So Juvenile

Other than working, haven't done much this weekend sadly. Did manage to nip over to Watermead CP South late this afternoon more in hope than expectation. A juv Arctic Tern has been knocking about though I expected it to be gone - but luckily it wasn't. Good views in late afternoon sunshine and strong wind. I tried to get a few shots but they pretty much amounted to nothing. The damned thing seemed to follow a set circuit up and down the water until I got into position and pointed the camera, at which point it would change it's route and start another circuit. Nice clean white rump and forehead, dark black-looking bill and whitish secondaries. Not that the following grainy crop helps paint the picture ...

Using bins & photographing moths ....

.... two things that as a moth recorder and supposed birder I should be doing a lot more of than I have been doing lately! So, to buck the trend I headed over to Watermead CP South after work to add a couple of yearticks to the long-ignored City Yearlist. A juv Black Tern was still knocking about from yesterday and showing extremely well - a really smart bird. Also, a nice Little Egret was milling about in the far corner of Birstall Meadows, actually viewable from the weir at Watermead. Thanks to Dave for the heads-up on both of these. I'm a long way behind both Dave and John now, though there are a good few I could still catch up on and I could always resort to competitive stringing ........

When I got home, I promptly set up the old CoolPix and Macro Cool-light and snapped a few from the fridge - nothing too exciting but these are the first adult moths to feature on this blog for nearly two weeks!

Catoptria falsella

Epiblema foenella

Swallow Prominent

Straw Underwing

Single-dotted Wave

A grand day out

After emptying the moth traps this morning (not sure 'emptying' is the right word given that there was only 4 moths of 3 sp.) I got out and about and spent the day flitting from one site to another in the county, enjoying some good company on the way and seeing some nice things. Most importantly, I avoided that wedding bollocks.

Started off at Birstall Meadows. Hadn't even got my bins out of the car when Dave Gray pulled up for a like-minded squint around the area. Nothing too exciting here though, aside from a couple of Common Sandpipers and the LRPs again. We then had a quick look around the horse fields - nothing there either, before nipping over to Watermead CP South. Immediately picked up a few Swifts, a City Yeartick, but no sign of any terns and the conditions were not really suitable for any potential movement either. We had a good walk around but nothing else noteworthy, apart from the resident drake Red-crested Pochard and a plastic Snow Goose.

Next we headed across to Aylestone Meadows. Despite some thorough scanning of the horse fields and meadows, no sign of anything interesting (ie no Wheatears, Whinchats or Ouzels!). I did pick up Linnet for the City Yearlist though. Otherwise the most exciting thing was a Fox openly foraging and sitting by a den entrance with three playful cubs. Always too distant for proper shots, though I tried at full optical zoom and then realised the digital zoom went up to x96 (but with expected deterioration of image). Better than nothing though (but the cub shots were too crap).

By now it was early afternoon and the sun was breaking through. I decided that it was time to head east whilst Dave headed back to Wanlip. I decided to go to Ketton Quarry, but drove along the Stockerston road to have a quick look at Eyebrook on the way. Driving along the gated track a large raptor drifted low over the field and perched on a fence post. This was some way from the reservoir, but it was an Osprey. I scoped it for a few minutes but it was going nowhere, just sitting there with the sun on its back. I carried on to the reservoir and bumped into Andy Mackay who was just scoping a superb full breeding plumaged Slavonian Grebe. I got set up and, after a couple of minutes got great views of this superb bird. A fair few Common Terns kierricking up and down the res, and an odd 'flock' of 33 Great Crested Grebes all bunched up in one small area. Not a lot else though, so off to Ketton. Andy decided this was as good an idea as any and came along.

By the time we got there it was warmer and the sun was trying, but it was windy. No sign of any snakes or lizards in the usual area, though I picked up a single Grizzled Skipper which was nice.

Walking around the reserve yielded no further Grizzled and no Dingy Skippers, and not a lot else flying either other than a couple of Common Heaths. I did manage to pot up a couple of micros, with the best being Pancalia leuwenhoekella which I'll get a shot of tomorrow along with a couple of other bits. The Manx Loaghtan sheep were in the donkey paddock, but they didn't bother us whilst we had a mooch about. I lifted a tin sheet expecting nothing underneath, but just saw a small tail under an adjacent rock. After a bit if careful coaxing we got brief but superb views of a juvenile Adder. Way too fast for any shots and hard to accurately estimate the size, maybe 25cm long at most but much smaller in body size. Usually these are born in the late summer / early autumn, so this would have overwintered. No idea how long it takes to reach adulthood.

Next we had a mooch about looking for Scarlet Tiger caterpillars, finding one which looked pretty much full grown. This was in a different area to the one I found a couple of weeks ago so definitely worth searching for adults this year. The other main interest came in the form of a very squawky Jay that was definitely riled by something, a flyover pair of Ravens, and later a Raven going back the other way with a pair of Peregrines not far behind. Superb. Also a few plants worth mentioning ..

Lords and Ladies

White Briony

Japanese Knotweed - despite the bext efforts of the trust this parasite persists.

By now it was late afternoon and time to head home. Had the conditions have been better I'd have been up for some mothing tonight. But they're not. I decided to have another quick look at Watermead CP South - still no terns. I also had a look around Birstall Lodge farm. No City Yearlist ticks but I found a plant that shouldn't be growing wild along a rough bridle track alongside more expected fare.

Greater Periwinkle

Common Vetch

Do me a flava

After posting all that rock pool nonsense earlier today, the sun finally broke through and it looked worthwhile heading out for some pseudo-birding (with boys in tow). First up, we headed over to Birstal Meadows and I was in luck. A Common Sandpiper was still loitering, along with two Wood Sandpipers (two more or the same two as last week - who knows, either scenario seems equally unlikely). Even better, at least two Yellow Wagtails were knocking about.

Next we headed over to Watermead CP South. It was a lot quieter than recent visits (knobhead wise) but also little of birding interest aside from numerous singing warblers including Garden Warbler. Only one or two Sand Martins and Swallows noted, but no terns, Swifts or House Martins. The only worthwhile things that hit the digital sensor were these ..

Mating Harlequin Ladybirds, female form conspicua, male form succinea

Scorpion Fly

Also got around to photographing this male Eyed Hawk-moth that was waiting for me in the rearing box on Monday, having been reared from a larva found last year on the Sallow overhanging the garden.

Thursday 21st Round One - Woodtastic

I've got a lot to catch up on with garden mothing, mothing away from home and some birdy stuff. I'll start with the birdy stuff and catch up with the moths later in the day.

After the Stone Curlew thrill on Wednesday evening, I picked up news on the LROS site of a Ring Ouzel loitering around King's Lock at Aylestone Meadows. Sadly there was no chance of going before work, so I had to wait and see if anyone else had any luck. Bollocks, they did. Both the Teaboy and Drunkbirder managed to pick it up for their City Yearlists. With this news, I headed out for a very brief and unconvincing search at lunchtime. At least 2 City Yeartick Lesser Whitethroats were shouting at me, but no sign of the Ouzel. C'est la vie I thought, and I headed back to work as news came through on texts that there were other City Ticks turning up. Bizarrely one of them was a Bewick's Swan, the other being 2 Wood Sands. A post work foray was called for.

First up I headed to Birstall Meadows. I bumped into Roger Davis who was just leaving having seen nothing of the Wood Sands. I assured him they had been present within the previous hour (courtesy of John ringing me) and he must have felt obliged to go and have another look. It them transpired that he'd been reluctant to hang around as there were two blokes 'petting' in the grass ..... I scanned across with bins and sure enough no Wood Sands along the foreshore, but hang - isn't that a Wood Sand over there in front of the 2 Oystercatchers I mused. Roger scoped across and it was. As I looked through the scope it up and went with an LRP. Whilst we waited to see whether it would return, I noticed a Jackdaw with a very bright silvery-white nape and it's mantle contrasting with wings. A bit odd I thought, but it fecked off when I pointed the camera at it. At that moment a shrill piping suggested waders on the scene, and sure enough there were now 2 Wood Sandpipers down in front of us. Superbs views of one of the best looking waders I reckon. I was reluctant to edge down from the gate to get better shots as they were flightly and others were likely to come and look for them; these shots are cropped from full zoom Lumix.

I next headed over to Watermead CP South - yet again. I'm starting to wish this site was outside the City boundary.

All together - 'aarrr'

A quick scan and scope across the water and there, strangely enough, was a Bewick's Swan. It had the decency to stay distant, singular and avoid the bread-wielding twats that appear to perpetually inhabit the site.

All together - 'AARRRRGGHHHH - SHOOT THEM ALL"

So, more ups than downs overall and some nice City Yearticks in the bag. I then had to head home and get sorted for mothing at Cossington Meadows. I'll round up the mothing part separately, but it was good to have so may warblers singing around as we set up, including the always welcome reeling of a Gropper.

Snake, Charming

With another glorious sunny day forecast, I resolved to get up early and make the now annual pilgrimage to Ketton Quarry in search of snakes. I managed to persuade both the boys and Nichola to come along without too much force - we all like a good walk around KQ. Only Isabelle passed - far too busy being a surly teenager and cyber-socialising for going out in the morning sunshine. We arrived just about on time - I intended to be there for 9am as from previous experience any earlier is pointless, but we had to top up with fuel on the way.

Superb close views of a male shortly after arriving - not a snake, but the Drunk-snaker (with Leigh and Matthew) actually out in the field rather than spouting bollocks on facebook ....

After the salutations and mutual disbelief at being out, we eventually got superb views of a male Adder, and then eventually two males and a female. I then headed over to the other paddocks where we found another female out in the open in the area where the Knapweed Broomrape will be later in the year. Nothing under or around the tin-sheets in the donkey paddock, and by the time we got back to the main area John had gone. Sadly, as I then had by far the most prolonged and superb views I've ever had of Adders, with three males and a female on show. Whilst watching them and grabbing a bit of vid, I became aware of another noise and just about managed to grab a couple of shots of a Grass Snake as it slid in and shot out of view. Along with a few brief and skittish Common Lizards, it was a superb morning. Here's a few shots and a vid clip - I urge you to see my Flickr pages via the link on the right to see some more.

The Drunk Snaker surveying the most reliable reptile amphitheatre in VC55

Loads of these poking through - Field Horse-tail

The other notable thing at Ketton was Common Heath moths on the wing - even earlier than last year.

After some obligatory minor DIY for Nichola's elderly aunt on the way home, we dropped into Watermead CP South following grapevine news earlier in the day. Seems everyone else was in the same area which was cram packed with bread-weilding morons, ice-cream toting toddlers, spliff-puffing youfs, picknic-ing Poles and dog-walking arseholes who think letting the dogs chase everything is funny. All interspersed with the odd birder, like Beast and Chris Lythall (odd as in not many, not odd as in fecking mental, clearly). The prize was just about evident on the far side of the island - four pairs of Garganey that all turned up overnight. Superb views through optics after walking around a bit, but always either too distant or too backlit for anything resembling a photo. A pair of Red-crested Pochards were much easier to see than yesterday.

I got home in time to win some money on the National (a modest EW bet on Ballabriggs earning me £19.50). I headed out to the garden and checked on the rearing boxes. Excellent, four female Emperors have emerged today. The timing couldn't be better with the current sunny weather, out for some assembling tomorrow.

Cor!

Sunshine Ticks

Finished work mid-afternoon, and it was gloriously sunny and warm so I headed back over to Watermead CP South for a better look around than I managed yesterday. One thing that was immediately evident was carloads of annoying people with their dogs and huge bags of bread. Fortunatelym the majority of these are incapable of leaving the immediate vicinity of the car park, so even on a busy day it is possible to get away and enjoy some relative peace.

The other immediately evident thing was, in stark contrast to yesterday, a complete absence of hirundines over the water or in visible airspace - no a single one during the whole visit. A scan across the water toward the island did provide one unexpected City yeartick though with a drake Red-crested Pochard tucked up against the bank in amongst swans and geese. Walking around it was alive with Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, but otherwise fairly quiet. Apart from the odd Reed Bunting singing, I picked up single singing Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler - two more City yearticks.

As ever these days, the interest in birding waned and I slipped into general naturalist mode. Plenty of butterflies about, including my first Orange-tips and Large Whites of the year though none settled anywhere near me or long enough for a shot. A few more flowers out as well ...

Marsh-marigold

Cuckooflower

Common Dog Violet

When I got home, the Blackcap on the embankment next to the garden was really going for it. It woke me up singing this morning as well. Another first for the year butterfly flitted into view, a Holly Blue. I also found a big queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee in the garden; it was in the border clutching onto a fallen sallow catkin and nectaring like a maniac. It seemed to be drunk ...

Nothing exciting to report from the garden moth traps, nothing new for the year and low numbers (26 of 7sp). The traps are back on tonight, though not the usual traps. I have the 125W MV running and a 160W blended bulb due to this ...

What a twat! I dropped the actinic/tungsten vane assembly, shattering one tube, damaging the other and snapping a vane off. I will be repaired but off-line for a while. Photographed after cleaning up the glass .....

Garden Moths, Terrestrial Tufted, City Yearticks

Yesterday was gloriously sunny and hot. Apparently. I spent the entire period of full daylight within the confines of work. Arse. By the time I got home, it was still warm though already dusky - on with the traps. This morning there was a modest catch but that did include five garden yearticks and another probable Acleris schalleriana. Total catch was 33 of 11sp (125W 15 of 10, 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 18 of 6).

0288 Caloptilia stigmatella 1 (NFY)
0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1 (NFY)
0667 Semioscopis steinkellneriana 1 (NFY)1047 Acleris schalleriana 1 (poss.)
1853 Oak-tree Pug (Eupithecia dodoneata) 1 (NFY)1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 3
2078 Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) 1 (NFY)2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 6
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 6
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 10
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 2

Least Black Arches

Caloptilia stigmatella

Semioscopis steinkelleneriana

Oak-tree Pug

Whilst out emptying the traps, I enjoyed three warbler species singing from the scrubby embankment. A Chiffchaff has been present since Saturday, a Blackcap that I first heard on Monday morning, and a feshly arrived Whitethroat - a bit earlier than I usually get one here.

Today was not such a good day weather-wise, still mild but distictly cooler than yesterday with much less sunshine until late in the afternoon. I managed to get out at lunchtime and headed over to Watermead CP South for a half-hour attempt to pick up a few City yearticks. First thing I saw was a drake Tufted Duck out with the Mallards on the grassy knoll. I can't remember ever seeing a Tufted on land (which probably says more about my selective memory than anything) - it certainly looked a bit odd when shuffling about ...

I could also see plenty of hirundines dashing about over the water and high up. Scanning through with bins confirmed initial expectations - lots of Sand Martins. After a while I also picked up at least one Swallow, but no House Martins. Singing Blackcap also noted, but sadly no other new City warblers in my short visit.

Lots of Garlic Mustard flowering .....

Lots of Yellow Dung Flies - a yellow fly that likes dung, not a fly that only likes yellow dung....

Lots of bees - this is the arse end of a Queen Red-tailed Bumblebee ....

We all get excited at the thought of white-wingers, but not when it relates to in-bred Crows ..........