A morning in Leicestershire & Rutland - July 11, 2017

I was helping with the WeBS Count at Rutland Water today and had made an earlier start as I didn’t want to be late getting back home as Sandra and I were heading off on an Alaskan adventure early tomorrow morning.

I had agreed with Tim that I would count South Arm Three and Lagoon One and was on site to begin counting by 06:00.  There had been a lot of wildfowl on Lagoon One during my last visit and I was expecting that they would either be in South Arm Three or still on Lagoon One.  As I started the count in South Arm Three, although there were good numbers of Mute Swan and Tufted Duck the numbers were well below what had been on Lagoon One during my last visit.  Highlights included twenty-four Egyptian Geese, three Little Egrets, an Oystercatcher and four Common Terns.

Tim called and asked if I could possibly do some of the new lagoons and agreed to call him after I had finished Lagoon One as I was still fearful of it taking quite some time.  The centre wasn’t open when I reached the Egleton Reserve and so I went to Mallard Hide to begin counting Lagoon One.  When I opened the flaps, I was surprised and quite relived to find there wasn’t masses of ducks on the lagoon and I was soon on my way to Snipe Hide to continue counting Lagoon One and the Wet Meadow.  Highlights on Lagoon One were a single Shoveler, a Great White Egret, two Common Terns and a Kingfisher.

When I reached Snipe Hide there was another Shoveler on the Wet Meadow but very little else on either the meadow or additions to Lagoon One, although I did find a female-type Marsh Harrier resting in reeds on Lagoon One.

There was little to add to either counts from Harrier Hide and I called Tim and agreed to count lagoons five and six.  Neither of them took long to count with the highlight being sixteen Little Egrets on Lagoon Five but a further check from Snipe Hide produced a couple of Green Sandpipers on the Wet Meadow.  With my agreed sections now all complete I headed off home to prepare for the Alaska trip.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - July 10. 2017

Not such a good night mothing last night with just 107 trapped and identified and only one new for the year.

The following were recorded: Ermine species [1]; Bird-cherry Ermine [3]; Honeysuckle Moth [1]; Brown House Moth [3]; Crassa unitella [4]; Blastobasis adustella [6]; Red-barred Tortrix [2]; Clepsis consimilana [1]; Light Brown Apple Moth [1]; Agapeta hamana [6]; Celypha striana [1]; Celypha lacunana [1]; Bud Moth [1]; Anania coronate [1]; Small Magpie [1]; Eudonia mercurella [2]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [31]; Crambus pascuella [6]; Agriphila straminella [7]; Chinese Character [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [1]; Small Fan-footed Wave [1]; Riband Wave [5]; Small Blood-vein [1]; Brimstone Moth [1]; Purple Thorn [1]; Dingy Footman [1]; Common Footman [4]; Scarce Footman [1]; The Fan-foot [2]; The Coronet [1]; Marbled Beauty [3]; Dark Arches [2]; The Flame [1] and Large Yellow Underwing [2].

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - July 9, 2017

There were 177 moths covering fifty-six species in the moth trap last night with eleven being new for the year with one, Juniper Webber, being a lifer.

The following were recorded: Ghost Moth [1]; Bird-cherry Ermine [6]; Diamond-back Moth [2]; Brown House Moth [1]; Carcina quercana [1]; Dichomeris marginella [1]; Juniper Webber [1]; Blastobasis adustella [3]; Red-barred Tortrix [1]; Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix [2]; Clepsis consimilana [1]; Light Brown Apple Moth [1]; Cnephasia species [1]; Acleris forsskaleana [1]; Eucosma cana [3]; Pammene fasciana [1]; Acrobasis advenella [1]; Phycitodes binaevella [1]; Anania coronate [2]; Small Magpie [1]; Mother of Pearl [1]; Eudonia mercurella [6]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [14]; Crambus pascuella [10]; Crambus perlella [2]; Agriphila straminella [14]; Peach Blossom [1]; Poplar Hawkmoth [1]; Least Carpet [1]; Small Fan-footed Wave [1]; Riband Wave [10]; Small Blood-vein [1]; Large Twin-spot Carpet [1]; Lime-speck Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [3]; Purple Thorn [1]; Scalloped Oak [3]; Swallow-tailed Moth [2]; Willow Beauty [1]; Light Emerald [1]; Ruby Tiger [2]; Dingy Footman [3]; Common Footman [14; Scarce Footman [3]; Silver Y [2]; Marbled Beauty [11]; The Uncertain [11]; The Rustic [1]; Dark Arches [3]; Common Rustic species [6]; Bright-line Brown-eye [4]; Dot Moth [2]; The Clay [1]; Heart and Dart [2]; The Flame [1]; Large Yellow Underwing [2] and Lesser Yellow Underwing [1].

Ghost Moth

Juniper Webber

Large Twin-spot Carpet

Least Carpet

Peach Blossom

Ruby Tiger

The Clay

An day in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire & Rutland - July 8, 2018

David, Roger and I decided to visit Fermyn Wood in Northamptonshire as the birding front was quiet and we were hoping for a good selection of butterflies.  Roger was driving and after picking David up we headed to Corby and then onto Fermyn Wood but we didn’t see a great deal on route.

Swallows in Newton Harcourt

When we arrived, I was a little surprised to find just a couple of cars parked at the entrance and after parking we started to walk along the track into the wood.  There was a couple watching an area of foliage that was lit by the morning sunlight and there were several butterflies taking advantage of the shelter and warmth.  They had seen a Purple Emperor but it didn’t reappear whilst we observed the trees but we did have a couple of Purple Hairstreaks and a Silver-washed Fritillary.

Purple Hairstreak

We eventually moved further along the footpath to the first crossroads where we had views of a butterfly that initially caused some confusion as some thought it was a Purple Emperor but it turned out to be a White Admiral.  We stopped again near the first left-hand bend where we had two more Silver-washed Fritillaries, one of which provided some excellent photo opportunities.  We eventually reached the end of the first wood but still hadn’t seen a Purple Emperor and so moved onto the second piece of woodland.

Silver-washed Fritillary

Silver-washed Fritillary

Silver-washed Fritillary

Silver-washed Fritillary

Just after entering the wood David thought he had a Purple Emperor but it failed to reappear and we went further into the wood.  David then called Roger and I had he had found a Red Kite and Sparrowhawk circling high above the wood.  Another couple then appeared but they hadn’t had any luck with the emperors but as the guy walked further along the ride he said here we go as he found one on the path.  It didn’t stay too long and the proceeded to fly further down the ride with the guy in hot pursuit, even running after it but every time he approached it wasn’t surprising to see it fly off.  It eventually doubled back and came towards us landing briefly in the bushes where we had a reasonable view.

Purple Emperor

After it flew we proceeded to walk back and Roger then found it or another perched in tree much high.  When we alerted David, who was talking to someone else, as they came towards us they found another on the ground and we eventually had two flying along the ride.  They did come onto the ground a few times but appeared reluctant to settle for any length of time and one landed at my feet but flew again without fully opening its wings.

Purple Emperor

Purple Emperor

As we were waking back along the final stretch before getting to the car another observed said he had seen both Purple and White-letter Hairstreak on the ground between where we were and the cars.  As we walked a little further we found the White-letter Hairstreak still on the ground where we able to watch and photograph it down to a few yards.

White-letter Hairstreak

White-letter Hairstreak

This provide a good ending to an excellent two-and-a-half hour at the site, where we had seen Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, four Purple Hairstreaks, a White-letter Hairstreak, three White Admirals, four Purple Emperors, four Red Admirals, six Commas, eleven Silver-washed Fritillaries, two Speckled Wood, three Meadow Brown and lots of Ringlets.

Bird wise we had seen two Red Kites, a Sparrowhawk, Marsh Tit and a Chiffchaff and heard Tawny Owl, Blackcap, Nuthatch and Treecreeper. 

From Fermyn we made our way to Rutland Water and initially went to Normanton where we had three female-type Mandarins and a Little Egret.  From Normanton, we went to the Egleton Reserve and found Steve having his lunch in the car park.  He hadn’t seen too much during the morning and after some lunch we went to the northern lagoons.

There was a pair of Shelduck with four young on Lagoon Four, a single Little Egret and Roger picked up one of the Great White Egrets at the back of the lagoon.  There were six Oystercatchers and a Ringed Plover on the lagoon and we found a Whimbrel amongst a party of five Curlew and two Redshank and six Yellow-legged Gulls were also observed.  The Whimbrel is apparently the one that spent most of last winter on site identified by a coppery coloured ring, which suggests that it may not be a wild bird.  David then found what he thought was a first-summer Arctic Tern amongst the resting Common Terns and after some debate we were all in agreement and to help matters a first-summer Common Tern also appeared.  David thought that it might be the bird I had seen a few weeks ago in South Arm Three but that hadn’t been reported for several weeks and this bird looked very different.  A Sparrowhawk flew over as we left the hide but we hadn’t seen a great deal else when we arrived back at the centre.

Steve had called earlier to say that nineteen Black-tailed Godwits had dropped onto Lagoon One and thankfully they were still on the long island but with else we called it a day and headed off.

Whilst at Rutland Water we had seen a good range of insects that included a Speckled Wood, a Gatekeeper, ten Ringlets, a Large Skipper, twenty plus Common Blue Damselflies, a Blue-tailed Damselfly, a Southern Hawker and four Ruddy Darters.

Ruddy Darter

We called at Eyebrook Reservoir on route home where we had three Little Egrets, an Osprey and a Green Sandpiper.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - July 8, 2017

There were 178 moths trapped and identified last night three covering forty-five species of which three were new for the year.

The following were recorded: Brown House-moth [3]; Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix [1]; Lozotaeniodes formosana [1]; Cnephasia species [1]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1];Bud Moth [1]; Notocelia trimaculana [4]; Codling Moth [1]; Acrobasis advenella [4]; Gold Triangle [1]; Anania coronate [3]; Mother of Pearl [1]; Eudonia mercurella [4]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [26]; Crambus pascuella [15]; Crambus perlella [4]; Agriphila straminella [9]; Poplar Hawkmoth [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth [2]; Riband Wave [17]; Lime-speck Pug [1]; Wormwood Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [2]; Purple Thorn [2]; Scalloped Oak [1]; Swallow-tailed Moth [1]; Willow Beauty [3]; The Snout [1]; Dingy Footman [1]; Common Footman [11]; Scarce Footman [2]; Silver Y [2]; The Coronet [4]; Marbled Beauty [2]; The Uncertain [6]; The Rustic [3]; Dark Arches [12]; Marbled Minor species [2]; Bright-line Brown-eye [8]; Dot Moth [1]; Smoky Wainscot [3]; Heart and Dart [3]; The Flame [4]; Large Yellow Underwing [3] and Double Square-spot [1].

A day in Lincolnshire and Rutland - July 6, 2017

It was quiet on the birding front locally and so David, Malcolm, Roger and I decided to spend at least some of the day at Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire.  The plan was for David to drive and that he and Malcolm would pick Roger and I from home.  When they arrived, Malcolm was driving as David had some problems with his car.  We didn’t see a great deal on route and arrived at Frampton just before 09:00 and then drove to the car park near the sea wall.

Whilst we were getting ready, a party of six Oystercatchers flew over several times and I was able to get some nice flight shots.

Oystercatchers

Oystercatchers

We scanned the area to the north of the car park and found there were good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit on the marsh along with numerous Avocets and a single Ruff.  Malcolm and David went up onto the sea wall, leaving Roger and I scanning the marsh to the south were there more Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank and we found a single Ringed Plover.

When we joined David and Malcom they hadn’t see a great deal else but we then found a couple of Brent Geese and a Little Ringed Plover on the area just south of the car park.  Malcolm then found three Dunlin before we started to walk along the bank towards the East Hide.  We heard a Greenshank call and as we were scanning a group of Avocets, Malcolm picked out a summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank.  Whilst we were watching the Spotted Redshank a Greenshank dropped in and two more Spotted Redshank appeared.  There was also another Ringed Plover and at least eleven Dunlin in the same area.  From the car park, we had seen at least fifty Little Egrets but as we reached the area there were far few and presumably some at least and gone out to feed on The Wash.  The saltmarsh was relatively quiet but we did find a single Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel.

When we reached the bend in the sea wall Malcom indicated that he and a Roger had a Whimbrel but then indicated that it might just be a Curlew.  David and I were soon watching the bird and as the discussion was moving towards it being a Curlew as the bill was perhaps a little longer than most Whimbrel but I was still thinking it was a Whimbrel.  The bill, although quite long, drooped more towards the tip and there was a clear central crown-stripe flanked by a darker crown.  There was also a noticeable supercilium, although it wasn’t always obvious and the bird didn’t appear large enough, in my eyes, to be a Curlew.  David and Roger were now moving towards Whimbrel but Malcolm was still concerned about the bill length.  It then flew further away but didn’t call and shortly afterwards it disappeared into a dyke.  When it flew it appeared relatively small and looked rather dark, again supporting that it was a Whimbrel.

When we reached the East Hide we found the summering Whooper Swan was feeding to the left of the hide and again there were quite a few Black-tailed Godwits on the marsh.  Other than a couple of Wigeon there wasn’t a great deal else and no sign of the long-staying Spoonbills or yesterday’s Garganey.  The godwits did fly quite close to the hide presenting a nice photo opportunity.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits

We continued around the footpath but saw very little, other than four Ruff, before reaching Reedbed Hide.  There was a single Red-crested Pochard resting on one of the islands with three more resting in the cover of some emergent reeds and then David found a fifth swimming away from another island.

When we got back to the car we had our lunch and then went into the centre to see what else had been reported but other than a single Golden Plover we had seen most other sightings and set off for Rutland Water.

On our way to Rutland Water we had a single Buzzard near Tallington, a Red Kite between Stanford and Empingham and a second Red Kite over Empingham as we entered the village.

After visiting the North Arm where we had ten Little Ringed Plovers we went to the centre and found a couple of Ringed Plovers on the long island but with little else we were soon on our way to the northern lagoons seeing a Kestrel as we approached the large meadow.  Roger was behind us and David and Malcolm went along the Summer Trail, whilst I went along the long path allowing Roger to catch me up.  There was a single Buzzard to the west and a few insects along the path and I photographed a Comma and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Comma

Black-tailed Skimmer

Roger and I stopped at the bottom of the ramp to talk to Brian and Roger Brett but they hadn’t seen a great deal and so Roger and I eventually joined David and Malcolm in the hide.  David immediately told us that there several Yellow-legged Gulls, a Common Gull and a possible Caspian Gull on the spit between Islands Seven and Ten.  There were seven Yellow-legged Gulls and the Common Gull was my first at Rutland Water since May 18^th.  The possible Caspian Gull was a second-year bird and was standing near several Great Black-backed Gulls and another pale grey mantled bird.  The structure and bill of the of the second-year bird convinced us that it was a Caspian Gull, whilst I considered the grey-mantled bird to be a Herring Gull, which was later proven when I photographed it in flight.

Herring Gull

Second-year Caspian Gull

There were four Oystercatchers, another two Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin and five Black-tailed Godwits on the lagoon but with little else.  We made our way to Redshank Hide on Lagoon Two were there was a female Tufted Duck escorting a brood of seven and we did see seven Black-tailed Godwits in flight towards Barnsdale.    We viewed Lagoon One from one of the Rutland gates but with nothing new in evidence we made our way home.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - July 5, 2017

A tawny owl was heard calling around 02:00 but I couldn’t see it.

There were 131 moths that were trapped and identified last night covering forty-five species five of which were new for the year that included a lifer, Cherry Fruit Moth.

The following were recorded: Ermine Species [2]; Bird-cherry Ermine [8]; Cherry Fruit Moth [1]; Brown House-moth [1]; Blastobasis lacticolella [1]; Cnephasia sp. [1]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1]; Agapeta hamana [1]; Celypha striana [1]; Notocelia trimaculana [1]; Acrobasis advenella [4]; Thistle Ermine [1]; Phycitodes binaevella [1]; Small Magpie [4]; Mother of Pearl [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [26]; Crambus pascuella [20]; Agriphila straminella [2]; Buff Arches [1]; Riband Wave [3]; Double-striped Pug [3]; Common Pug [2]; Peppered Moth [1]; Willow Beauty [3]; Mottled Beauty [1]; The Snout [1]; Buff Ermine [1]; Common Footman [11]; The Fan-foot [2]; Dagger species [1]; The Coronet [1]; Marbled Beauty [2]; The Uncertain [4]; The Rustic [1]; Dark Arches [5]; Light Arches [1]; Common Rustic species [2]; Bright-line Brown-eye [4]; Smoky Wainscot [2]; Heart and Dart [1] and Large Yellow Underwing [1].

Cherry Fruit Moth

Double-striped Pug

Moth of Pearl

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - July 4, 2017

I was out on my own today and headed for Eyebrook Reservoir seeing a Buzzard just before turning towards the reservoir but there was no sign of the Little Owls in the old oak.

I stopped at the bridge but it was quiet with just a single Blackcap singing and a Kestrel being seen to the east.  I drove and parked overlooking the inlet and found a single Little Ringed Plover amongst the Lapwing and there was a female Gadwall with a brood of seven in the stream.  There were at least seven Common Terns around the reservoir, six Swift passed through and there was a very distant Buzzard to the south-west.  I also heard Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler but didn’t see either and eventually moved onto Rutland Water.

As I drove down the road towards Lyndon a Least Weasel ran across the road and after parking I went to Teal Hide to view the south arm.  I could see both young Osprey and the adults in Manton Bay and it doesn't look as if it won’t be too long before the young are flying.  There were four Common Terns flying around Manton Bay and another seven scattered around the south arm and there were five Little Egrets visible between the hide and the Manton Bay bridge.  I checked the feeders on the way back to the car and found a couple of Tree Sparrows and I saw three Garden Warblers and a Whitethroat close to the hide.

A visit to Normanton for Mandarin looked as though it would be unproductive after checking both the harbour and the area between the harbour and the church.  I had walked about 100 meters towards the church and as I walked back I found the female with three well-grown young huddled down amongst the rocks and not concerned although I was just a couple of meters away.

Female Mandarin and three young

A visit to Normanton for Mandarin looked as though it would be unproductive after checking both the harbour and the area between the harbour and the church.  I had walked about 100 meters towards the church and as I walked back I found the female with three well-grown young huddled down amongst the rocks and not concerned although I was just a couple of meters away.

There was an adult Yellow-legged Gull perched on one of the buoys and two Common Terns were feeding in the bay.  Steve and Terry joined me and after a brief chat and seeing an Osprey we walked back to the cars when Terry picked up a Sparrowhawk flying over before they went onto Lyndon and I went to the Egerton Reserve.

After parking I went into the centre to view Lagoon One, where I found a Great White Egret, a Little Egret and another Yellow-legged Gull.  The number of Tufted Duck on the lagoon had increased significantly and there must have been several hundred birds present.  I scanned through them but didn’t find anything of note, although many of the birds were roosting on the islands, making identification difficult but most were clearly Tufted Ducks.

I eventually left the centre and went towards the southern lagoons where I intended to complete a circuit and then go to the northern lagoons this afternoon.  I saw a Chiffchaff just before I came out of the wooded area and along the path towards the hides.

A rather damp Song Thrush devouring a snail

Song Thrush

On reaching Snipe Hide I found a single Shelduck and a Green Sandpiper on the Wet Meadow flash but saw very little else and continued onto Harrier Hide.  Mike Chester joined me in the hide but the only bird of note was an Oystercatcher flying over.  I was thinking of departing when Steve called to say Terry had found a female Ruddy Duck on Lagoon One but Mike and I were unable to see and went back to Snipe Hide to get a different view but again got the same result.  Ken had called to say he had arrived and went to the centre to look for the Ruddy.  When Mike and I went up to the viewing area Steve and Terry were still there and Ken was scoping the Ruddy Duck.  Mike and I soon found the Ruddy Duck diving amongst a party of Canada Geese and presumably it was the same individual that had been present over last winter, which I last saw on May 13^th.

Small Tortoiseshell

Gatekeeper

As we walked back to the car park for lunch a Sparrowhawk flew over and a Red Kite was circling the field to the south.

After lunch Ken and I went to the northern lagoons, seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker on route, and on reaching the far end of the Summer Trail went into Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four.  From the hide, we found a single Shelduck, seven Little Egrets, a Great White Egret, five Oystercatchers, four Ringed Plovers and three Redshank.  There were a few large gulls on the lagoon, that included two Yellow-legged Gulls and eleven Common Terns that were roosting on the spit running from Island Ten

Great White Egret being harassed by a Black-headed Gull

Having moved on to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three, where the water is beginning to drop we found an immature Shelduck and a Little Egret on the far side of the lagoon.  Steve and Terry then joined us and Steve found a Green Sandpiper in the recently cleared area in the reedbed and whilst viewing this we also found a female Tufted Duck with a brood of four.

Juvenile Little Grebe

Juvenile Great Crested Grebe

Probable young male Pochard on Lagoon Three

Steve and Terry had seen a pair of Redshank with four young from Dunlin Hide on Lagoon Four and so I walked around to the hide hoping that I would see them.  I found the two adults, one with three young and another with just one.  As I watched them one of the adults became quite agitated and flew around to where one of the three had been feeding and then flew into the longer grass.  It came out of the grass still calling and still agitated and continued to call for quite some time after which I only ever saw three juveniles.  Whilst in the hide I found nine Little Ringed Plovers, two more Ringed Plovers, making six in total, scattered around the lagoon.

I called at Eyebrook Reservoir again on route home and saw two Shelduck and heard a Little Owl calling.

Small Skipper at Rutland Water

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - July 3, 2017

There were 146 moths trapped and identified last night with eleven being new for the year, two of which were new for the garden.

The following were recorded: Bird Cherry Ermine [1]; Batia lunaris [1]; Blastobasis adustella [1]; Eucosma cana [1]; Notocelia trimaculana [7]; Codling Moth [1]; Bee Moth [2]; Acrobasis advenella [1]; Large Tabby [1]; Gold Triangle [1]; Anania coronate [1]; Small Magpie [1]; Eudonia mercurella [3]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [29]; Crambus pascuella [14]; Agriphila straminella [3]; Small Dusty Wave [1]; Small Fan-footed Wave [1]; Riband Wave [7]; Garden Carpet [1]; Yellow Shell [2]; Common Carpet [1]; Brimstone Moth [1]; Swallow-tailed Moth [1]; Willow Beauty [4]; Common Wave [1]; Clouded Silver [2]; The Snout [3]; Buff Ermine [2]; Dingy Footman [1]; Common Footman [16]; The Fan-foot [1]; The Spectacle [2]; Silver Y [1]; Marbled Beauty [1]; The Uncertain [5]; Dark Arches [6]; Bright-line Brown-eye [8]; Cabbage Moth [2]; Common Wainscot [1]; Smoky Wainscot [1]; Heart and Dart [2]; The Flame [1]; Large Yellow Underwing [1]; The Gothic [1] and Short-cloaked Moth.

Batia lunaris

Acrobasis advernella

Bee Moth

Dingy Footman

Large Tabby

Short-cloaked Moth

Small Fan-footed Wave

Dingy Footman