Knock knock ......

.... trick or treat!!??

How about feck off! I really don't like the way that the American developed extortion with menaces has pervaded our society. In fairness, the kids around our estate are actually taking part in a modernised version of the more traditional celtic guising and there is no malice or vandalism. They also only go to houses with a lit pumpkin so anyone without kids or who does not want to be disturbed is left in peace - like I would be if Nichola and the kids didn't have a say in the matter .......

Slightly better in the Synergetic combo trap last night, with 18 of 11sp.

0688 Agonopterix heracliana 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 5
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1398 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 1
1923 Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) 4
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 1
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

Ultra - Pants

Ran the garden Synergetic last night - mild with a strong southerly and rain later. 3 of 2sp. was a pants return and certainly not the immigrant filled emptying I was hoping for. 2 x Feathered Thorn, 1 x Brick.

I'm sure DM had my garden trapping results in mind when they titled these two excellent tracks from the Ultra release.

Useless

It's No Good

Fungi, Mining and Recycling in the Garden

Here's some bits from the garden this week.

First up, I found a few toadstools on one side of the garden in various states of development. I think they may be an Inocybe sp. (maybe Inocybe maculata?). Of course they could well be nothing of the sort.

No idea on this one - it is growing right at the base of the main trunk on the Lilac bush in the garden.

Also a few vacated Stigmella aurella and splendidissimella mines as last year, plus these very fresh new tenanted mines that I'll keep an eye on that are Emmetia marginea (thanks Matt).

Finally, back on 13/10/2011 when I got home from Sevilla, literally as I walked up the driveway I heard a glazed thud and found a very feshly deceased and bleeding Dunnock under the window. I decided to give it the dignity in death of being recycled and dumped it underneath a bush on the front garden. I then forgot about it until this week when milling about with the camera. Doesn't look anything like a Dunnock now!

In case you haven't noticed, I've worked out how to add pages to the blog which I'll progressively add and update as and when I can be arsed and have nothing better to write or do!

2011 Mothing Update

After the best part of a week in Sevilla, a constrained intervening weekend, a family holiday last week including Isabelle's 16th birthday, and our 12th wedding anniversary last weekend (yes, cart before horse!), I've not had any chance to generate anything exciting to write about. In lieu of anything else, this evening I decided to get the moth records up to date - not that the traps have been out much, and when they have I've just run the Synergetic/CFL combo. Having updated the records and lists, I find that at the moment my 2011 garden list stands at 388 species (with an additional 7 pending gen det) and my overall British 2011 year list stands at 621 species (with an additional 10 pending gen det). It's actually been a pretty good year for the garden with 6 new macros (+1 pending) and 17 new micros (+6 pending). Probably not too many garden trap nights over the next few weeks .......

23/10/2011 : 10 of 8sp.
1395 Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 1
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 1
2245 Green-brindled Crescent [ab. capucina] (Allophyes oxyacanthae ab. capucina) 1
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 2
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 1
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 2

14/10/2011 : 29 of 12sp.
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1771 Juniper Carpet (Thera juniperata) 1
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 3
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 1
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 1
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 5
2245 Green-brindled Crescent [ab. capucina] (Allophyes oxyacanthae ab. capucina) 2
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 3
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 3
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 5

13/10/2011 : 48 of 18sp.
0435 Zelleria hepariella 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1
1395 Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1771 Juniper Carpet (Thera juniperata) 1 (NFY)
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 4
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 11
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 1
2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) 3
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 2
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 3
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 6
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 3
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 4
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1

03/10/2011 : 60 of 21sp.
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 4
1041 Acleris sparsana 2
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1682 Blood-vein (Timandra comae) 1
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1769 Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica) 1 (NFY)
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 3
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 7
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 3
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 12
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 2
2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) 1
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 3
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 3
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 7
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 4

The Barry Norman Slot

Films to see or catch up on .....

Some Garden Moths

Juniper Carpet - found this in the garden on Thursday afternoon when I got home from Sevilla

November Moth agg. - from the garden trap on Thursday night

Green-brindled Cresent ab. capucina - from the trap last night

King Crimson (n Stuff)

A fair bit to write about and from the last week, but in the meantime here's a few from yesterday afternoon ...

CORR ... shame I didn't get a great shot as it briefly settled

Wheatear - even the birds were panting in the searing heat

Cattle Egret - more panting

Very distant Greater Flamingos

The rest are various Anadalusian Wall Lizards (I think) ..

Sevilla 09/10/2011

Today's bus trip didn't quite go as planned - too cervesa addled to explain right now so here's some shots in the meantime ...

Lot's Sardinian Warblers today, most seen better than photographed ...

Clouded Yellow

A very knackered Cardinal

Brown Argus

Spoladea recurvalis

Sevilla 08/10/2011

Saw loads of Cattle Egrets before the plane had landed, milling about on farmland on the approach and also actually on the air strip and then en route from the airport to Sevilla. And then no more once I was out and about with a camera. Today I just had a look around the area where the hotel is (on the southern outskirts of Sevilla), and then walked to Sevilla and had a look around there. I've walked bloody miles in the baking hot sun. Mainly I have found myself looking at scantily clad females and mentally saying 'hola' in a sleezy Leslie Phillips manner.

Not too much avian interest in the town - no Lesser Kestrels on the cathedral, and nothing exciting found in the big Maria Luisa park on the way in, apart from loads of screaming Ring-necked Parakeets (again, saw some in Holland a few weeks ago as well). Nevertheless, I found a few interesting things to point the camera at - though whilst I am lucky to have internet access here in the hotel I am using my crappy laptop/monitor and don't have my proper software.

First of all, within a shortish slog of the hotel I found some Red-veined Darters, mainly female types. In the same area, I also found some Lang's Short-tailed Blue butterflies.

Red-veined Darter - female

Lang's Short-tailed Blue

Just after watching these for a while, I happened to look up and - FECK!

Got to be a Griffon, hasn't it? Massive. Bloody rare Ruppell's Vulture! (thanks Stewart)

In the aforementioned park, some superb bright dropwings posing ridiculously well.

Orange-winged Dropwing (left) and Violet Dropwing (right)

Also loads of these in the water:

Iberian Green Frog

I've sussed out the bus timetable and bus station, so all being well some light birding around El Rocio tomorrow, on the edge of Coto Donana. Meanwhile, this shot was taken at 20:00 local time tonight whilst sipping una cerveza by the pool.

Y viva España

Hola. Estaré en Sevilla por la mañana, esperanzadamente viendo algunos pájaros locales. No tendré un coche, sino que puedo poder conseguir un autobús al El Rocio el domingo. Una cerveza por favor. Los niños y las niñas es en la piscina y son muy felices. Éste es principalmente absurdo como usted puede ver. El servicio normal reasumirá el próximo viernes. Adiós para ahora. (translate badly)

Craneless

Several things conspired late yesterday that prevented me twitching; I had planned to get up in the early hours to drive to Suffolk and tick that twatting Crane, but late notice changes in work committments made such irresponsibility out of the question. I needed to be in the office for late morning and getting to Suffolk and back in the available time would have left little or no time to look for/enjoy the bird. Back in the days before I had real work responsibilities, I'd have gone without a second thought and sorted out the consequences with the manager later, but these days (being a manager) it's just not that simple. Luckily I have almost completely cured myself of the urge to bugger off on a whim to twitch out of county, but that Crane is starting to bug me now. I'll have no chance now as I fly to Seville on Saturday on business for a week, will be heavily constrained the following weekend and then I'm away on holiday for a week. Hopefully it will just sod off to France tomorrow.

I haven't sorted the records yet, but here's some moths from last night ....

Silver Y

Silver Y

Blood-vein

Spruce Carpet

Summer is here ...

... Swallow-tailed Moth last night!

Actually, a second brood is not unprecedented but this is my latest ever (after a few September individuals in 2006). Right on with the summaries for 1st & 2nd.

01/10/2011 : Total catch 81 of 32sp.
(125W MV 27 of 16, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 54 of 25)

0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0870 Oegoconia quadripuncta 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 3
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 9
1041 Acleris sparsana 4
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 6
1054 Acleris cristana 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 11
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 5
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 2
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 2
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 3
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 1
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 2
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 1
2266 Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura) 1
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 6
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 5
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 1
2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis) 1
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1

I'm convinced this is Oegoconia deauratella (albeit late!). I added this species to the VC55 list in 2003, based on an individual that looked different and turned out right after gen. det. This one has a witness of the markings on the costa just beyond the basal markings, which should make it deauratella.

Oegoconia quadripuncta - gen. det. by Jon Clifton Jan 2012

Barred Sallow - a nice richly marked one

Beaded Chestnut - this is the best year for this species in the garden, the previous best being 2001.

02/10/2011 : Total catch 85 of 34sp.
(125W MV 27 of 19, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 58 of 26)

0246 Tinea semifulvella 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2
0994 Clepsis consimilana 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 2
1041 Acleris sparsana 4
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 5
1062 Acleris emargana 1 (NFY)
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1760 Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1795x November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.) 1 (NFY)
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 5
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 6
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 7
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1
2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 3
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 8
2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) 2
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 2
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 3
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 1
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 2
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 9
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1
2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1
2361 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 2
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 4
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1

Acleris emargana - only the second for the garden (first 2003)

Acleris sparsana

Light Brown Apple Moth - the massive decline continues, only 77 individuals so far this year (versus 219 in 2010, a peak of 902 in 2002, and an average of 545 2003 - 2009)

Dark Chestnut

Bugging Me

Time for some relief from moths, though nothing exciting bird-wise to post (haven't felt the urge to open the wallet, take time off of work and chase that crane all over the place, or to go and look at 'odd' Little Stints). I have noticed a couple of birdy things over the last couple of days though - c40 Pied Wags descending onto roofing at the Meridian leisure park on Friday evening, and a huge vis-mig movement of Skylarks SW over my garden yesterday morning (all seven of them).

These two are new for me (at least in the sense of taking the time to find out what they are). Both from the garden, and both from the moth traps one way or another ...

Tree Damsel Bug - found this sitting on top of my traps before I put them out on Friday evening

Birch Shieldbug - one of several in the trap on Saturday morning (and one I've definitely overlooked before)

In keeping with the theme of the post, here's are some excellent tracks from The Bug. Whack it up loud if your system can take it ....

Garden Mothing / Garden Tick

Just been catching up on the garden records, with the traps having been on every night except Wednesday when I was away on business. Before all the summaries and photos, here's the biggest highlight - a superb garden tick Large Wainscot last night.

Large Wainscot

27/09/2011
Total catch 72 of 25sp.
(125W MV 24 of 14, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 48 of 22)

0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 3
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 5
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 8
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 3
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 2
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 13
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 5
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1
2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 1
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 3
2248 Brindled Green (Dryobotodes eremita) 1 (NFY)
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 3 (NFY)
2266 Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura) 1
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 5
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 3
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 2
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 4
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1

Red-line Quaker

Beaded Chestnut

29/09/2011
Total catch 46 of 22sp.
(125W MV 16 of 12, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 30 of 15)

0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 2
1041 Acleris sparsana 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 4
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 9
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2
2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 1
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 5
2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) 1
2262 Brick (Agrochola circellaris) 1
2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) 1 (NFY)
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 4
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 3
2364 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1

Yellow-line Quaker

Garden Rose Tortrix

30/09/2011
Total catch 71 of 26sp.
(125W MV 27 of 14, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 44 of 21)

0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 4
0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 3
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 5
1042 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1
1048 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 9
1054 Acleris cristana 1
1395 Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) 1 (NFY)
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 3
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 11
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 8
2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 3
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 2
2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) 1 (NFY)
2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) 1
2263 Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) 2
2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) 1
2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 2
2271 Orange Sallow (Xanthia citrago) 1
2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago) 3
2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1
2274 Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 2

2375 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa) 1 (FIRST FOR GARDEN)

2389 Pale Mottled Willow (Paradrina clavipalpis) 1

Green-brindled Crescent

Rusty Dot Pearl

Small Dusty Wave

Acleris cristana - one of the drabber forms, but looks at those fresh scale-tufts!

Emmelina monodactyla

Red-line Quaker