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Monday 29 May 2017

Last Evening

It was lovely walk around Nythe Pool this evening as the sun eventually came out. The rain this afternoon was really heavy, so it was nice that it stopped so that I could take one last walk around the pool, as tomorrow I move to the Isle of Portland.

Around the pool there was a Garden Warbler and Blackcap collecting food, whilst in the pool there was a fish rising to a fly on the surface. This is great news especially as over a hundred fish of 12 species were removed from the pool, prior to the dredging that took place last month. Its amazing how things get back to normal so quickly.

So it's farewell Swindon and hello Portland where I will have my new Blog "Port and Wey" up and running. Here it is - Click Here

Thursday 25 May 2017

What A Night

A great night with the moth trap, with 32 moths of 18 species

8 Light Brown Apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana
1 Brimstone moth, Opisthograptis luteolata
1 Eyed Hawk-moth, Smerinthus ocellatus
1 Common Quaker, Orthosia cerasi
3 Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata
2 Marbled Beauty, Bryophila domestica
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart, Agrotis puta
Bee Moth, Aphomia sociella
1 Figure Of Eighty, Tethea ocularis
1 Common Swift, Korscheltellus lupulina
1 Bud Moth, Spilonota ocellana
1 Triple-barred Argent, Argyresthia trifasciata
1 Yellow-backed Clothes Moth, Monopis obviella / Pale-backed Clothes Moth, Monopis crocicapitella
1 Phyllonorycter sp4 Pug sp. A
3 Pug sp. B
2 Pug sp. C

Here are a few images from last night's haul.

Eyed Hawk-moth

Eyed Hawk-moth

Eyed Hawk-moth and lift off

Brimstone Moth

Common Quaker

Common Marbled Carpet

Shuttle-shaped Dart, Agrotis puta

Marbled Beauty.

Bee Moth, Aphomia sociella

Common Pug

Figure Of Eighty, Tethea ocularis

Common Swift, Korscheltellus lupulina

Bud Moth, Spilonota ocellana

Bud Moth, Spilonota ocellana

Monopis obviella/crocicapitella

Monopis obviella/crocicapitella

Phyllonorycter sp

Phyllonorycter sp

Phyllonorycter sp

Monopis obviella/crocicapitella

Monopis obviella/crocicapitella

Triple-barred Argent, Argyresthia trifasciata

Triple-barred Argent, Argyresthia trifasciata

Pug sp. A

Pug sp. B

Pug sp. C

A worn Carpet sp

Carpet sp

And another Carpet sp

Monday 22 May 2017

Youngsters About

Around Nythe Pool this afternoon the 3 juvenile Goldcrests are still feeding in the same area I saw them 3 days ago.

The duck Mallard and her 2 offspring have just turned up after going missing for a week or so. They were on the "spit" preening themselves. Last week they were yellow and are now a dark brown.

Also a few Blue Tit families around the estate, plus a Greenfinch calling first thing.

Sunday 21 May 2017

A Better Morning

Up with the sparrows this morning to check the moth trap and pleasantly surprised with 4 moths of 4 species. A Swallow Prominent, Heart & DartCrescent Bell (Epinotia bilunana) and a Shuttle-shaped Dart.

The one thing about being up early is that you dont get to hear the heavy traffic on the A419, so it was good to hear a distant Cuckoo, probably over towards Lotmead Farm, just of the Wanborough Road.

In the garden late morning a Small White and a Holly Blue.

Around Nythe pool today a 3 juvenile Goldcrests being fed by the parents, a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling and Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff singing.

Overhead 3 Swifts screeching.

This is a Swallow Prominent............

..........Pheosia tremula...............

.....which could be confused with a Lesser Swallow Prominent.
Shuttle-shaped Dart...........

........Agrotis puta
Well I hope I've got this right a Heart & Dart, Agrotis exclamationis

A micro moth................

...........Crescent Bell, Epinotia bilunana

Friday 19 May 2017

Daytime Owl

Another afternoon walk around Nythe Pool, with main highlight being a Tawny Owl calling. I have often heard them calling at night over the house, but this is first one I have heard by the pool. Two other birds I haven't seen here for awhile were a Grey Heron and a Grey Wagtail.

Birds recorded were: 1 Grey Heron, 3 drake Mallard, 1 Red Kite, 3 Moorhen, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Tawny Owl heard, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, 1 Robin, Blackbird, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 7 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Treecreeper singing, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and 2 Goldfinch.

Mammals recorded: 2 Grey Squirrels

Insects recorded were:
Harlequin ladybird
Marmalade hoverflyEpisyrphus balteatus
Black-horned GemMicrochrysa polita
Marsh FlyIlione albiseta
A black sawfly - Macrophya annulata
An aphid sp.
A fly sp.
A Froghopper sp. larvae.
Ants sp.

A few images from today:

Harlequin

Harlequin

Marmalade hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus

Black-horned Gem, Microchrysa polita

Possible Marsh Fly, Ilione albiseta

An aphid sp. and a fly sp.

A black sawfly - Macrophya annulata

Two ants and some sort of resin!

"Cuckoo Spit" which is a protective frothy bubble for the larvae of a froghopper.

Thursday 18 May 2017

Out And About

Another walk around Nythe Pool this afternoon, mainly to see what effect the heavy rain had done. It was quite obvious a fair bit of water had entered the pool and had run off leaving a fair bit of silt to resettle.

On the pool no sign of the 2 Mallard ducklings, but the duck was getting a fair bit of attention from 2 drakes, who chased her relentlessly around the pool. Just a pair of Moorhens, not sure where the other pair has gone.

Around the edge of the pool a sad sight, as a Magpie predated a Blackbirds nest of it young. Not a pleasant sight and very traumatic for the hen bird as the Magpie disappeared into the brambles to remove the chicks.

A male Treecreeper was singing away in the woods close by. Apart from Willow Warbler and few other songsters, the Treecreeper is definitely in my top ten of singing birds. A really pretty song. Other birds singing were 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, a Garden Warbler and not one I've heard for awhile a Dunnock, though I'm not surprised as he was showing off to 2 females.

Overhead there was Red Kite and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Two Grey Squirrels were seen today, it has been quite awhile since I've seen any on the grass embankment.

Just 3 butterflies today with 2 Holly Blues and a Speckled Wood.

Other insects were moths, beetles, snails, slugs, hoverflies, ladybirds, spiders, bees and flies, including:

Common Nettle-tap mothAnthophila fabriciana
Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis
Brassy Willow BeetlePhratora vitellinae
Black-horned GemMicrochrysa polita
Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus
Dagger Fly
Marsh Fly, Ilione albiseta
Spotted CraneflyNephrotoma appendiculata
Long-jawed Orb-weaverTetragnatha extensa

Here are a few images from today.

The pool viewed from the weir

And the weir just fining down from the recent heavy rain.

A Red Kite overhead

One of the 2 Grey Squirrels out on the grass.......

.......its been awhile since I've seen them out in the open. I suspect they are looking for food for youngsters close-by.

A bee sp.

And another.........

.......I should be able to ID this one hopefully.

A Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis. Certainly very numerous around the pool. This is on the Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) which is abundant at the moment.

Brassy Willow Beetle, Phratora vitellinae. This would be normally be up in the canopy but just like the ones I found last month a few have fallen to ground level.

Common Nettle-tap moth, Anthophila fabriciana........

..................and another, though I guess with a slightly different wing pattern. There were also many more with a few quite small ones!

Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus coming into land.............

......and rested.

I'm pretty sure this is a Black-horned Gem, Microchrysa polita. The only other similar looking one is Green Gem, Microchrysa flavicornis but this one emerges in June.

Possibly a Dagger Fly at the back and I'm not sure about the fly in the foreground.

I've no idea what this. I managed one shot before it flew off.

This could well be a Marsh Fly, Ilione albiseta. These are known as snail-killing flies because their larvae parasitise snails. This one was balanced on a leaf just above Dorcan Stream

A good contender for a Spotted Cranefly, Nephrotoma appendiculata

A Long-jawed Orb-weaver, Tetragnatha extensa with its prey

Snail sp.