Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Garden and PB
Rather cool and pretty windy last night so the trap was virtually empty but this Elephant Hawk Moth was nice.
A few Med Gulls were heading inland at 04:50.
No Pete, no (or at least, very limited) power and hence no lunch!! No one on reserve, that I saw, other than beshorted ARK (despite the weather!!). Four distant Green Sandpipers were visible from the hanger; lots of mud suitable for a nice rare wader - if only. A very blue-grey looking Hobby zipped through and probably in excess of forty each, Sand Martin and Swift, dropped down by the weather.
Unfortunately a smart Chrysotoxum hover, either cautum or verralli got away from me along the path adjacent to Wiggonholt Church.
Heathland was bare except for a perched-up Kestrel and a fledged juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Torrential rain on the way home.
A few Med Gulls were heading inland at 04:50.
No Pete, no (or at least, very limited) power and hence no lunch!! No one on reserve, that I saw, other than beshorted ARK (despite the weather!!). Four distant Green Sandpipers were visible from the hanger; lots of mud suitable for a nice rare wader - if only. A very blue-grey looking Hobby zipped through and probably in excess of forty each, Sand Martin and Swift, dropped down by the weather.
Unfortunately a smart Chrysotoxum hover, either cautum or verralli got away from me along the path adjacent to Wiggonholt Church.
Heathland was bare except for a perched-up Kestrel and a fledged juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Torrential rain on the way home.
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| Large Skippers |
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| Sicus ferrugineus |
Monday, 27 June 2016
Surprising what you come across....
Started the day with a brief visit to the main car park at West Walk but with no change for the meter decided to look for hovers within sight of the car . Sericomiya silentis, Xylota segnis and Xylota sylvarum plus a few commoner species.
A coffee and 'red velvet' at Mud Island in glorious sunshine was improved by two well-lit over flying Buzzards and a singing Firecrest. Alarm calls from local Swallows were a heads-up for a Hobby which returned later and gave great views.
A twenty minutes stop on Portsdown produced plenty of Common Spotted and Pyramidal Orchids, fresh Small Blues and pristine Marbled Whites plus plenty of Meadow Brown's. The ichneumon Amblyteles armatorius was particularly abundant.
Finally, a few Med Gulls and yet more Swallow alarms alerted to another Hobby, this one very much intent on taking out a hirundine or Swift.
A coffee and 'red velvet' at Mud Island in glorious sunshine was improved by two well-lit over flying Buzzards and a singing Firecrest. Alarm calls from local Swallows were a heads-up for a Hobby which returned later and gave great views.
A twenty minutes stop on Portsdown produced plenty of Common Spotted and Pyramidal Orchids, fresh Small Blues and pristine Marbled Whites plus plenty of Meadow Brown's. The ichneumon Amblyteles armatorius was particularly abundant.
Finally, a few Med Gulls and yet more Swallow alarms alerted to another Hobby, this one very much intent on taking out a hirundine or Swift.
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Peregrines
All six performing and female brought in what was probably a juvenile Moorhen. Other than that zilch!
Gardening
Spent a couple of hours digging out some well rooted plants left by the previous owner. Watched an attractive ichneumon spp but wasn't able to catch it for a photo. Thirteen Med Gulls went north in two groups and finally added Buzzard to the very minimal garden list , encouraged eastwards by two BHGs.
Then the rain set in heavily . No photos.
Then the rain set in heavily . No photos.
Friday, 24 June 2016
Trap, Butser, QECP, Stansted
Perhaps unsurprisingly with a clear, cool, moonlit night the trap was virtually empty although a fresh Miller was nice.
At Butser a quick chat with another butterflier, (in part about not being Europeans anymore!!) confirmed there were some Dark Green Fritillaries on the wing although I couldn't find any. Last month's Early Purple Orchids now replaced by Common Spotted and most Burnet Moths now looking faded. A Lime-speck Pug posed for a photo plus Common Blues, Dingy Skippers, Meadow Browns, Large Skippers, Small Tortoiseshells and a single Painted Lady and a few hovers, the best being Chrysotoxum bicinctum.
This Med Gull was one of thirty or more - who would have thought years ago that Med Gulls would be the most numerous bird here!!
The gulls were joined very briefly by nine Red Arrows roaring by, I'm guessing on their way to Goodwood Festival of Speed.
.
QECP produced male Emperor and Broad-bodied Chaser a few more Common Spotted Orchid, two Firecrests and a nice pair of Buzzard chasing each other and rather more flies etc than yesterday including hover Epistrophe diaphana.
Stansted, mostly a visit to garden centre, produced a few more Cheilosia illustrata, four species of Eristalis and a couple of singing Goldcrest.
At Butser a quick chat with another butterflier, (in part about not being Europeans anymore!!) confirmed there were some Dark Green Fritillaries on the wing although I couldn't find any. Last month's Early Purple Orchids now replaced by Common Spotted and most Burnet Moths now looking faded. A Lime-speck Pug posed for a photo plus Common Blues, Dingy Skippers, Meadow Browns, Large Skippers, Small Tortoiseshells and a single Painted Lady and a few hovers, the best being Chrysotoxum bicinctum.
This Med Gull was one of thirty or more - who would have thought years ago that Med Gulls would be the most numerous bird here!!
The gulls were joined very briefly by nine Red Arrows roaring by, I'm guessing on their way to Goodwood Festival of Speed.
.
QECP produced male Emperor and Broad-bodied Chaser a few more Common Spotted Orchid, two Firecrests and a nice pair of Buzzard chasing each other and rather more flies etc than yesterday including hover Epistrophe diaphana.
Stansted, mostly a visit to garden centre, produced a few more Cheilosia illustrata, four species of Eristalis and a couple of singing Goldcrest.
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Flaming June (not!!)
Never Have I Seen...
© Saira Obaidullah
Never have I seen
The earth so green,
The bright, blue sky
Where birds doth fly.
Sweet violets,
And golden daisies,
Tossing their heads
And dancing in the breeze.
Towering trees with swaying tops
Whisper softly, “Won’t you stop?”
Gentle springs murmur by
As if singing a lullaby.
Possibly not appropriate today given the continuing sultry, thundery, grey and wet conditions. If only we could vote for better weather as part of the referendum! Too wet for the trap last night and probably so for the rest of the day preventing any 'wild-lifing'. After coffee and a bacon bap a short and drizzly walk produced a close and very visible singing Firecrest which looked wet and scruffy; three Med Gulls went south and two north. The umbellifers were much quieter than last week unsurprisingly and most insects looked fairly torpid, a single Leucozona laternaria being the exception.
Yesterday's micros all now identified or confirmed and spread-sheeted.
Wednesday's duty was quiet with the three of us nearly out numbering visitors and birding was slow with just cream-crowned Marsh Harrier, possibly an adult female, hunting the North Brooks and taking what was probably a young Moorhen. A Hobby raced through low , too quick for Vic and Peter. People with scopes were able to locate two LRPS and a Green Sandpiper but a second flying GS was easily picked up in the bins. Precious few small birds but Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler still vocal. One 'gurking' Nightingale on Green Lane was almost certainly with young.
Insect wise just a handful of Meadow Brown, two Large Skippers and Syritta pipiens.
One or two roadside Kestrels on the way back but no hawking Med Gulls over the A3 today.
© Saira Obaidullah
Never have I seen
The earth so green,
The bright, blue sky
Where birds doth fly.
Sweet violets,
And golden daisies,
Tossing their heads
And dancing in the breeze.
Towering trees with swaying tops
Whisper softly, “Won’t you stop?”
Gentle springs murmur by
As if singing a lullaby.
Possibly not appropriate today given the continuing sultry, thundery, grey and wet conditions. If only we could vote for better weather as part of the referendum! Too wet for the trap last night and probably so for the rest of the day preventing any 'wild-lifing'. After coffee and a bacon bap a short and drizzly walk produced a close and very visible singing Firecrest which looked wet and scruffy; three Med Gulls went south and two north. The umbellifers were much quieter than last week unsurprisingly and most insects looked fairly torpid, a single Leucozona laternaria being the exception.
Yesterday's micros all now identified or confirmed and spread-sheeted.
Wednesday's duty was quiet with the three of us nearly out numbering visitors and birding was slow with just cream-crowned Marsh Harrier, possibly an adult female, hunting the North Brooks and taking what was probably a young Moorhen. A Hobby raced through low , too quick for Vic and Peter. People with scopes were able to locate two LRPS and a Green Sandpiper but a second flying GS was easily picked up in the bins. Precious few small birds but Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler still vocal. One 'gurking' Nightingale on Green Lane was almost certainly with young.
Insect wise just a handful of Meadow Brown, two Large Skippers and Syritta pipiens.
One or two roadside Kestrels on the way back but no hawking Med Gulls over the A3 today.
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