More home moths

With no birds nor wasps in the garden I don't have to worry about predation so can be pretty relaxed about getting up to empty the trap; about 6:30 today. Sadly,  the still and pleasant conditions in the garden and conservatory were spoilt by a long running car alarm and a barking, howling pooch a few houses away; three hours!! God knows how the immediate neighbours tolerate it.

Anyway, one or two Swallows went over unseen as did a calling Ringed Plover but little else.

Unsurprisingly,  three Jersey Tigers were adjacent to the trap and finally, right at the bottom, a fine Poplar Hawkmoth, not a common species here. In between, mostly the usual fare although another two Golden Twin-spots and the smartest Toadflax Brocade so far. After yesterday's RSPB debacle I was quite pleased with 48/30.

EDIT Later in the day a Lime-speck Pug turned up on the dining room wall and,  more surprisingly, an hour after that a fine Copper Underwing spp on the outside of the trap; presumably it was hunkered down on the base. So 50/32!

(Golden Twin-spot x2, Rusty Dot Pearl, Seraceous Hebrew Character, Tiadfkax Brocade, Poplar Hawkmoth, Rush Veneer, Cabbage).

RSPB Pagham Moths - A curate's egg of a morning.

A nice, early(ish) trip over to Sidleham in fine conditions; the SSC is up to 48+ mpg!

Arrived 45 minutes early so walked along, past the pond, and on to the hide.

Plenty of Goldfinches bathing in the pond and just one male Emperor Dragonfly.

From the hide, the ferry pool is very dry with continued work on predator fencing and island creation. I'm guessing it will not be attractive to waders for a couple of months. A few noisy Redshanks were in the muddy Sidlesham channel and a single Cattle Egret flew over.

Met up with Ant (AB) and Mike (MB) prior to the start of the session.

Similar numbers of guests, staff and volunteers to the last session but curiously, despite summer holidays, no children. A different approach to previously with a 'classroom' approach, some moths potted from MB's overnight trap, reference books and some written clues.

Most appeared to be the less 'large and good looking' species; Palpita vitrialis, Brimstone, Iron Prominent, European Corn Borer, Nutmeg etc etc.

I randomly sat at Moth 1, a medium sized closed cardboard pot and was expecting something less than exciting. How wrong! Only a pristine Striped Hawkmoth! So that was the day's highlight and was never going to be surpassed.

Sadly, for reasons none of us understood, the reserve trap was virtually empty despite the bulb being lit when the staff arrived. Power cut? Mis-set timer? Who knows.

Headed off for chores.

A few pictures from the TG7 - Beet Armyworm, Nutmeg, Clouded Border and Striped Hawkmoth.

Home moths

Cold last night - down to 13-14°c - so not too many moths but, at last, Ni Moth a new moth for me, the trap and the garden! Surprisingly, a single Box moth was the first this year whilst Golden Twin-spot was only the third here. Square-spot Rustic was also the first this year. Few micros, and two escaped before potting-up - Cochylis molliculana, LBAM and Rusty Dot Pearl.

Dragons with Paul

An easy journey to WWT saw me arriving 45 minutes early. So, into the Co-op for provisions and, on leaving, to enjoy a dozen or so House Martins buzzing around the buildings. So sad to realise that this is the most HMs I've seen this year!

On arrival the front pond now looks fab with masses of Purple Loosestrife and numbers of Red-eyed Damselflies on floating vegetation.

On the walk with PS, nine guests and two staff members were able to get to parts of the reserve not open to the public but the wind made it hard to find any Odonata but eventually Brown, Migrant and probable Southern Hawker, Common Darter and Black-tailed Skimmer plus two or three Willow Emeralds and a few Blue-tailed Damselflies were found. Probably optimistic to have expected to record any other species.

Comma, Common Blue and Painted Lady were the best of the butterflies

Bird highlight was nice views of one of the juvenile Marsh Harriers close by, with both being seen by others (MJ). Single Cattle Egret emerging from the nest clump, a brief into-the-sun view of Kingfisher from the restaurant and a few fresh looking Chiffchaffs at various points on the reserve.

The Sand Martin colony was still pretty active.

Finally, a very confiding Hummingbird Hawkmoth was feeding for ages on Soapwort in the wildlife garden along with Eristalis intricaria and a Nysius (a species of hemiptera) on Fleabane.

Chi shopping and a quick local circuit

With some vouchers to spend a quick trip to Chi saw a very loud, screaming juvenile Peregrine on the north-west turret and, with a swirl of down feathers, assumed there was a second bird, parent or sibling, on prey. Despite being market day the bird drowned out most background noise!

Two Ravens were both calling from the usual tree.

The 'wildlife garden's is obviously bone dry so much so that plant sales are cancelled until next month. No Hummingbird Hawkmoths on the buddleia just Red Admiral, Comma, whites and Volucella zonaria.

Back home a few Swallows were still hawking the fields, a Cetti's still in the pond and another Jersey Tiger on the shaded Hemp Agrimony. And a flyby Painted Lady.

Hoping that tomorrow's session with PS goes well.

Black Terns at Titchfield....

 .... but gone by the time I arrived!!

MF had seven which sat in the tern roost but flushed by dogs.

On the scrapes a few corpses (botulism?), seven or more Common Sandpipers, one Green Sandpiper and the usual suspects.

One Sparrowhawk over the meadow chased by Starlings and Common Terns but no other raptors. A Great White Egret landed in the dead trees with two Little Egrets - same as last week.

On the beach and harbour 70+ Turnstones and twenty or so Sanderlings.

A single juvenile Black-headed Gull on the pavement outside Harbourside was wearing a darvic but, presumably only having worn it for some weeks, was too dirty to even establish the colour let alone code!! I guess it's not come far.

No other birds of note.

An Anthophora spp was too worn (and too badly photographed!) for an ID and likewise a Cordilura fly on Fleabane.

I walked past Walkway Pond on the way to Meadow Hide  but was encouraged back after IM told me there was a Southern Migrant Hawker there; the same place as my only other sighting. Nice views but too far for TG7. I directed DH to it and he managed identifiable record shots.

It transpires that the Hawker I saw today in the same area as last week's Norfolk Hawker may also have been SMH.

Few inverts of note, but a couple each of Clouded Yellow and Jersey Tiger.

Booked for early visit with BD and other ringers. Hoping for Gr'oppers.

Prior to this the No8 moth trap was less than exciting. Curiously no Jersey Tigers.

Best were Tree Lichen Beauty, Marbled Beauty and Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Last Friday was an Evenbrite event at Fort Cumberland (not the most prepossessing of habitats!)  but on the day there were no instructions on joining. I expected some kind of presence in or around the main public carpark but they neglected to say that you needed to go into the heavily fenced access road and use the intercom! On the bright side I was able to put a face to name for IT, another local moth-er, who also failed to find the event!

Of note here in the gorse scrub were three Dartford Warblers, heard only, but a new species for Portsea Island for me, although I'm guessing birds have been present there on and off for decades. I can vaguely remember rumours of them from other birders when I was living locally.

(Small Mottled Willow aka Beet Armyworm, Tree Lichen Beauty, bonking beetles, Cordilura spp, Gatekeeper, Anthophora spp and digiscoped Common Tern chicks using TG7 plus Balancevall handheld - hopefully a tripod will improve things greatly)

A cracking day!!

Up early and away by 05:35 for the drive up the A3 which, unsurprisingly, was quiet although, as with all journeys, there's at least one d***h*** keen on tail-gating - in this case 'white van man' who I encouraged past me. Where do they get their licences from? Santa?

Anyway, arrived soon after 06:00 and walked around to the ha-ha to find CP with guest AM going through first actinic Skinner. 

On to the second trap, an MV Robinson, and finally up to Hercules to the MV Skinner.

A good number and variety of moths kept us busy until 08:45. Dotted Clay was unusual and my first here; can't find my macro book that I keep as a list so I'm not sure if this was a lifer; I've certainly never caught one.

The weather was perfect albeit the chilliest I've been in weeks and wonderfully quiet apart from the three of us and mewing Buzzards. Unlike all the other events I've attended, and probably the three in the calendar for August, this was by far and away the most enjoyable because of lack of people(!) and the great company of CP an AM. A real pleasure.

To round off the morning I was the first to arrive at CPE soon after opening and had a lovely fresh cooked 'full English' and coffee outside in the shade with no other people and just Goldcrest and Siskin calls. By the time I'd finished the outdoor seating was mostly full.

A few photos to come.

Moths of interest (nc = not caught at no3/8, nm = new moth)

Mocha (nc) some finely marked individuals

Dotted Clay (nc, nm?) New for GWH gardens

Garden Pebble (Common but I've only recorded 3 at no8 the last four years ago)

Barred Hooktip (nc)

Black-headed Conch (nc nm)

Chequered Grass Moth (nc, nm)

Comfrey Ermine  (nc)

Dark Triangle Button (nc, nm)

Fern (nc)

Honeysuckle Moth (nc, nm)

Latticed Heath (nc)

Least Yellow Underwing (nc,  1 at this site four years ago)

Red Twin-spot Carpet (nc)

Scarce Bordered Straw (nc, nm?)

Small Mottled Willow (nc)

Small Rivulet (nc)

Straw Underwing (nc)

Waved Umber ( only 1 caught at no8 last August)