Down the lane - again

After yesterday's false start, I was keen to get back down the lane this afternoon for a bit of warm sunshine and to generally enjoy whatever was on offer. Birdwise, these was actually very little of big interest on offer, although I managed another two OFFH yearticks with a Mistle Thrush and Lapwing. Still good numbers of Fieldfare, a couple of Buzzards and the usual Little Owls, but sadly no further sign of Yellowhammers or the Tree Sparrows from late Jan.

I spent a lot of time poking around under bark etc seeing what I could find, which resulted in a few photos of molluscs to have a look through some time. I also snapped a few other bits like these ....

Colt's-foot

Dandelion

Red Dead-nettle

I think this is Xanthoria parietina - common on everything.

Anyone recognise this fungi?

Hawthorn Shieldbug

Lace-weaver Spider

Also thought I'd share a couple of views from the wider area - beyond the lane! Once I leave Springwell Lane, to the east lies Countesthorpe, to the south is Whetstone Gorse and to the west is Cosby. The two arrows on this map extract mark where the following two views were taken ..

Whetstone Brook, viewed looking north from Countethorpe Road

The Railway Cutting - looking south(ish)along Whetstone Gorse Lane

From the garden trap 12/03/2011

I had considered venturing out to woodland last night, but the late afternoon drizzle and the threat of further precipitation put me off. The garden traps went out though, and produced the first decent sized catch of the year including two garden yearticks:

Total catch 63 of 8sp.(125W MV 38 of 6; 80W/100W actinic/tungsten combo 25 of 7)

0688 Agonopterix heracliana 4
1054 Acleris cristana 2 (NFY)
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 38
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 11
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 4
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1 (NFY)

The two Acleris cristana were especially pleasing; one on 18/04 last year was a garden tick, and it is always interesting to know if these first individuals are going to be a complete one-off or the start of more regular appearances. Seems like it could be the latter for cristana. I also like to see this species as I find the sheer variation amazing.

This one in particular still showing large scale-tufts on the forewings.

Much less exciting, though aptly named.

Mine

It was Nichola's Saturday in at work today, leaving me to complete a few household chores and other necessary stuff like cleaning out the fish tank and sorting out the boys bikes (raise seat, inflate tyres, re-seat chain on sprockets!). Consequently, no time for enjoying the warm day with bins and camera. In fact the only bit of interest during the morning and early afternoon was the first Brimstone butterfly of the year fluttering through the garden.

Much later this afternoon when Nichola was back I headed out down the lane. Or at least that was the plan. It had already clouded over a fair bit and started to go dull - after just 15 minutes or so of leaving the house it started to drizzle and I headed home. In the few minutes I enjoyed though, a noted that there are still good numbers of Fieldfares knocking about round here - much more than usual. c70 in one field, with c30 Redwings mixed in. Also picked up a superb male Sparrowhawk sitting in the drizzle on a roof ridge tile on the way home. The only other highlight, if you can call it such, was an unexpected OFFH bonus when two Cormorants flew overhead.

I also picked up a new moth species for the year - numerous unmistakeable tenanted mines on Pyracantha ......

The blister mine of Firethorn Leaf-miner. If you look hard enough (or click for big) you can see the larva underneath the blister.

Rearing success

Yesterday evening after dark, I noted a single A. hercaliana at the window. I had to nip out to pick the boys up from Cubs and saw that the temperature according to the car dash was still 9C. I had mentally quashed any notion of getting the traps out as it was still very breezy, but seeing as it was mild and expected to be dry I got the actinic/tungsten trap out. Nothing ventured etc. This morning, the massive reward for this optimism was .. just 2 Common Quakers and a Clouded Drab.

This evening when I got home from work, I nipped into the garden to put the kids bikes away. No idea what prompted it but I had a quick look in my rearing box. One thing I am excellent at is dumping full grown larvae in that are ready to pupate, and then completely forgetting about them. I wasn't expecting to find anything but was surprised to find what appeared to be a recently vacated pupal exuviae. A quick look around the various bits of bark and twigs and there it was ...

There is a photo of the larva that produced this here.

Tonight - another A. heracliana on the window but the trap is staying in the shed - even more windy and a bit nippy.

W is for ...

Wheatears, warblers and waders - we're all looking forward to some spring passage in the coming weeks. However here in Leics. we are still awash with other more wintery W's.

Glorious sunshine today, so I nipped out at lunch to have a look for some local Waxwings that are technically a patch tick (I say technically, what I actually mean is that these are within the Soar Valley South patch boundary whereas the previous one I saw a few years ago was on the boundary). Just aswell I bothered as I got some glorious views of the ravenous beauties and even managed to get a few shots ..... click for big. I nipped past on the way home aswell - I took a shot of them all perched in a tree and counted them on the big screen - at least 105.

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 ......