Cuckoo Goose?!

The pictures here speak for themselves. This Mallard was sitting on a nest which contained 3 unusually large eggs and 12 normal eggs, and here's what hatched. It looks like a Greylag gosling. Just how this has happened is a real mystery. The nest was on a small island in a 3 acre lake. Any ideas?

The island in the lake

Common Pug & Dangers of Mothing

Today I had my first moths since Saturday. Two Double-striped Pugs, a Common Quaker and a new species for me, a single Common Pug.

Common Pug

Moths aren't the only flyers attracted by a bright light.

Thankfully lethargic first thing in the morning. The wasps too :)

Bay Watch 04/05

The waggonway today

Above the waggonway a flock of four Swifts screamed. My first for the year.

Tortoiseshell butterflies enjoyed the morning sun

On reaching St Mary's a Reed Warbler was singing in the Wetland from the area of reeds (where else!).

The tide was out and other than a few Oystercatchers I didn't see a single wader.

Quite a few Lumpsuckers were washed up on the beach, all of which were duly retrieved by Dill.

Brace of New Moths

2154 Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae)

 Note the diagnostic spur on the tibia. Thanks to Keith from NE Moth Forum for pointing that out. In fact a big thank you to all those who have been very helpful in identifying my captures.

2078 Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis)

Common Quaker & Neriene montana

Just one moth in the trap this morning, this beautiful Common Quaker:

Common Quaker

And I came across this handsome spider in the garden yesterday:

Sheet Web Spider (Neriene montana)

Ashy-headed Wagtail at St Mary's?

A report came in of a Grey-headed Wagtail at St Mary's Wetland this afternoon and I managed a visit this evening and took the following images. If I'm not mistaken this bird is in fact an Ashy-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava cinereocapilla. The well defined white throat and the faint white supercilium behind the eye look good for Ashy-headed. But it could be first summer Grey-headed, thunbergi which can show white on the throat. Also, thunbergi regularly shows a dark spotted necklace - this bird has a necklace of sorts but not what I would describe as dark. Comments welcomed. The truth is out there..............

Some feedback on Birdforum:

Looks like 'Ashy-headed' (cinereocapilla)

These cinereocapilla by Daniele O. (among others) shows range of variation in terms of the sharply defined white throat. However, possible intergrade with 'Spanish' (iberiae) could perhaps explain the non-shaprp border in some of these?

http://www.pbase.com/dophoto/cutrettola&page=all

http://www.pbase.com/image/74076708

JanJ
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PS. Got my first 'on patch' House Martin over the Wetland for this year - the year of the Wagtail!

Another new moth

Just one moth in the trap last night, a new species again for my garden.

Agonopterix arenella

Stop Press: New British Moth Discovered

New Moths!

As spring warms up and moves on it was just a matter of time before the mothing got a bit more interesting. Last night's catch included a couple of Hebrew Characters and four moths of three different species not seen before. One of them, Monopis imella, has only been recorded in Northumberland twice before!

Twenty-plume Moth

Double-striped Pug

Monopis imella

Monopis imella
Nationally scarce, in Britain as far north as Morayshire, found more in wild habitats than other British species of the genus, and in the British Isles most common near the sea, but very local.

Bloomin Marvellous

This evening I walked along the waggonway from Monkseaton, passed the Beehive pub (it wasn't easy) on to Holywell Dene, and then back along the waggonway. Highlights were Wheatear, Whitethroat, taking nectar from blossoming buckthorn, and Grey Partridge. Three more for the OFFH list.

Waggonway looking green

Whitehroat

Whitethroat taking nectar

Wheatear in the horse field between Whitley golf course and the Beehive pub

Distant Grey Partridge

Ring Ouzel - Prestwick Carr

I've just got back from Prestwick Carr where I managed to stumble across a Ring Ouzel amongst a flock of Fieldfare at about 8pm. It was passed the sentry box in the field to the west of the track at the next gate along.

Ring Ouzel & Fieldfares

On the way back down the track a 'hairy' cow bolted out of the bushes in front of me and scrambled back through the fence into the field where it had escaped from. A quick change of underwear and I headed towards Prestwick village where a Barn Owl was hunting.

Something this colour and size (small cow) moving fast with a long hairy tail...........

I thought I'd been ambushed by a Lion!

Barn Owl near Prestwick village