It Might Be Raining But.....

....sometimes it brings surprises.

This afternoon in the pouring rain a Lesser Whitethroat was seen feeding on insects on the Leylandii at the back of the garden. I'm guessing a late migrant passing through.

Catch Up

A bit of a drive around on Sunday with a trip to Beaconsfield Services to drop off my Great Grandfathers Clock to my sister and then it was off to Millets Farm Falconry Centre for my 60th Birthday Present, flying hawks and owls. Great to see Saber the Gyr x Saker again. We met up in June 12014, where he was a lot younger and a lot browner.

On my travels as I took a detour across country to avoid the M4 closure between junctions 13 and 12, (apparently it is going to be closed for 3 weekends, to put  anew bridge in place) I acme across House Martins and a Spotted Flycatcher to add to my year list.

However the most impressive count was 35 Red Kites along my route.

Going further back last week I put the moth trap out only to find 1 Light Brown Apple moth in it the next morning. I blame the Frogs as I photographed 5 all hopping around the garden.

A few images:

Frog "One"

Frog "Two"

Frog "Three"

Frog "Four"

Frog "Five" - 10 May

Light Brown Apple Moth - 11 May

Spider sp. - 12 May

Spider sp. - 12 May

Saber the Gyr x Saker - 14 May

Saber the Gyr x Saker - 14 May

Saber the Gyr x Saker - 14 May

Kestrel "Pip"

Tawny Owl "Twoo"

Racoon

Rook

Red Kite - One of 35 seen today - 14 May

A Poor Moth Night

Where have all my moths gone. Last week I had a single Light Brown Apple Moth in my Nythe moth trap and last night, despite it being 9.3°C, I had just a single moth again. At least it was a new one for the year, a Treble Lines, Charanyca trigrammica.

A Treble Lines.

My year list to date is 19:

Nythe Back Garden

In date order

Oak Beauty, Biston strataria - 11 Mar

Oak Nycteoline, Nycteola revayana - 11 Mar

Clouded Drab, Orthosia incerta - 14 Mar

Common Quaker, Orthosia cerasi - 16 Mar

Early Grey, Xylocampa areola - 16 Mar

Early Thorn, Selenia dentaria - 16 Mar

Hebrew Character, Orthosia gothica - 16 Mar 

Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata - 27 Mar

Leek Moth, Acrolepiopsis assectella - 31 Mar

Light Brown Apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana - 31 Mar

Maple Slender, Caloptilia semifascia - 31 Mar

The Herald, Scoliopteryx libatrix - 31 Mar

Brindled Beauty, Lycia hirtaria - 3 Apr

Knot Grass, Acronicta rumicis - 6 Apr

Sulphur Tubic, Esperia sulphurella - 10 Apr

Common Plume, Emmelina monodactyla - 22 Apr

Ash Pug, Eupithecia innotata f. fraxinata - 5 May

Treble Lines, Charanyca trigrammica - 15 May

Mouldon Hill

Red-brindled Dwarf, Elachista rufocinerea - 1 May

A Swift Day

3 Swifts over the Nythe estate late morning, there were 5 over Old Town this afternoon and a further 3 over the Magic Roundabout. I think its safe to say the Swifts are back on their breeding grounds.

In and around Nythe pool this afternoon, 4 Moorhens, 3 drake Mallard, but no sign of duck Mallard and her 2 ducklings. 2 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff and a Treecreeper all singing.

Both Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker calling here today.

A few hoverflies and ladybirds about, with this hoverfly I found on the kitchen windowsill.

hoverfly sp.

hoverfly sp.

Chilly Day

What a difference a day a makes. We've had easterlies for quite awhile now, but today the sun decided not to come out and that temperature drop was very noticeable.

Around Nythe pool this evening, 2 Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff singing. There was also another Chiffchaff calling, along with Treecreeper and Goldcrest.

Yet more Raspberry Beetles (Byturus tomentosus) or are they Byturus ochraceus on the Buttercups. I have a couple of specimens this time for closer examination to see what they are. More later.

Byturus tomentosus or Byturus ochraceus

Byturus tomentosus or Byturus ochraceus

Byturus tomentosus or Byturus ochraceus

What a Beautiful Day

What a lovely day in was here in Nythe with temperatures soaring to 20°C in the shade. An afternoon walk around Nythe pool and woods was rewarded with a Kingfisher sitting on a bough above the water. Impossible to photograph it was just nice watch it briefly before it headed upstream.

Also about were several male Blackcaps, a single Garden Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff and a single Willow Warbler all singing.

An unusual sighting were 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the bank of the newly shaped spit. A first for me here, but I have a feeling this wont be the last time I see them here. There were 2 drake Mallard and a female with 2 ducklings, though unsurprisingly mum and her youngsters made a hasty retreat when the gulls arrived. Also about 3 Moorhen, a Treecreeper, 2 Goldcrests, and both Green & Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Butterfly-wise still a few Speckled Woods, one or two Orange-tips, a single Brimstone and 2 Holly Blues.

Other insects noted, lots of hoverflies, Common Nettle-tap moths, Harlequin Ladybird, a Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) and either Raspberry Beetles (Byturus tomentosus) or Byturus ochraceus

A few images from today.................

A duck Mallard with her 2 ducklings. They soon went into hiding when these....

..........Lesser Black-backed Gulls turned up.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Gull Island with 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. In the background singing Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Blackcap, Wren, Moorhen, Chaffinch and a Garden Warbler

A male Blackcap

A male Blackcap

A male Blackcap

A male Blackcap

Harlequin Ladybird

Cardinal Beetle

Cardinal Beetle

These are either Raspberry Beetles (Byturus tomentosus) or Byturus ochraceus. A closer examination will be required.

A Slightly Better Night

A slightly better morning in the moth trap, with 8 moths of 7 species. A first for me a Chocolate-tip and Ash Pug

Moths recorded were:

1 Clouded Drab, Orthosia incerta
1 Hebrew Character, Orthosia gothica
2 Early Grey, Xylocampa areola
1 Knot Grass, Acronicta rumicis
1 Light Brown Apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana
1 Chocolate-tip, Clostera curtula
1 Ash Pug, Eupithecia innotata f. fraxinata

Also:

1 Caddis-fly sp.
2 "Fruit Fly" size flies
1 fly sp.

Clouded Drab

Light Brown Apple Moth

Hebrew Character

Early Grey and Knot Grass (bottom)

Chocolate-tip

Chocolate-tip

Chocolate-tip

Ash Pug, Eupithecia innotata f. fraxinata, also known as an Angle-barred Pug

Ash Pug, Eupithecia innotata f. fraxinata. Thank you to Robin Griffiths and Steve Nash of the Wiltshire Moths and Butterflies Facebook Group Here who identified this Pug for me.