The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers ....

Had a moment of adrenalin rush this morning that had me bouncing like a fictional stupid big cat. Having gone through all but one of the egg trays and calling all of the usual but not especially stimulating stuff, I lifted the last tray and there nestled on the bottom of the trap in all its glory was this beast .......

Garden Tiger

Really chuffed to see this, one that I honestly didn't think I'd see in the garden again. The first, last, only other garden record was from July 2001.

The first three nights in July have yielded a good few species for the camera which will take time to catch up, so I'll post them a loose groups. Seeing as I've started with the above then this batch will be 'non-noctuid macros'!

Buff-tip

Chinese Character

The Four Footmen of the Apocalypse

Common, Scarce, Dingy, Buff

Dingy Footman

Buff Footman

Common Footman

Scarce Footman

Mothing

Out for some mothing tonight - for the first time late May! Going to Ketton Quarry so hopfully some good moths to photograph tomorrow and post about. The garden traps have been doing well this week - though nothing new (my MapMate database is not up to date so no summaries or idea on actual numbers).

Pempelia formosa - second garden record

Calamatropha paludella

Dingy Footman

Guineaford Gallery : Fleurs, Stuff, Ticks

A landmark - this is the 1000th post since I started the blog late in 2007. Quite a few of those posts will be complete nonsense, but nevertheless .......

Loads of photos included here, interspersed with a bit of waffle. Also loads more photos to post in the coming days - quite how I've managed to ram the SD card so much in such a short time out even amazes me.

Today has been a little dull and indifferent weather-wise. After posting here earlier today and a spot of lunch, we set out on a decent long walk along the lanes and farmland around the family home in Guineaford (North Devon, between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe). Here are a couple of views taken whilst out, looking south towards Guineaford which lies in a valley (click for big, and the upcoming lane shot).

Ravens pretty much constantly calling, Buzzards mewing and a Sprawk circled overhead being harrassed by a pair of Pied Wags - quite possibly the pair nest building in the garden.

Most of the walk was along very typical Devon lanes, with fairly high verges on either side of the narrow roadway.

We'd not long got going when an on-coming tractor caused a temporary stop and stand at the side to give-way. Rather than look at the tractor, I faced the verge to nosey around the growth and was absolutely amazed to find a British Tick right under my nose. A flower that I have wanted to see since I started taking more notice of floral stuff over the last couple of years, and one I just wouldn't have thought would be here so easy to see.

Moschatel

Soon realised there was loads of it all along the verges.

Here's a few of the more common flowers seen along the walk ...

Common Dog Violet

Greater Stitchwort

Honesty

Primrose

Red Campion

Some inverts, although the only one I've been able to name so far is another new one for me - this sawfly which obligingly sat on my finger ..

Aglaostigma aucupariae

Hopefully will get this one sorted once I can check the book

Probably doomed to remain unidentified

Some more flowers ...

Loads of Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage around here

I liked the strong pink flush to this ripening Daisy

Also seen along the walk were Yellow Archangel, Lesser Celandine, White Campion, Green Alkanet, Cleavers, Garlic Mustard, Ramsons, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Herb Robert, and Periwinkle (but not sure if Greater or Lesser).

Finally, I found this in the garden - the first time I have seen this species in the larval stage ..

Dingy Footman

From the garden trap - 25/07/2008

A very good night, with two garden-first macros and a good county scarcity to boot.

Total catch 305 of 82sp.

125W MV 142 of 57sp., 80W actinic 163 of 56sp.)
First for garden:
White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1
Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 1
First for year in garden:
Emmetia marginea 2
Batia lunaris 2
Acleris laterana/comariana 1
Pammene fasciana 1
Grapholita janthinana 1
Pyrausta purpuralis 1
Oak Eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) 1
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1
Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua) 1
Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 2
Highest counts:
Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 32
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 31
Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 27


Dingy Footman - an expected garden first considering the recent upturn in footmen fortunes and especially considering the burgeoning local population at Narborough Bog.


White Satin, another garden first - photo for the record but it's not pretty!


Knackered female Oak Eggar - first garden record since 2003. This is a scarce species in VC55, though my garden has probably more records in the last 8 years than any other site in the county!


Gold Triangle


Bi-laterally asymmetric Marbled Beauty photographed in fully even light - the markings are symmetric but the colouration is completely washed out on the left forewing; it is not any more worn or rubbed than the right.

Narborough Bog 22/07/2008

Although the days were warming up nicely, it was still cooling off fairly quickly overnight so not the best night for out of garden trapping, but with the next couple of nights scuppered I decided to leave traps running at Narborough Bog in the hope of at least picking up a couple of the reserve specialities for the year. Turned out to be a bloody good night overall!

3 x 125W MV traps operated dusk - dawn
Total catch 715 of 124sp.

Main highlights were the two targets:


Fen Wainscot (2) - Narborough Bog was the only site for this species in VC55 up until recently, has spread a little and has turned up in a few gardens (including mine) as it tends to wander like most reedbed species.


Round-winged Muslin (9) - ditto the above except the garden and wandering bit!

Other highlights:
Elachista apicipunctella 1
Mompha ochraceella 1
Limnaecia phragmitella 2
Aethes rubigana 14
Cochylis dubitana 1
Phlyctaenia perlucidalis 1
Blue-bordered Carpet (Plemyria rubiginata rubiginata) 2
Bordered Beauty (Epione repandaria) 1
Lilac Beauty (Apeira syringaria) 1
Double Lobed (Apamea ophiogramma) 1
Pinion-streaked Snout (Schrankia costaestrigalis) 2
Highest counts:
Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 98
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 81
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 51
Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 31

Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 27

Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) 24

Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) 24

Celypha lacunana 21


Bordered Beauty - aptly named


Dingy Footman - also aptly named!


Large Emerald, White Satin


Aethes rubigana, Limnaecia phragmitella


Double Lobed