Birds, Leps, Observations & Generalities - the images and ramblings of Mark Skevington. Sometimes.

Saturday 21 April 2012

I sometimes wonder ....

... is it worth it?

For the first time since 30/03/2012, I put a garden moth trap out. It wasn't because I thought the conditions were good - there were heavy miserable rain-laden clouds gathering at dusk and I anticipated that it would piss down again during the night. It was also distinctly cool. I put it out because it was Friday and I have committed to take part in the GMS scheme - something I've never bothered with previously. The first Friday in April I was away, and last week I didn't bother, so irrespective of conditions I felt obliged to put it out this week. I thought that whilst draining out the trap there may be at least something sheltering on an egg box. As it turned out, the trap was bone dry this morning, the skies were clear and bright and it was bloody cold. The trap held an impressive-for-April FUCK ALL. Well not quite, there was a lone torpid lacewing clinging to the side. So much for that then.

Seeing as it was a fairly nice morning, I decided on yet another wholly uncharacteristic visit to the birding patch. I started at Jubilee Park - lots of singing stuff (Blackcaps, Chiffs, Wrens, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunt, bla bla) but nothing really exciting. Not a sniff of any new-in Yellow Wags, Wheatears or anything else. I next went to Narborough Bog - and at least here a lone Whitethroat had the decency to show itself and sing briefly. It was a mobile bugger though and I wasn't surprised that it had moved on by the time I got back to where it had been after a throrough walk-around the whole site. Again stuff singing, Willow Warblers, Chiffs and Blackcaps included, and a nice Great Spot and Kestrel, but ......

So by mid-morning I'd spent a couple of hours out, enjoyed some peace and birdsong but really not seen a lot. Even the camera had a morning off as I saw no interesting inverts either. I got home to more peace (Josh was out at football training and Nichola had taken Alex to Karate) and rustled up some fried-eggs on muffins with black pepper and a large mug of tea - just the job. Sometimes when you're out you think to youself 'why did I bother?' and wish you'd just had a lazy lie-in instead. But soon after you are back in you realise that, actually, it's always worth getting out. You go out and see nothing, then okay at least you know nothing was there, but you stay in and see nothing then what are you actually missing?

Yesterday I potted a small weevilly beetle type thing at dusk on the inside of the kitchen window. I got the camera sorted and set about getting a record shot and trying to ID it. Turned out to be a common bean weevil. No idea what it was doing on the inside of the window, can only presume it flew in at some point when the patio door was open.

Bruchus rufimanus (sometimes called Broad Bean Weevil) - a new one for me

The day soon turned showery/rainy, but in between there were a few bright spells during which a couple of things hit the camera sensor ...

Now I know what happened to the small fat balls that disappeared ......

... though this fat bastard is another contender!

3 comments:

The Leicester Llama said...

My garden traps are still hibernating in the shed. It's either been too wet or too cold so far this year to warrant wasting electricity putting them out.

Skev said...

This year, or this April? Had mine out a few nights in March.

The Leicester Llama said...

This year. Trapping in March is a waste of time whatever the weather in my garden!