Rod's Birding: A day in Leicetershire & Rutland

I was out with Dave today and our first task was to empty his moth trap. We caught and identified 158 moths representing thirty-five species. There were a further seven that at present are unidentified.

The following were recorded: Lozotaeniodes formosanus [1]; Marble Orchard Tortrix [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [3]; Crambus perlella [1]; Agriphila straminella [1]; Agriphila geniculea [1]; Eudonia pallid [2]; Eudonia mercurella [3]; Eudonia lacustrata [1]; Riband Wave [14]; Garden Carpet [1]; July Highflier [1]; Brimstone Moth [1]; Scalloped Oak [1]; Privet Hawkmoth [1]; Pine Hawkmoth [1]; White Satin Moth [2]; Dingy Footman [2]; Scarce Footman [1]; Common Footman [15]; Heart and Dart [11]; Flame [1]; Large Yellow Underwing [3]; Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing [3]; Double Square-spot [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [2]; Clay [1]; Marbled Beauty [3]; Dun-bar [1]; Dark Arches [29]; Common Rustic sp. [14]; Uncertain [19]; Rustic [12]; Golden Plusia [1] and Silver Y [2].

Marbled Orchard Tortrix

Agriphila straminella

Agriphila geniculea

Garden Carpet

July Highflier

Pine Hawkmoth

Bright-line Brown-eye

Golden Plusia

Marbled Beauty

After emptying the trap we set off to Rutland Water and initially went to the Lyndon Reserve where we were hoping to catch up with a Lesser Emperor.

We arrived at the Lyndon Centre and after signing began to walk to shallow water hide where the Lesser Emperor had been seen. We called at deep water hide and tufted duck hide on route and saw two Ruddy Shelduck near goldeneye hide and also located two Greenshanks and three Dunlin amongst the grasses on the point.

Shallow water hide was packed with photographers but we did managed to get a seat fairly quickly but there was no sign of the Lesser Emperor but the two young Osprey were present and a Kingfisher flashed by the hide. There was also a few warblers, which included a Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler and it had also been a good morning for insects. We walked back to the centre and had lunch in the car park before going to Egleton.

After signing in we walked to lagoon four and sandpiper hide. There was a singe Little Egret on the lagoon and three Red Kites were hunting over the fields to the west of Burley Wood and three Buzzards were over the wood.

There was a single Little Ringed Plover, four Ringed Plovers, eight Dunlin, six Black-tailed Godwits, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Redshank on the lagoon. There were also six Yellow-legged Gulls and forty Common Terns.

We saw little as we walked back to the centre but did manage views of the juvenile Marsh Harrier from the centre but there was little else of note.

A Red Kites were seen near Uppingham and Manton and two Buzzards near Uppingham and another near Preston.

It had been quite a good day with a good moth catch and a good selection of birds and nice to see so many butterflies in what has been a dreadful year for them.

The marquees were also going up for the Birdfair, which a few weeks ago was in doubt due to the dreadful weather, let’s hope there is not too much more between now and the middle of August.