This post (as ever with my post weekend posts) has some moth action in it! I will please the ornithologist first though, and kick off with birds...
Saturday was a non birding day, but in the evening I did managed a quick wander around Black Hole and Stafford Marsh. The Little Ringed Plover gave crippling views and my first Willow Warbler of the year sang from trees bordering Stafford Marsh. Two drake Gadwall and a drake Shoveler complete the list of notebook worthy birds here.
Today the best bird came when I wasn't actually birding!! Whilst mowing the lawns, at 14:00 I noticed all the local Gulls were up making a racket. Then I saw why...
Another Red Kite!
This one flew in low from the north, circled a few times directly over the house, drifted off west/northwest before circling again over Couchill Woods with a Buzzard. Here it obviously found a good thermal as it gained height rapidly.
Early afternoon, a look along the Estuary produced little but two Med Gulls again north of Coronation Corner, a first-year and an adult summer. The adult was definitely the same bird that was here last Friday as it has a metal ring on its right leg, so I guess there's a good chance the first-year is the same one too...
Both the Meds
A stroll from Black Hole Marsh to Colyford Common platform mid afternoon produced only a pair of Wheatear and the male Ruff still on Colyford Marsh. Later on in the evening from 'the farm gate', a few Sand Martins over Colyford Marsh (less than ten) were accompanied by my first Swallow of 2011. Just up the road, the Bewick's Swan was still with Mute Swans opposite Stedcombe Vale.
Now to moths, and on Saturday morning I was treated to a three figure catch! Moth numbers seem to be well up this year; in 2010 I didn't get more than a hundred moths in a night until the 4th June!
My catch of 110 moths included 13 species - one of these was new for the garden...
The Satellite
The rest of the catch looked like this (new species for the year in blue):
37 Common Quaker
28 Small Quaker
9 Early Grey
9 Clouded Drab
8 Hebrew Character
6 Oak Beauty
4 Twin-spot Quaker
4 Double-striped Pug
1 Powdered Quaker
1 March Moth
1 Shoulder-stripe
1 Brindled Pug
So all in all, I've had a good few days :-)
Saturday was a non birding day, but in the evening I did managed a quick wander around Black Hole and Stafford Marsh. The Little Ringed Plover gave crippling views and my first Willow Warbler of the year sang from trees bordering Stafford Marsh. Two drake Gadwall and a drake Shoveler complete the list of notebook worthy birds here.
Today the best bird came when I wasn't actually birding!! Whilst mowing the lawns, at 14:00 I noticed all the local Gulls were up making a racket. Then I saw why...
Another Red Kite!This one flew in low from the north, circled a few times directly over the house, drifted off west/northwest before circling again over Couchill Woods with a Buzzard. Here it obviously found a good thermal as it gained height rapidly.
Early afternoon, a look along the Estuary produced little but two Med Gulls again north of Coronation Corner, a first-year and an adult summer. The adult was definitely the same bird that was here last Friday as it has a metal ring on its right leg, so I guess there's a good chance the first-year is the same one too...
Both the MedsNow to moths, and on Saturday morning I was treated to a three figure catch! Moth numbers seem to be well up this year; in 2010 I didn't get more than a hundred moths in a night until the 4th June!
My catch of 110 moths included 13 species - one of these was new for the garden...
The SatelliteThe rest of the catch looked like this (new species for the year in blue):
37 Common Quaker
28 Small Quaker
9 Early Grey
9 Clouded Drab
8 Hebrew Character
6 Oak Beauty
4 Twin-spot Quaker
4 Double-striped Pug
1 Powdered Quaker
1 March Moth
1 Shoulder-stripe
1 Brindled Pug
So all in all, I've had a good few days :-)
Wondered why all the Gulls went up - and there was me thinking maybe an Osprey was passing through!
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