Lots of moths!!

After numerous garden moth traps over the last six weeks with average counts of 30+ moths per session it was nice to head up to GWH on Saturday (early) a.m. and catch up with CP for one of his 'morning after, what did we catch' events in the company of D? and later DB. It was a quiet, 'punter-free' event despite being a very pleasant morning,  certainly not as chill as the previous outing.

The drive up was pleasant with, unsurprisingly, little traffic. On arrival the table was full of loaded pots and the Skinner trap was covered over.

During a couple of hours we picked through numerous moths of 80+ species (a guesstimate on my part) including the usual crowd pleasers plus some new species for me and plenty which I've never, or rarely, caught at home. Interestingly, CP was very pleased with a couple of the micro Ethmia quadrillella which was new for me although I'm 90% certain I had one at home last week which dodged my efforts to pot it. On social media later in the day other people pictured this moth so maybe its getting commoner. Evergestis pallidata was another new moth as was Slender Brindle.

It was nice to finally see Langmaid's Yellow Underwing next to the more common Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing - see pictures below showing NO characteristic details whatsoever!!

On a final pass of the Skinner trap out popped a Four-spotted Footman, sadly only a rather bland-coloured male but, rather better, the 'last moth in the book' - an Olive Crescent!! Bizarrely it was a new moth for all but me having seen one in East Sussex in Michael Blencoewe's garden trap many years ago. The only bycatch of note were Red-legged Shieldbug and Orange Ladybird.

After clearing up the traps it was time for a nice doorstep sausage bap and coffee in the GWH cafe with overhead aerialists -  Swifts (20), House Martin's (5), Swallows (10), Red Kite (2) and Buzzard (3-4). A brief walk around the gardens produced little other than calling Bullfinches and both common Woodpeckers.

Below Dot Moth, Evergestis pallidata, Elephant Hawkmoth and Olive Crescent, Poplar Hawkmoth, Coxcomb Prominent, uncooperative Langmaids and its look-alike LBBYU.

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Last night, at home, the moth trap electrics were playing up, first refusing to come on and then only firing one tube. In conjunction with a cool windy night the catch was pathetic but did at least feature another Tree-lichen Beauty and, slightly better, a new-for-year, and indeed only the second, Lychnis - both pictured below.

Other recent insects

 

(Hawthorn Shieldbug, unidentified robberfly, possibly Kite-tailed, Essex Skipper, first Gatekeeper of the year, first Southern Hawker of the year, Volucella zonaria, Scaeva pyrastri, Banded General, large female Tabanus spp).

Unsurprisingly the time of year and excessive heat have made hovers very thin on the ground and few in number. Volucella pellucens remain in partly shaded areas along with a few Eristalis intracaria and of course plenty of Marmalade Flies but little else. 

Locally, a few Volucella zonaria have been on the usual bramble flowers but no sigh of inanis yet here, nor indeed elsewhere.

The  Essex Skippers, Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers along the rapidly drying and cracking roadside path were joined by a male Common Blue yesterday, not particularly common this close to the house, plus the odd Comma.

The 'one that got away' in recent days was a good candidate for Willow Emerald damselfly at Titchfield!! Just too high and then up and away over the trees.

Recent Moths

 

A selection of recent moths above.

Swallow-tailed Moth, Blair's Mocha, September Thorn, Ruby Tiger, Spectacle(2), V-pug, Buff-tip, Miller, Dunbar, Garden Tiger

The hot weather ramped up to give the largest count yet, albeit pitifully small compared with 'prope mothers', of 74:34.  However, the numbers fell off a cliff for the next two nights although still producing the first Jersey Tiger of the year plus Cream-bordered Green Pea (new for garden and unexpected). Southern Wainscot was only the second here.

Some are predicting migrant potential over the next couple of days as the heat increases to record levels.

Ringed Birds

 All at Titchfield Haven

Black-headed Gull - 1

This was an adult bearing white colour ring 2456 (BTO ring EA69556), originally ringed at the nest on 17/06/21 on Goat island, Lough Ree in County Longford, ROI.

Distance 558km. 24 hour turn around from Brian Burke. 

Black-headed Gull - 2

This was an adult yellow colour ring T78V  ringed as male, 3cy+ nesting in Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland and seen at Titchfield Haven - 1099 days and 1411km. Seen twice in summer 2020 in Poland and once in West Flanders by July of that year. A final spring sighting in 2021 was back near it's original ringing site.

So, a little curious as to why it would be in a UK breeding colony.

Needed info input to Polish ringing website.

Common Tern

Yellow colour ringed adult C.77 in picture below was reported via CR birding where the main contact was in hospital(!!) but still able to pass this to a colleague who provided a metal ring code ST47024 enabling the info to be input to BTO with a response within four days. Ringed  as a nestling at Bedfont Lakes in summer 2020, so 88km and 724 days with no sightings in between. Another yellow colour ringed Common Tern was too far away.

 

Random pix

The last moth trap had Elephant Hawkmoth, this Privet Hawkmoth and the smart micro Lozotaeniodes formosana.

Some local Essex Skippers

Eriothrix rufomaculata, Banded Demoiselle, Anasimyia lineata, mating Blue-tailed Damselflies, Drinker Moth caterpillar (as big as my little finger!!)

Golden-ringed Dragonfly in it's natural habitat, a kids play area!!

Little Flower Bees resting and burrowing.

Not 30 but at least some wild days in June

 Wednesday

The mornings moth trap was typically sparse with 30 individuals keeping the average for the previous five years in the mid twenties. But at least that featured three hawkmoths, Elephant, Small Elephant and Privet plus three new species for the garden.

Later the drive to Pulborough was hideous taking twice as long as normal due to more than usual road traffic due to no trains operating.

So, arriving mid -morning and a little frazzled, it was good to see one of the IOW eagles in the big tree at the bottom of Upperton's Field. It sat up for a while having arrived here just after dawn but eventually rose up, circled where it was harrassed by Kestrel, Avocet and Black-headed Gull and disappeared into the blue.

This photo courtesy  of @sussexwarblers and the flight map from them via @mostlyscarce.

It was a nice day for catching up with PW and chatting to visitors. The 'Wednesday Gang' pointed out Green Sandpiper  and Little Ringed Plover and just one Nightingale heard.

Lunch was spent in company of Richard, Michael, Ruth and other staff. The closed-for-refurb restaurant ensured no lunchtime non-birders.

Later a stroll to Black Wood produced a single White Admiral but little else.

(The three hawkmoths were released at dusk to keep them safe from the gangs of marauding sparrows).

Thursday

Another moth trap was very thin but included the first Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing of the year plus Snout and an unexpected Bloxworth's Snout, the latter being only the second I've  ever seen. A non-birding outing ensued, Hilliers.

Friday

A visit to TH in hope of seeing the previous days Roseate Terns bore fruit with MF putting out a WhatsApp message that they were still present. Luckily, despite 'losing' my breakfast order the birds remained until after I'd finished it and were being watched by MF and others well offshore with a gull and tern feeding flock. They then started back in, flew directly towards us and were usefully calling, something I don't recall from previous Roseates. They couldn't settle on the reserve and headed back out but must have repeated this circuit as they called again and appeared low and directly overhead just prior to the west gate ten minutes later.

Photo courtesy MF.

The south scrape is now stuffed with fledged juvenile gulls so less stuff for the bigger gulls to wolf down!! A couple of colour ringed Common Terns were present with the closest being readable - just waiting for info via the BTO. The second bird was too distant but was yellow ringed on its left leg so presumably from the same source.

A Cuckoo did a close flypast and landed calling from a dense tree finishing off its 'cuckooing' with that strange coarse chuckle.

Invert-wise few hovers, Anasimyia lineata the best, and a couple of Painted Ladies.

Local walks during the week produced a few more  butterflies along the rough path between the field and road with Essex Skipper becoming more numerous, only one single Small Skipper, a few Meadow Browns plus single Marbled White and the first, pristine Ringlet. Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedisquum was the best-of-the-rest.

Today was a quick coffee at SC in windy and cloudy conditions with just Marbled White, Ringlet and Meadow Brown plus this tatty Emperor Dragonfly hunkered down and hoverfly Eristalis nemorum