Sunday 29 June 2014

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 29, 2014

A cooler night last night that resulted in a smaller catch but there were still seventy moths trapped covering twenty-five species but with only one addition to the year total, a Common Plume.


The following were recorded: Brown House Moth [1]; Light Brown Apple Moth [2]; Celypha striana [2]; Celypha lacunana [1]; Ancylis achatana [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [3]; Crambus pascuella [1]; Common Plume [1]; Riband Wave [4]; Lime-speck Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [2]; Swallow-tailed Moth [1]; Willow Beauty [3]; Light Emerald [1]; Privet Hawkmoth [1]; Elephant Hawk Moth [1]; Common Footman [2]; Heart and Dart [14]; Flame [1]; Large Yellow Underwing [2]; Bright-line Brown-eye [5]; Common Wainscot [1]; Dark Arches [3]; Light Arches 1] and Uncertain [16].

A day’s birding in Leicestershire & Rutland - June 28, 2014

Roger and I were out today and we decided to go to Eyebrook Reservoir first.  We stopped on a couple of occasions on route but saw nothing species, although we did have two roadside Green Woodpeckers.


We approached Eyebrook Reservoir from the southern end and found a Tree Sparrow and a Lesser Whitethroat near the first gateway.  At the northern end we found a couple of Little Ringed Plovers on the exposed mud and two Red Kites were observed perched in a distant tree.  Four Common Terns were over the water and there were still two Shelduck remaining.  After just over an hour on site we moved off to the Egleton Reserve at Rutland Water.


Male Linnet


Female Linnet


Female Linnet


Yellowhammer


Yellowhammer

On arrival we went straight to sandpiper hide on lagoon four as there had been four Knot and several Dunlin yesterday.  There was no sign of the Knot but we did find three Dunlin and four Ringed Plovers.  The brood of Shelduck seen earlier in the week were still present and there were three Little Egrets, an Oystercatcher and four Yellow-legged Gulls present.  One of the Yellow-legged Gulls was an adult whilst the other three were all third-year birds.  A Red Kite was then observed towards Oakham and I heard a Lesser Whitethroat on several occasions but couldn’t find it.


Great Crested Grebe


Common Tern

A visit to shoveler hide on lagoon three produced a female Gadwall with a brood of nine and several Common Tern chicks could be seen on the tern rafts but it was difficult to see precisely how many.  A Little Grebe was escorting three young and I found another with a single young bird.  These were presumably the same pair I had seen on Wednesday when then there were only three young visible.  A Great Crested Grebe was observed escorting a brood of four and it was quite comical seeing the young trying to get onto its back.  Three did manage to get on but the forth had to be content with staying on the water.  There was at least one Reed Warbler singing and another was observed briefly.

A visit to plover hide on lagoon four produced nothing new but we did have further views of the Ringed Plovers and Dunlin and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew over as we started to walk back to the centre.


Common Tern over lagoon four


Common Tern over lagoon four

As we walked back to the car park for lunch it started to rain, and with it still raining after lunch we went to the centre to view lagoon one.  We found a female Shoveler with a brood of seven, two female Gadwall with broods of ten and nine and a female Tufted Duck with a brood of two and there was also a pair of Little Grebe escorting four young.  There was also ten Little Egrets on the lagoon.  As the rain eased we decided to go to the Lyndon Reserve in the south arm.

We saw eight Tree Sparrows and a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders just outside the centre before setting off for shallow water hide.  On route we saw both Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat and we heard both Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.  After taking a short break in Tufted Duck hide to shelter from another shower we continued on to shallow water hide but hadn’t gone too far when we received a text.  Apparently a Gannet had been reported at Eyebrook Reservoir at 13:00 but as it was now 15:20 and there had been no further reports we continued on to shallow water hide.

The two Ospreys were observed on a perch and the nest but eventually one flew off probably to feed.  Six Little Egret were observed on the far shore and there were several Shoveler close to the hide and a pair of Great Crested Grebe were nesting just a few feet away.  The phone then burst into action with message indicating that the Gannet was still at Eyebrook Reservoir and could be seen from Stoke Dry car park.  We decided to go and got back to the centre in about fifteen minutes, which is a pretty good time for two old stagers.

As we approached Stoke Dry car park young Erik was there but we couldn’t see the Gannet.  Erik informed us that it had just flown and was now out of sight, although he didn’t think it had gone too far.  We drove around to the Leicestershire bank where we met Ken who informed us that it was still there.  The adult was sitting on the water just in front of the plantation and was gradually drifting back towards the car park.  After watching it for a few minutes we drove back to the car park and went into the plantation to get a better view.  It was still drifting towards the car park but I managed to get a couple of shots of it before we returned to the car park.  It started to rain again and so Roger and I decided to call it a day and headed off home.


Gannet

A brief visit to Thornton Reservoir, Leicestershire - June 27, 2014

An exceptional record of a Long-tailed Duck was reported yesterday and was still there this morning.  It was the first ever reported Long-tailed Duck in June for Leicestershire & Rutland and I decided to go and take a look.

When I arrived the heavens opened and I could see very little from the car, except for five fishing boats.  The heavy rain was affecting the visibility but as it began to clear I noticed a few Tufted Ducks on the far side of the dam.  I drove to the small parking area at the southeast corner of the reservoir and closer to the birds.  It was still raining but had eased considerably and I was able to use the telescope whist sheltering under my umbrella.  It didn’t take too long to find the Long-tailed Duck in amongst the Tufted Ducks and I had reasonable views until the rain became heavier again and the bird began to dive.  I considered the bird to be a female, although the head pattern wasn’t perfect for a summer adult as it had a Garganey-like white blaze above the eye that fell away beyond the eye.  With the weather showing no signs of improvement I called it a day and headed home.


Dave had called me earlier today as he found and caught a Large Emerald moth near one of his outside lights.  It looked very butterfly-like as it rested with the wings wide open and I was able to get a nice photo of it.


Large Emerald

Thursday 26 June 2014

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire June 26, 2014

There wasn’t as many moths outside of the trap today and just ninety-seven were trapped and identified, which is well down on the catch of 215 on the 23rd.  Not surprisingly there was therefore less species with thirty-three being recorded, which did include two new for the year.


The following were recorded: Ghost Moth [1]; Hawthorn Moth [1]; Diamond-backed Moth [1]; Timothy Tortrix [1]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1]; Celypha striana [1]; Celypha lacunana [1]; Ancylis achatana [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [12]; Crambus pascuella [2]; Eudonia mercurella [3]; Udea prunalis [1]; Lime-speck Pug [1]; Swallow-tailed Moth [2]; Peppered Moth [2]; Willow Beauty [1]; Privet Hawkmoth [1]; Polar Hawkmoth [1]; Buff-tip [2]; Common Footman [2]; Buff Ermine [3]; Heart and Dart [14]; Flame [1]; Cabbage Moth [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [5]; Dagger species [1]; Marbled Beauty [3]; Dark Arches [11]; Light Arches [2]; Marbled Minor group [4]; Common Rustic group [1]; Uncertain [12 and The Fan-foot [1].


Female Ghost Moth


Udea prunalis


Peppered Moth (sooty form)


Willow Beauty


Common Rustic group

A morning in Leicestershire & Rutland - June 25, 2014

I was out with Dave for the morning and we initially headed for Eyebrook Reservoir.  We had a Little Owl perched in a roadside tree as we approached Cranoe, which was a new site.  Neither the Slawston or Eyebrook Reservoir Little Owls obliged today and we saw nothing else of note on route.

We drove in at the southern end of the reservoir but there was very little on the water as we made our way to the bridge over the inlet.  It was quiet at the bridge with just a Willow Warbler heard singing being the highlight.  We parked up overlooking the now reasonable expanse of mud and there was a Green Sandpiper and two Redshank feeding at the water’s edge and a Shelduck resting on the mud.  There were a few Swifts over the water and circa twenty Sand Martins suddenly appeared and were still there when we moved on.  Four Common Terns were the only other birds of note.

We moved off to the Old Hall at Rutland Water where there had been four Common Scoters yesterday but there was no sign today.  There were a few Common Terns feeding over the south arm, a Little Egret was observed in flight and there were eleven Egyptian Geese close to the Old Hall.  A single Whitethroat was also observed.

The north arm produced a Red Kite, a Buzzard and two Osprey but other then three Common Terns and eight Little Egrets there was little else.

On reaching the centre we observed lagoon one where there was a single Oystercatcher and a female Gadwall with nine downy young.  Tim informed us that the two remaining Avocet chicks had disappeared and that the adults had now left.


We walked to shoveler hide on lagoon three where the water had now dropped and there was a small island of mud.  A summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit was present and a Green Sandpiper made a brief visit.


Black-tailed Godwit

Another nice surprise was a pair of Little Grebe with three tiny young.



Little Grebes with the three young

A visit to plover hide on lagoon four produced a Little Egret and two Ringed Plovers but very little else.  Sandpiper faired a little better where there were another two Ringed Plovers, a Redshank and three Little Egrets.  There was also a pair of Shelduck with five young and two third-year Yellow-legged Gulls.

A walk back along the summer trail produced several Emerald Damselflies and we saw at least eight Four-spotted Chasers, a Brown Hawker and another Emerald Damselfly from redshank hide.

Tuesday 24 June 2014

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 24, 2014

Another good night with 215 moths trapped and identified that included five new for the year but no new moths.


Bird-cherry Ermine [1]; Brown Hose Moth [3]; Light Brown Apple Moth [5]; Red-barred Tortrix [4]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [2]; Aleimma loeflingiana [1]; Green Oak Tortrix [1]; Celypha striana [3]; Celypha lacunana [1]; Marble Orchard Tortrix [3]; Ancylis achatana [1]; Bramble Shoot Moth [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [23]; Crambus pascuella [2]; Eudonia mercurella [4]; Udea olivalis [3]; Bee Moth [1]; Phycitodes binaevella [2]; Common Emerald [1]; Small Dusty Wave [1]; Riband Wave [8]; Silver-ground Carpet [1]; Foxglove Pug [2]; Mottled Pug [1]; Freyer’s Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [5]; Swallow-tailed Moth [4]; Willow Beauty [7]; Clouded Silver [2]; Light Emerald [1]; Lime Hawkmoth [1]; Poplar Hawkmouth [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [4]; Buff-tip [1]; Common Footman [9]; Buff Ermine [2]; Heart and Dart [24]; Flame [3]; Flame Shoulder [1]; Dot Moth [4]; Bright-line Brown-eye [11]; Varied Cornet [3]; Marbled Beauty [3]; Dark Arches [23]; Light Arches [2]; Marbled Minor species [5]; Middle-barred Minor [1]; Uncertain [12]; Rustic [4]; Beautiful Hook-tip [1]; Snout [3] and The Fan Foot [1].


Small Dusty Wave


Silver Ground Carpet

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 23, 2014

I put the moth trap out again last night and 183 were identified covering fifty-three species, including a new species for me, Rhodophaea Formosa.  There was also eight new species for the year bringing the year’s total to 138.


The following were recorded; Mompha ochraceella [1]: Large Fruit Tree Tortrix [1]; Timothy Tortrix [1]; Light Brown Apple Moth [3]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1]; Green Oak Tortrix [6]; Celypha striana [3]; Celypha lacunana [2]; Marbe Orchard Tortrix [2]; Ancylis achatana [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [17]; Eudonia mercurella [12]; Brown China-mark [2]; Small Magpie [2]; Anania perlucidalis [1]; Udea olivalis [1]; Hypsopygia glaucinalis [1]; Rhodophaea Formosa [1]; Common Emerald [1]; Blood-vein [1]; Riband Wave [7]; Flame Carpet [4]; Garden Carpet [1]; Mottled Pug [2]; Wormwood Pug [2]; Green Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [2]; Swallow-tailed Moth [5]; Peppered Moth [1]; Willow Beauty [4]; Clouded Silver [2]; Light Emerald [1]; Poplar Hawkmoth [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [3]; Buff-tip [1]; Common Footman [4]; Buff Ermine [2]; Heart and Dart [20]; Flame [8]; Dot Moth [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [6]; Common Wainscot [1]; Dagger species [2]; Dark Arches [13]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [2]; Mrabled Minor species [4]; Middle-barred Minor [1]; Uncertain [12]; Rustic [1]; Silver Y [1]; Beautiful Hook-tip [3]; Snout [2] and The Fan Foot [3].


Brown China-mark


Hypsopygia glaucinalis


Rhodophaea Formosa


Rhodophaea Formosa


Common Emerald


Light Emerald


Common Wainscot

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 22, 2014

I had woken early this morning and potted the moths that were outside the trap and then started to identify the contents at 07:00 when my granddaughter Clia.  There were 190 moths identified covering fifty-three species, one of which, Wormwood Pug was new for me.  There were also eight new moths for the year.


The following were recorded: Brown House-moth [2]; Timothy Tortrix [3]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1]; Green Oak Tortrix [11]; Celypha striana [6]; Marble Orchard Tortrix [2]; Ancylis achatana [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [17]; Eudonia mercurella [9]; Small Magpie [1]; Anania coronate [1]; Brimstone Moth [5]; Swallow-tailed Moth [4]; Willow Beauty [4]; Clouded Silver [1]; Light Emerald [1]; Privet Hawkmoth [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [4]; Buff-tip [1]; Common Footman [6]; Turnip Moth [1]; Heart and Dart [21]; Flame [9]; Bright-line Brown-eye [9]; Varied Coronet [1]; Sycamore [2]; Dagger species [3]; Marbled Beauty [1]; Dark Arches [6]; Light Arches [1]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [2]; Marbled Minor species [10]; Uncertain [16]; Beautiful Hook-tip [4]; and Straw Dot [2].


Ancylis achatana


Ancylis achatana


Small Magpie


Anania coronate


Riband Wave


Large Twin-spot Carpet


Wormwood Pug


Swallow-tailed Moth


Privet Hawkmoth


Sycamore


Light Arches

A twitch to East Sussex - June 21, 2014

Dave, Roger, Ken and I set off at 05:30 to the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex hoping to see a Short-toed Snake Eagle that had been present for a few days.  The journey down was uneventful and we arrived at about 08:20 having driven just over 160 miles.


As we parked the car we heard a Turtle Dove calling before we walked along Kidd’s Hill to journey a group of other birders scoping to the northeast.  The bird was still present and could be seen perched in a distant tree but the view were pretty awful and so we walked down Chuck Hatch Road to join another group of birders.  The bird had flown when we joined them but was still on view and a little closer.  We then spent well over an hour watching the bird either perched or hunting along the ridge and we saw it take two snakes.  During our visit it came a little closer and I got a couple of pretty awful records shots.  It disappeared on a couple occasions but was in view most of the time whilst we were there.  There were several Tree Pipits in the area and we also saw two Woodlarks and one rather well as it perched in the top of a birch.  As we walked back to the car for lunch we saw a male and immature Stonechat and a Buzzard was observed as we had lunch.



Short-toed Snake Eagle

After lunch we went just down the road to a Sussex reserve at Top Lodge and from the car park walked down the hill to view several ponds.  I saw another male Stonechat briefly and we also had a couple female Redstarts.  There was a good selection of dragonflies around the ponds and we saw Large Red Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser and Keeled Skimmer.  The Keeled Skimmer was a first for me and the Golden-ringed Dragonfly was only my second sighting, the first being in Cot Valley, Cornwall in 2006.


Keeled Skimmer

With a long drive back we left just after 14:00 and arrived back home at 17:30.

Wednesday 18 June 2014

A late evening at Cannock Chase, Staffordshire - June 18, 2014

Andy Howes had arrange a trip to a site where he had seen both Long-eared Owl and Nightjar last week.

We arrived in the car park after negotiating the closers on the A5 at 21:20.  When we were all ready we walked down a track to an open area on the heath.


Our first bird was a Roding Woodcock as we approached the more open area and we possibly saw as many as five birds during the visit.   Steve then picked up a distant Hobby that eventually flew almost right over us and a Kestrel hunted nearby.  As the light faded a Nightjar was heard calling and we retraced our steps and eventually had brief views of the bird as it flew just in front of us before disappearing.  It continued churring and was heard giving a single note call presumably as it took to flight or whilst in flight but it wasn’t seen again.  A second bird was heard from the car park as we were preparing to leave.  A Long-eared Owl was observed perched on a fence post alongside the track on several occasions and two were seen flying across the heath in fading light.  There has been at least five seen of which we saw three.

A day’s birding in Leicestershire & Rutland - June 17, 2014

I went to Eyebrook Reservoir first today seeing nothing of note on route.

On arrival the cloud was starting to break but it was cool in the brisk northerly wind.  I stopped at the inlet bridge briefly where I had views of a Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat.  There was more exposed mud today at the inlet and a Green Sandpiper was actively feeding along the edges and there were four Shelduck resting on the mud and three Common Terns feeding over the water.  A Red Kite and two Buzzards were soaring over a distant hill top but generally it was rather quiet.


I moved onto the Rutland Water and after speaking to Steve went to lagoon four, seeing a Hobby on route, to help with the wildfowl count.  There wasn’t an awful lot on the lagoon today except for eleven Little Egrets, an Oystercatcher, four Ringed Plovers and two Yellow-legged Gulls.  Having visited both dunlin and plover hides on lagoon four I went into bittern hide where the vegetation had just been cut and so it appeared rather quiet.  There were a few Common Terns over the lagoon and several Reed Warblers but nothing else of note.  From shoveler hide, also on lagoon three, there appeared to be more Gadwall than of late I there was a drake Wigeon amongst them, which was the first for a while.  A single Shelduck flew in and was rather vocal for a while but eventually just settled down to feed.


Common Tern over lagoon four

I walked on towards lapwing hide but just called at smew and crake hides but saw nothing of note, except for a Yellow-legged Gull over smew hide.


Third-year Yellow-legged Gull

I called at buzzard hide on lagoon three but like everywhere today it appeared quiet.

As I started to walk back to the centre I met Ken, Steve and Terry and we walked back together along the summer trail.  Lots of blue damselflies, both Azure and Common, and we also saw a single Emerald Damselfly as well as Blood-vein and Common Wave moths.  Steve also found a rather large caterpillar that turned out to be a Drinker Moth and there were a couple of Chimney Sweeper moths over the meadow as we approached the centre.


Drinker caterpillar

After some lunch Ken and I went to snipe hide on the wet meadow.  Steve and Terry had been in the hide earlier and couldn’t find the brood of three Avocets.  When we arrived there was an adult on the flash but again there was no sign of the young Avocets.  I could hear the ‘chip-chip’ call of a Redshank and whilst scanning I noticed a young Redshank running up one of the stretches of water and then found an adult nearby.  The lone Avocet then flew towards harrier hide and joined a second bird.  We decided to go to harrier where we found four adult Avocets and one tiny young, which was not one of the three young from the flash.  As I scanned further around the scrape I noticed a large chick, which was probably one of the three from the flash.  Both Ken and I scanned the area several times but could only find one of the original three.  They were all present last night and clearly something had occurred either during the night or early this morning.  The two adults had clearly moved with the remaining young to the opposite end of the wet meadow.  Yet again Avocets appear to be really struggling for any young to fledge.  A second Redshank was found on the meadow but there was little else of note.

On reaching the car park we decided to go to the north arm to look for the Glossy Ibis.  We found the Glossy Ibis to the south of the path but it was quite difficult to see as it fed amongst the Juncus.  We moved to try and gain some height and could see the bird preening on the shore.  A fishing boat drifted closer to it and it took to flight and headed off towards the Egleton Reserve and presumable came down on one of the lagoons or wet meadow.  We also saw two Spotted Flycatchers whilst we were in the north arm.

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 16, 2014

Another night out with the trap and the best catch so far this year.  There were night-five moths trapped covering thirty-three species.  Hawthorn Moth was another new micro and there were another nine new for the year.


The following were recorded: Scythropia crataegella [1]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1]; Epinotia bilunana [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [8]; Anania perlucidalis [1]; Blood-vein [1]; Riband Wave [1]; Barred Straw [1]; Common Marbled Carpet [2]; Foxglove Pug [3]; Lime-speck Pug [2]; Brimstone Moth [4]; Scalloped Hazel [1]; Willow Beauty [3]; Mottled Beauty [1]; Clouded Silver [1]; Eyed Hawkmoth [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [1]; Buff-tip [1]; Common Footman [2]; Buff Ermine [1]; Heart and Dart [29]; Cabbage Moth [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [6]; Common Wainscot [1]; The Shark [1]; Marbled Beauty [1]; Dark Arches [3]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [3]; Marbled Minor species [4]; Uncertain [5]; Silver Y [2] and Beautiful Hook-tip [1].


Epinotia bilunana


Epinotia bilunana


Notocelia trimaculana


Notocelia trimaculana


Anania perlucidalis


Blood-vein


Barred Straw


Lime-speck Pug


Cabbage Moth


The Shark


The Shark


Marbled Beauty