry checks his wallet for moths

Last night Tom, Keith, Harry and my good self headed for Stocksfield to do some trapping. Despite mild temperatures the night was mothless for long periods with Harry resorting to checking his wallet for some moth action.

While quantity was lacking the quality was excellent with some new moths for me and a new moth for all of us.

Red-green Carpet

Frosted Orange


Epinotia trigonella - first for all of us. Only 13 previous records (some dubious).

Making the most of the mothless moments I looked for a few things of interest and found these:

Fly-agaric


Shaggy Ink Cap

A fascinating mini beast - a lacewing larvae with
leaf litter glued to it as camouflage I think. Anyone know for sure?

Sumary of Moths Caught:

0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 2
0697 Agonopterix arenella 1
1038x Acleris laterana/comariana 1
1093 Apotomis betuletana 2
1138 Epinotia nisella 3
1151 Epinotia trigonella 1
1260 Cydia splendana 1
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 9
1722 Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata) 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 1
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 2
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 2
2123 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 3
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1
2266 Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura) 2
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2298 Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra berbera) 3
2299 Mouse Moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) 1
2353 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 1
2364 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1

Saturday 4 September 2010

House for sale


Well, I did say that if the mothing didn't improve we would up sticks. So if anyone is looking for a lovely new home in Whitley Bay here it is: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16909056.html

In fact the mothing has been very good with 199 species so far this year and we had no intention of moving until, that is, my dream house came on the market - a farm house complete with nesting barn owls and just 5 mins from where we currently live.

Thursday 2 September 2010

Peddling fast on the cycle of life

My Vapourer moth emerged in the morning and by tea time she was 'up the duff'and laying eggs. The plan is to keep them in the fridge til next March and then take them out to hatch and bring on the caterpillars. Roll on the spring!