Garden Bees and Bee-alikes

A few shots from the garden over the last couple of days or so - most carrying a load of pollen around on their bodies:

Tree Bumblebee

Eristalis intricarius

Tawny Mining-bee

Bee Fly

Vestal Cuckoo Bee

Eristalis pertinax

Garden trapping 23/04 & 24/04

23/04/2013 : 37 of 13sp.
(125W MV 22 of 10sp., 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo 15 of 9sp.)
0288  Caloptilia stigmatella  1 (NFY)
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1
0697  Agonopterix arenella  1
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  10
1746  Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata)  1
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  2
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  2
1927  Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria)  1 (NFY)
2186  Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis)  1 (NFY)
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  6
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  5
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  5

24/04/2013 Dayflying
0483  Epermenia chaerophyllella  1 (NFY)

24/04/2013 : 35 of 11sp.
(125W MV 17 of 8sp., 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo 18 of 9sp.)
0663  Diurnea fagella  1
0667  Semioscopis steinkellneriana  1
1054  Acleris cristana  1
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  12
1746  Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata)  2
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  7
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  2
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  4
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  2
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

25/04/2013 Dayflying
1497  Amblyptilia acanthadactyla  1 (NFY)

Brindled Beauty

Powdered Quaker

Very knackered with some sort of antennal deformity - bit odd for something that should be fresh out

Yet another Acleris cristana - look at the scale tufts on that

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

From the garden trap 22/04/2013

Not too many moths this morning, but a couple new for the year along with a couple of bits to help the 1000 in 1km square challenge.

Total catch 16 of 9sp.
(125W MV trap 10 of 7sp., 80W/11W Actinic/CFL trap 6 of 4sp.)

Taxa
0667  Semioscopis steinkellneriana  1 (NFY)
0695  Agonopterix alstromeriana  1
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  3
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1 (NFY)
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  2
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  1
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  2
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  4

Double-striped Pug

Emmelina monodactyla

Only downer today is that I was unable to extract myself from work to twitch a county-tick Ring-billed Gull, and couldn't go after work as I had parental duties. Looks like this gull has been loitering in the same area for a few days so maybe a chance tomorrow.

20/04/2013 - Busy

Yesterday was busy on the natural history front, with a decent foray into the square, some patch birding in between taking and collecting Alex from Karate, and a mothing excursion last night.

I've managed to see a few spring migrants on the patch and in my home square now, though nothing too exciting. Wheatear at Grove Park in the week, and Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap all at Jubilee Park. Also had a pair of Oystercatchers there, and a second LRP for the patch this year. No hirundines on the patch yet though, and just the odd Swallow seen around my home square. Willow Warblers and Blackcaps singing around the square, but no Chiffchaffs as yet - seems a bit odd. Whitethroat overdue now.

Had a short mothing trip to Charnwood Lodge last night with Adrian Russell and Keith Tailby. It quickly turned cold so we didn't stay out late, but we managed 99 of 16 sp. so not too bad. Early Tooth-striped was, perhaps surprisingly, new for the site.

Early Tooth-striped

Total list:
0663  Diurnea fagella  1
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1
1054  Acleris cristana  1
1659  Yellow Horned (Achlya flavicornis galbanus)  1
1852  Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata)  7
1881  Early Tooth-striped (Trichopteryx carpinata)  2
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1
1930  Oak Beauty (Biston strataria)  7
1947  Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata)  31
2139  Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa)  1
2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  22
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  6
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  10
2189  Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda)  1
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  1
2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  6

I also mooched around a few fallen trees and stuff whilst there, finding a new centipede and some unidentifiable beetle larvae ..

Banded Centipede

Larva in dead birch

Some sort of click beetle I think

Trapping in the garden last night wasn't too good, with just one new for the year and small numbers than earlier in the week. Too cold to both tonight.

Taxa
1054  Acleris cristana  2
1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1 (NFY)
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  5
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  6
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  7
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  2

 Acleris cristana

From the garden trap 16/04/2013

Another three year-ticks last night, and an increase in overall numbers.

16/04/2013 : 44 of 11sp.
(125W MV trap 24 of 7sp., 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo trap 20 of 9sp.)

Taxa
0435  Zelleria hepariella  1 (NFY)
0663  Diurnea fagella  2
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1
1047  Acleris schalleriana  1
1054  Acleris cristana  1 (NFY)
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  5
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  15
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  4
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  10
2237  Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis)  1 (NFY)
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  3

Grey Shoulder-knot

Acleris cristana

Haven't put the traps out tonight. The temps are really good but it is absolutely blowing a gale and I doubt the traps would stay put - I've already had to retrive and manage the recycling bin, and the roof felt on my shed is flapping about again.

Exluding larval records, I've recorded 23 species in the garden so far this year of which 16 have been added during April in the last week or so. On a like for like basis, this is 5 species less than in 2012. Odd thing is though that within the 23, I've recorded 8 species that were not in the 2012 records for the same date range with 13 in 2012 that I've not recorded so far this year.

01/01/2012 - 16/04/2012	01/01/2013 - 16/04/2013
Acleris cristana	Acleris cristana
Acleris hastiana	Acleris schalleriana
Agonopterix alstromeriana	Agonopterix alstromeriana
Agonopterix heracliana	Agonopterix arenella
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla	Agonopterix heracliana
Caloptilia stigmatella	Apple Leaf Skeletoniser
Chestnut	Clouded Drab
Clouded Drab	Common Quaker
Common Quaker	Diurnea fagella
Dark Chestnut	Dotted Border
Diurnea fagella	Early Grey
Dotted Border	Early Moth
Double-striped Pug	Emmelina monodactyla
Early Grey	Grey Shoulder-knot
Early Moth	Hebrew Character
Early Thorn	March Moth
Emmelina monodactyla	Satellite
Hebrew Character	Shoulder Stripe
Herald	Small Quaker
Light Brown Apple Moth	Tawny Pinion
March Moth	Twenty-plume Moth
Mompha subbistrigella	Twin-spotted Quaker
Oak Nycteoline	Zelleria hepariella
Pale Brindled Beauty	23 Species
Satellite
Shoulder Stripe
Small Quaker
Tortricodes alternella
28 Species

From the garden trap, 15/04/2013

Ran both traps again, lower numbers but three new for the year.

15/04/2013 Total catch 23 of 8sp.
(1 x 125W MV trap 16 of 7sp., 1 x 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo trap 7 of 4sp.)

Taxa
0663  Diurnea fagella  1 (NFY)
1047  Acleris schalleriana  1 (NFY)
1288  Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)  1 (NFY)
2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  9
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  4
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  3
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  3

Acleris schalleriana

Diurnea fagella

Tawny

Pinion that is, not Owl.

Ran two garden traps last night and struck gold in the MV. Only the second for the garden (first was Sep. 2006) and whereas Pale Pinion and Grey Shoulder-knot have dramatically increased, Tawny Pinion is still a relatively scarce species in VC55.

Tawny Pinion

The rest of the catch was a bit underwhelming, but maybe not surprising as although the temp was good it was very windy. A singing Willow Warbler on the scrubby embankment adjacent to the garden was a nice backdrop whilst I emptied the traps.

1 x 125W MV trap (18 of 6sp.) and 1 x 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo trap (13 of 4sp.)
Operated dusk - dawn

0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  11
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  9
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  5
2235  Tawny Pinion (Lithophane semibrunnea)  1 (NFY)
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  3

TSQ

Twin-spotted Quaker

Still pretty scarce for the garden, and with the way the weather has been I didn't expect one this year. It was a bit knackered though. Not much else to get excited about.

13/03/2013 1 x 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo trap operated dusk - dawn
0697  Agonopterix arenella  1 (NFY)
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  9
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  5
2189  Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda)  1 (NFY)

Previous records are 25/03/2002 (1), 11/04/2007 (1), 15/03/2011 (2) and 20/03/2011 (1).

Moths - in the garden!

Finally managed a bit of garden moth activity, though I've only been running the 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo. Last night was the first reasonable count though - just 29 of 10sp. Only surprise was the second garden record of Apple Leaf Skeletoniser - one I've potted to try and get a shot if it lasts till I get a chance.

I did lazily point the Lumix at a few this morning, see the 1000 in 1kmsq blog for a few more.

Hebrew Character

Common Quaker

Total catch 10/04/2013
0389  Apple Leaf Skeletoniser (Choreutis pariana)  1 (NFY)
0688  Agonopterix heracliana  2
0695  Agonopterix alstromeriana  1 (NFY)
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  2
1746  Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata)  2
2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  1 (NFY)
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  13
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  4
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  2
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  1 (NFY)

Spring ....

... has sprung at last. Just about. Really nice and sunny today, again, but without the biting wind and temps rose. Nipped into part of my patch this morning whilst out and picked up LRP in display-flight. Also picked up my first butterfly of the year with a smart male Brimstone flitting to and fro along the garden today, and a few more flies around as well but no bees as yet. One odd thing though is that I've only seen one Frog in the garden this year - a very large and fat individual which I presumed was a female. It was hiding in a hollow underneath my mothing slab back on 18th March, covered in leaf-litter (though it certainly wasn't there earlier in the winter). I was surprised to find it still there today - presume the local ponds are also free of frogs and spawn.

Found a Blackbird nesting in the garden today as well, and the Long-tailed Tits have finally paired off and broken up - I was still getting a feeding flock coming to the garden in the week which seemed very odd for late March / early April.

Last notable sighting was a Muntjac along the road-side in a nearby village tonight when I picked up Isabelle from work - first time I've seen one anywhere near to here and out of woodland.

Not Much

Haven't posted here for a while - mainly as I've had barely anything to post about. Cold, windy, busy etc. Moth trap hasn't been out since 5th March. Over the Easter weekend we went down to Devon where I fared a little better with new things, mainly lichens, but it was still very quiet as far as flying inverts go. I'll post a load of lichen stuff another day, but here's a few random shots.

Bracken Map - a common fungus on dead Bracken stems

Forked Veilwort - a liverwort

Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage

A nice shot of the arse-end of a Coal Tit - it just wouldn't face the camera

Montagu's Stellate Barnacle

Black-footed Limpet

And a common maritime lichen, Collemopsidium sublitorale on Montagu's Stellate Barnacle

And while I think about it, found a few of these lizards around the hotel grounds during a business trip to Turkey earlier in March - I think it's Lebanon Lizard (Phoenicolacerta laevis)