Remember the bird surveys I conducted on the Somerset/Devon border last spring/summer? I (along with the forestry commission) gave myself the deadline of last Friday to complete the full report. Well, last Tuesday most of it was unwritten! I clamped down on myself; virtually no birding and no mothing. It was worthwhile as by Friday at 11am it was complete : )
The only birding I allowed myself after my Beer Head visit on Tuesday morning was a little estuary time on Friday. Highlights were singles of Greenshank, Wood Sand, Whimbrel, two Blackwits and six each of Ringed Plover and Dunlin.
A quick look about tonight revealed singles of Wood Sand and Blackwit on Blackhole Marsh and 14 Teal. On the estuary were singles of Greenshank and Whimbrel. This morning, there was an unexpected addition to the garden list, with a Redstart calling in the front garden at about 6am. I glimpsed it briefly - looked like a juv - but it soon moved out of the garden to the north west
Last night was the first time for a while I had a moth trap out - the Robinson in the back garden.
I was working at 7am, so planned to get up at 5am to go through the catch. When I woke up though I had a killer headache, and when I got up, chucked up everywhere! After several more 'throw ups' (and the Redstart!!) I retired back to bed and phoned work. A few hours later I was awake again and felt much better, so I got up, covered over the moth trap and went to work. Many many hours later, at 17:30 in fact, I finally got to have a look through the moths.
There were 152 moths of 32 species. The five firsts for the garden were...
Dusky Thorn - cute....
A more useful view of it!
True Lovers Knot
Side on
Garden Carpet
Lime-speck Pug
Cypress Pug
There was another first for the trap, but we have had this species in the garden before. My old man hates them because they - well their larvae anyway - destroyed ALL the vegetables in our garden one year....
Angle Shades
Look at it - evil pest!
The rest of the catch was made up of: 38 Large Yellow Underwing, 34 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 14 Willow Beauty, 9 Flame Shoulder, 6 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6 Common/Lesser Rustic, 5 Silver Y, 4 Jersey Tiger, 4 Uncertain, 3 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Rustic, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Common Carpet, 2 Brimstone, 2 Dingy Footman, 2 Double-striped Pug, and singles of: Nut-tree Tussock, Iron Prominent, Double Square-spot, Sqaure-spot Rustic, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Riband Wave, Black Arches, Straw Dot, Spectacle and Rosy Footman.
I have a day off tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get to do some birding...
The only birding I allowed myself after my Beer Head visit on Tuesday morning was a little estuary time on Friday. Highlights were singles of Greenshank, Wood Sand, Whimbrel, two Blackwits and six each of Ringed Plover and Dunlin.
A quick look about tonight revealed singles of Wood Sand and Blackwit on Blackhole Marsh and 14 Teal. On the estuary were singles of Greenshank and Whimbrel. This morning, there was an unexpected addition to the garden list, with a Redstart calling in the front garden at about 6am. I glimpsed it briefly - looked like a juv - but it soon moved out of the garden to the north west
Last night was the first time for a while I had a moth trap out - the Robinson in the back garden.
I was working at 7am, so planned to get up at 5am to go through the catch. When I woke up though I had a killer headache, and when I got up, chucked up everywhere! After several more 'throw ups' (and the Redstart!!) I retired back to bed and phoned work. A few hours later I was awake again and felt much better, so I got up, covered over the moth trap and went to work. Many many hours later, at 17:30 in fact, I finally got to have a look through the moths.
There were 152 moths of 32 species. The five firsts for the garden were...
Dusky Thorn - cute....
A more useful view of it!
True Lovers Knot
Side on
Garden Carpet
Lime-speck Pug
Cypress PugThere was another first for the trap, but we have had this species in the garden before. My old man hates them because they - well their larvae anyway - destroyed ALL the vegetables in our garden one year....
Angle Shades
Look at it - evil pest! The rest of the catch was made up of: 38 Large Yellow Underwing, 34 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 14 Willow Beauty, 9 Flame Shoulder, 6 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6 Common/Lesser Rustic, 5 Silver Y, 4 Jersey Tiger, 4 Uncertain, 3 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Rustic, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Common Carpet, 2 Brimstone, 2 Dingy Footman, 2 Double-striped Pug, and singles of: Nut-tree Tussock, Iron Prominent, Double Square-spot, Sqaure-spot Rustic, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Riband Wave, Black Arches, Straw Dot, Spectacle and Rosy Footman.
I have a day off tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get to do some birding...
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