Garden Trap Catches

Struggling to keep up with blogging this year, and not just on here. Posted a big 1000 in 1km square update yesterday which was the first for a couple of weeks, and likewise updated the Garden Moth Challenge.

I haven't posted daily updates from the garden traps, not that they've run everyday. The early part of last week was by far the best so far this year, with lots of NFY moths and quite a few other bits. Since getting the Synergetic trap back in use it has outperformed the 125W MV on every outing except last night - and that's mainly down to the wind gusting through the garden right into the trap path whereas the MV is a little more sheltered. The opposite may be having an effect on calmer nights but the 80W actinic did not routinely out-do the MV, and in particular when the conditions were a little better (eg 7th and 20th May) the MV completely outclassed it. All in all I'd have to say that the Synergetic trap has got to be the trap of choice for the garden - at least for the complimentary trap to the 125W MV (can't see me ever being brave enough to ditch one of those).

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the 125MV versus the 80W actinic and 22W Synergetic on the nights they've been run this year (actinic only running in early season):

17th - 19th June by far the best period so far this year with 41 species added to the garden yearlist, torrential rain in the afternoon and early evening on 20th so no trapping, and very blustery with some rain last night. Hopefully things will pick up again soon.

Garden tick on the 13th, Cydia ulicetana (326th micro, 629th moth).

Update 1 of 3 - Huncote Embankment 15/05/2010

A warm sunny day, so we headed over to Huncote Embankment for a family walk and a bit of pond dipping. I purposely left the bins and scope in the car, opting instead for my net and a few pots.

Plenty of singing birds around though, most easily viewable without optics though always too high / hidden / mobile to get a shot. At least two, probably three each Lesser Whitethroats and Common Whitethroats rattling and scratching away. Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in full flow, a couple of Blackcaps and a smart Reed Bunting. A Buzzard headed into the quarry, but no sign in the air of either Peregrine or Raven. The only bird that stopped in range for a shot was this smart Pied Wagtail.

Pied Wagtail - marvellously monochromatic

Swishing about with the net was nowhere near as productive as I had hoped. In fact I only had two species - Incurvaria masculella and loads of Cydia ulicetana around gorse.

Cydia ulicetana (used to be C. succedana)

After we'd walked along the embankment, we headed down to the pond where there is a great platform overhanging the water. As we approached the water, we could see several large black 'clouds' near the edge. A closer look confirmed the suspicions - thousands of tadpoles massed up in the shallow margins.

Teeming Tadpoles

We got the tray set up and the boys spent an hour or so poking about with the net in the water and weeds. I managed to stop them from taking the easy option with the tadpoles, but there were still plenty swimming about to go for. They also found a few beetles, snails and damselfly or mayfly larvae (no idea which/what really).

The walk back was enlivened when Josh found a superb female Grass Snake. By the time I'd been alerted the snake had bolted into a hole, but I managed to get a shot of it peering out to taste if the coast was clear.

All in all a very relaxing few hours with the family in relative peace.