We're Leicester City, we rule supreme ....

.... etc. Took the boys to the Walkers Stadium again today, to see the well fought 1-0 win against the noisily supported but largely ineffective Leeds United. As City march on to the well deserved promotion from League 1 at the first attempt (Forest, Leeds etc take note), and hopefully the title to boot (earning me a few quid), here's a few stats from current league standings (Premiership, Championship, League 1 & League 2): Best Goal Difference 1 Leicester City +40 (43 games played) 2 Liverpool +38 (32 games played) 3 Chelski +35 (32 games played) Fewest Games Lost 1 Liverpool 2 (32 games played) 2 Leicester City 4 (43 games played) 3 Manure 4 (31 games played) Fewest Home Games Lost 1 Liverpool 0 2 Leicester City 1 3 Manure 1 Most Goals Scored 1 MK Dons 80 (42 games played) 2 Leicester City 77 (43 games played) 3 Wolves 77 (43 games played) There are others stats from current league standings that do not feature Leicester City, and as such I've ignored them in the interest of sheer bias.

Tits & Breeding

Emptying the moth traps in the mornings will be all the more enjoyable for a few weeks; in one of the adjacent gardens there is a big bush which has attracted Long-tailed Tits to build their fantastically elaborate nest. They've been at it for a week or so now, and are probably about ready to lay and incubate their only clutch. You can just about make out the nest. Just a big oval cup at this stage, it now has the top half complete aswell. We've also had Starlings detroying the mesh in the vents in the underhang below the roof tiles on both ours and our neighbours house for the first time. They've made an access just above our bathroom but I haven't seen any activity, unlike our neighbours who have a pair on the front and at the rear. This is the same neighbour who has the now resident continuously brooding Collared Doves. Resident egg laying machine, you can also see where Starlings have destroyed the vent mesh. Robins, Sparrows, Blackbirds and Woodpigeons have all been collecting nesting material from in and around the garden in the last week aswell, and there was some fervent cloaca pecking going on with the local Dunnocks! Imagine how interesting clubbing would be if prospective partners showed you theirs like this first!

Clipsham Park Wood, 06/04/2009

Whilst we were at Pickworth, Adrian also left a couple of traps running at the nearby Clipsham Park Wood. Nothing too exciting here, but this very nice Acleris hastiana was basking in the glow. Acleris hastiana

Pickworth Great Wood, 06/04/2009

After quite a few indifferent or cool nights, Monday 6th looked to be the best opportunity for a week or so to finally get out and run the traps again. I ventured out to Pickworth Great Wood, meeting up with Adrian Russell, and set about deploying traps around the gated entrance and back to the Lincs. border.

Conditions seemed pretty good, with temps. no lower than 10degC, reasonable cloud cover and only the lightest breeze. Despite this, none of the traps were especially busy. Absolute highlight was a single Ypsolopha mucronella, a first for me and only the second modern record for VC55 following one at Bloody Oaks Quarry in April 1986. Other than this, White-marked was good to see but expected at PGW. Total catch was 424 of 32sp. from 6 x 125W MV traps, a 40W actinic, and a combined actinic/tungsten trap.

Eriocrania subpurpurella 4
Ypsolopha mucronella 1
Schreckensteinia festaliella 1
Diurnea fagella 89
Semioscopis steinkellneriana 13
Acleris ferrugana/notana 1
Acleris cristana 2
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Scalloped Hook-tip 1
Yellow Horned 2
Shoulder Stripe 36
Streamer 6
Water Carpet 2
Red-green Carpet 1
Brindled Pug 23
The V-Pug 2
Early Thorn 38
Purple Thorn 7
Oak Beauty 2
Engrailed 20
Red Chestnut 15
White-marked 4
Small Quaker 12
Common Quaker 24
Clouded Drab 11
Twin-spotted Quaker 10
Hebrew Character 40
Grey Shoulder-knot 1
Early Grey 11
Satellite 16
Chestnut 26
The Herald 11


Ypsolopha mucronella


Schreckensteinia festaliella - try saying that after a few beers


White-marked


Red Chestnut


Streamer


Scalloped Hook-tip - the greyer spring brood

All work and no play ...

.... means I've had fuck all to say. Nothing remotely interesting in the last couple of weeks up until Monday night (post to follow). Garden trapping has been poor, I've not lifted my bins, and I've been nowhere of note as I've mainly been in work. I did manage to get to the Walkers stadium with the kids on Saturday - and found myself wishing I was at work. Was a dismal performance.