Far from boring... well in my eyes anyway!
After I covered over the moth traps this morning at 5:30 (by the way it was another HUGE catch - even bigger than yesterdays!), I went up to Beer Head. 100% cloud cover and no wind filled me full of optimism...
I was just leaving the head when I phoned Bun at 08:10 to say what I'd seen, but mostly to moan than despite seeing a fair selection of migrants I'd STILL not seen a Garden Warbler. This species has been a bit of a patch bogey bird for me of late, the last one I saw on patch was in August 2007 - and it was a rubbish view. For a decent view I'd have to cast my mind back to autumn '06! And I've not seen a spring bird since '06!
Anyway, the 08:10 phonecall lasted about three minutes. At 08:15 I phoned him again, screaming down the phone in excitement as a Garden Warbler had just appeared in front of me! It showed REALLY well as it preened and fed on the edge on a small bush opposite the old barn above The Dell. EXCELLENT! : )
Other birds noted included: 15 Willow Warbler, 11 Wheatears, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Dunlin (over east, later I had two west over my back garden), 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Whitethroat and 1 Chiffchaff. An unusal Beer Head sight was of six Canada Geese over west.
Now that Garden Warbler has fallen, Tree Pipit becomes my next easiest 'common' migrant that needs a 2009 tick next to it!
Now to Moths....and look what I did last night...
...put both traps in the back garden!
I caught 316 moths of 44 species, 180 moths of 34 species in the Skinner and 136 moths of 28 species in the Robinson. Firsts for the garden were....
This lovely Bordered Straw - an immigrant
This well marked Dog's Tooth - what a fab name!
Shaded Broad-bar
And there were two of these - Square-spot Rustics
The rest of the catch was made up of: 102 Large Yellow Underwing, 40 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 21 Silver Y, 20 Brimstone, 20 Flame-shoulder, 12 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 10 Willow Beauty, 7 Riband Wave, 7 Common/Lesser Rustic, 6 Dingy Footman, 5 Uncertain, 5 Nut-tree Tussock, 4 Jersey Tiger, 4 Ruby Tiger, 4 Iron Prominent, 4 Spectacle, 3 Rustic, 3 Straw Dot, 3 Dark Arches, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Magpie, 2 Pebble Prominent, 2 Swallow Prominent, 2 Early Thorn, and singles of: Black Arches, Buff Arches, Rosy Footman, Common Footman, Common Carpet, Scorched Carpet, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Single-dotted Wave, Small Waved Umber, Smoky Wainscot, Bright-line Brown-eye, Buff Ermine, Lychnis and Yellow Shell.
I also caught three of these rather attractive little Pyralids...
Orthopygia glaucinalis
There was one last highlight today, I found this walking across the road just down from my house...
What a find!!!
We had him for most of today, but late tonight his owner was found and has him back. His name is 'Mr T' and he's 3 and a half years old! I want one....
After I covered over the moth traps this morning at 5:30 (by the way it was another HUGE catch - even bigger than yesterdays!), I went up to Beer Head. 100% cloud cover and no wind filled me full of optimism...
I was just leaving the head when I phoned Bun at 08:10 to say what I'd seen, but mostly to moan than despite seeing a fair selection of migrants I'd STILL not seen a Garden Warbler. This species has been a bit of a patch bogey bird for me of late, the last one I saw on patch was in August 2007 - and it was a rubbish view. For a decent view I'd have to cast my mind back to autumn '06! And I've not seen a spring bird since '06!
Anyway, the 08:10 phonecall lasted about three minutes. At 08:15 I phoned him again, screaming down the phone in excitement as a Garden Warbler had just appeared in front of me! It showed REALLY well as it preened and fed on the edge on a small bush opposite the old barn above The Dell. EXCELLENT! : )
Other birds noted included: 15 Willow Warbler, 11 Wheatears, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Dunlin (over east, later I had two west over my back garden), 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Whitethroat and 1 Chiffchaff. An unusal Beer Head sight was of six Canada Geese over west.
Now that Garden Warbler has fallen, Tree Pipit becomes my next easiest 'common' migrant that needs a 2009 tick next to it!
Now to Moths....and look what I did last night...
...put both traps in the back garden!I caught 316 moths of 44 species, 180 moths of 34 species in the Skinner and 136 moths of 28 species in the Robinson. Firsts for the garden were....
This lovely Bordered Straw - an immigrant
This well marked Dog's Tooth - what a fab name!
Shaded Broad-bar
And there were two of these - Square-spot RusticsThe rest of the catch was made up of: 102 Large Yellow Underwing, 40 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 21 Silver Y, 20 Brimstone, 20 Flame-shoulder, 12 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 10 Willow Beauty, 7 Riband Wave, 7 Common/Lesser Rustic, 6 Dingy Footman, 5 Uncertain, 5 Nut-tree Tussock, 4 Jersey Tiger, 4 Ruby Tiger, 4 Iron Prominent, 4 Spectacle, 3 Rustic, 3 Straw Dot, 3 Dark Arches, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Magpie, 2 Pebble Prominent, 2 Swallow Prominent, 2 Early Thorn, and singles of: Black Arches, Buff Arches, Rosy Footman, Common Footman, Common Carpet, Scorched Carpet, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Single-dotted Wave, Small Waved Umber, Smoky Wainscot, Bright-line Brown-eye, Buff Ermine, Lychnis and Yellow Shell.
I also caught three of these rather attractive little Pyralids...
Orthopygia glaucinalisThere was one last highlight today, I found this walking across the road just down from my house...
What a find!!!We had him for most of today, but late tonight his owner was found and has him back. His name is 'Mr T' and he's 3 and a half years old! I want one....
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