Northern (at the) Lights

Okay, I've not completely fizzled out though it's been slow going lately. And I'm also scuppered at the moment as we're decorating the room that I laughingly call the 'study' - which is actually a room in the extension that was the kids play room when they were toddlers, but is now a junk repository where I happen to have some book shelves and a desk with the PC on. It will more of a video gaming snug / study when I'm done, but for now I have no access to books or the PC ......

So here I am on my phone posting a poor 'off the phone in bad light' shot of a garden tick. And it's one that wasn't on the garden list radar.

Northern Winter Moth

Larger, paler, slightly more well-marked with hind-wing 'petticoats'.

As seen here next to a regular Winter Moth.

I'll have to look more closely at garden winter moths now - this only stood out because it was alongside x4 Winter Moths.

The only other recent news relates to me actually going out birding for a change. I've been out and about seeing Hawfinches at Burbage Common, not seeing Ferruginous Duck at Eyebrook Res but jamming a County Tick Merlin in the process. There's every chance that I'll do some more bird-spotting this winter for a change.

Posting on the phone has done my head in for now so I'm off.

Garden List Redemption

I wonder if anyone reading this post remembers this post, when my daughter managed to strongly suggest that a Woodcock had been in our garden whilst I was out ............

That was nearly seven years ago, and unsurprisingly there has never been any expectation or sniff of one popping up since. Until this week! On Tuesday morning, just in the first throws of proper light, I happened to walk out onto the front drive and go to look under an outside light that I'd left on all night. I was of course hoping that I'd see a moth or two on the wall (I didn't) but the last thing I expected was a Woodcock exploding out of the leaf-litter that has blown up against the wall. It very quickly and pretty directly headed over the neighbours front garden and looked to ditch down in the scrubby embankment, never to be seen again. I was stunned - a feeling something like when this happened.

Meanwhile, I've had a new tortrix confirmed by gen det. It was a Grapholita funebrana from back on 23/08/2017, the 683rd Moth, 365th micro and 108th tortrix for the garden and a full British tick for me.

Seabirding

Every now and then you see a piece of bird news that really does make you stop in your tracks and proclaim expletives to yourself (or sometimes out loud). Of course this is usually some ridiculously rare and stunning looking individual that is inaccessible. Occasionally it is a lesser rarity, but completely out of context or in a non-sensical location. Cory's Shearwater at Rutland Water on a flat-calm day in November for example ........

As it happens I was able to leave work early today, and so I headed off to RW where my twitching sucess record is heavily weighted on the dip side. But not today - what a bird! And what a compete tart I am for not only gaining a fantastic County tick, but a full British tick to boot. Great find by Andy Mackay, and there will no doubt be some great photos on the tinterweb in due course.