Sex on the Birch

No, it's not a new cocktail. I found this pair of Hawthorn Shieldbugs in-cop on my garden Silver Birch sapling this evening .....

Hawthorn Shieldbug

I guess if I had hawthorn in the garden they may have chosen it instead. I'd nipped in the garden to get a prop for some moth photography. I decided it was time to have a quick look for something different and I plumped for an algae-covered terracotta plant pot. Not sure it was ideal, but never mind. I find choosing a prop a bit hit and miss - everything works well for something and not so well for others, and frankly I once I'm set I just need to get on with it using whatever I picked. I do need to get out and sort out some new props, different stones and bark and ideally something with a nice lichen colony,

Mottled Beauty

Small Magpie

Barred Straw

Willow Beauty

Short-cloaked Moth

From The Garden Trap 16/05/2011

The garden mothing was markedly improved last night, not least due to the aforeposted garden macro tick. Can't explain why the actinic/compact fluorescent outperformed the MV so well, and it was this trap that brought in the Puss Moth. Hopefully the numbers will stay up; soon approaching the time of year when trap reports will be summarised to firsts for the garden/year, biggest counts and other highlights.

Total catch 73 of 37sp.
(125W MV 27 of 19, 80W/11W actinic/compact fluorescent combo 46 of 29)
0017 Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus) 1 (NFY)
0266 Bucculatrix nigricomella 1
0332a Firethorn Leaf Miner (Phyllonorycter leucographella) 1
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 5
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 2
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 3
0822 Scrobipalpa acuminatella 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1
0883 Mompha raschkiella 1
0892 Mompha subbistrigella 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 1
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 2
1727 Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1817 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata) 1
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 3
1827 Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata arceuthata) 3
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1837 Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata) 2
1860 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 3 (NFY)
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 3
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1 (NFY)
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 4
1995 Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) 1 (FFG)
2087 Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum) 2 (NFY)
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 10
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 2
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 1
2302 Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea) 3 (NFY)
2326 Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata) 1
2333 Large Nutmeg (Apamea anceps) 1 (NFY)
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 2
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 1
2387 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 1 (NFY)
2450 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 2


Here's a not very colourful selection ..

Bee Moth

Green Pug

Willow Beauty

Turnip Moth

Brown Rustic

Large Nutmeg

A Shrewd Move, Down the Lane

Dull greyness this morning was less than inspiring, but it turned to bright sunshine in the afternoon. It stayed cold though!

This morning I had another go with the Barn Owl pellets, aided by Alex who was fascinated and disgusted in equal measure. Having now done just four pellets, I've found and identified four different small mammals and can already see that there is a great deal of variation in what amount the pellets contain. A reminder that yesterday's single pellets yielded 3 Field Voles & 1 Wood Mouse.

Pellet 2 : 4 Field Voles, 1 Common Shrew
Pellet 3 : 2 Field Voles
Pellet 4 : 3 Field Voles, 2 Common Shrews, 1 Pygmy Shrew

The Shrew skulls are smaller and even more delicate than the voles, but the red teeth really stand out amongst the matted fur and bones.

Common Shrew above, Pygmy Shrew below - apart from size, the shape of the end tooth is the ID clincher.

Later in the day, I headed off for a walk down the lane. Haven't been down there in daylight for a while so was surprised to see that the verge had been massively torn up ...

Then realised that the farmer has dug out the roadside ditches. No doubt the verge will recover - hopefully before any f.wits fill the ditch with fly tipped rubbish ....

The outward bound walk was enlivened by the regular Little Owls, a couple of Buzzards and still good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing. It was noticeable that on balance the trees, hedgerows and verges are still showing more signs of autumn and winter than spring. A few buds starting to show, but plenty of stark twigs with still-attached seeds ...

Sallow

Traveller's Joy

White(?) Willow

Ash

A trio of Mallards on Whetstone brook made it onto the OFFH list before I completed a little circuit and headed back up the lane. Almost as soon as I was back on the lane I heard a distinct and vaguely familiar call. A quick scan with bins and I was pleased to see a pair of Yellowhammers - hope the stay around. Here's a pathetic record shot in poor light from distance (plus any other excuses that fit the bill).

You may well have to squint and stare to see them both ......

More Sugar Shots, 21/08/2009

Gave the sugaring a miss yesterday, but tonight I've tried again despite the conditions (clear and cool). Final tally is 10 individuals of 8 species: 2 Square-spot Rustic 2 Brimstone Moth 1 Old Lady 1 Silver Y 1 Svensson's Copper Underwing 1 Willow Beauty 1 Large Yellow Underwing 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing Can't fathom why, but using the same camera, torch and settings as on previous nights every shot is too burnt out - almost like the flash unit is working more powerfully! Ended up taking shots by torch light alone which was not ideal but you get the gist. Square-spot Rustic Brimstone Moth Willow Beauty No Gold Spots at the sugar though I can see a few in the actinic trap at least. The 80W Actinic The 125W MV