A Toad in the Hand

Today has been varied. This morning my car was booked in for its first service, so it was duly emptied and had a cursory vacuum and clean out yesterday evening. My boot is perpetually full of ento and birding paraphernalia, plus boots, coat and I've still got a cheap telescopic fishing rod lying around from the 2015 Portland PSL meet-up! Anyway, as usual whenever my car is going in for service or whatever I emptied out all my gear. Nichola was off today too, so after the car was handed over we headed off to a hospital blood test appointment and then off for a pub breakfast. We had a few bits to get from B&Q and another nearby shop, and then headed over the road to Abbey Park, a large area of parkland in the City that has been used and abused by generations of Leicester folk since 1882.

We had a good wander around the northern side of the River Soar which runs through the middle of the park. There are large stone boundary walls around part of the park, which are good for a few plants that were no doubt originally introduced but now flourish in some areas and have spread.

Pellitory-of-the-wall

Wallflower - gone over a bit ....

Alongside the Soar, there is plenty of Canadian Goldenrod amongst the willowherbs and ragworts.

And there is a large area planted out with plants specifically to benefit bees and pollinators, including loads of Globe Thistles, Echinops spp.

I'll spare you the not very exciting shots of the dipteran leaf-miner that specialises on Echinops.

It was early afternoon by the time I picked up the car, and we had a couple of things to do so by the time I was able to think about going out somewhere it was getting on for 5pm. It was also very humid and looked like it could absolutely hammer it down. I decided to go out anyway, grabbed my bag, camera and a coffee and set off for Bagworth Heath - a reclaimed colliery and another site I've not spent enough time at for one reason or another.

As soon as I got there, the sky was looking ominous ....

Still, worth a shot. I opened the car-boot and instantly realised that I'd forgotten to re-pack my paraphernalia. Arse. No boots, no net and no coat.

It was fine though. Nothing more than a light shower that I evaded by nipping into a wooded area, and anyway after the shower (and evidently a few that had preceded it), sweeping would have been pointless. As I walked around for a couple of hours, it gradually brightened up. Like Bardon Hill yesterday, this is a site I must get to a bit earlier in the season.

Loads of trefoils, vetch, clovers and yet more Canadian Goldenrod. I also walked around the ponds that are mainly used by fishermen.

There is a Sand Martin nesting bank and it was good to see it was still busily in use. Getting a shot of the said martins was nigh on impossible.

All around the ponds the grass paths were heaving with what I initially assumed were Froglets. Trying to get shots of them was harder than the martins as they did not sit still. In fact, the only method that worked was picking them up - they seemed to hesitate at the idea of leaping four feet back towards the ground ....

As I grabbed the first one I was surprised to see that it looked more like a miniature Common Toad. And then every one I picked up after that was the same. Not one frog in at least 20 that I man-handled out of the 100s that seemed to be moving all over the place.

There were few inverts active, apart from the still-ubiquitous Common Red Soldier Beetles. I pointed the camera at a couple.

Dicyphus epilobii

Episyrphus balteatus - I've managed to avoid pointing the camera at one of these since mid-May

By the time I left, the skies were clearing and tomorrow is shaping up to be a scorcher.

Another Surprise Finch

Been a busy couple of days, up and down ladders and stairs painting the hallway and landing. Today I did manage to spend some time in the garden though. Late this morning as I sat out on a quick coffee break I nearly spluttered it all over the place as a Greenfinch briefly landed on the fence and then flew off. Yes, a Greenfinch! No camera to hand, and seemed highly unlikely I'd see it again. C'est la vie. Back inside for another few hours of soul-drenching hard graft delightful DIY and I was done for the day. Cameras ready and I grabbed a net. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was beating down by that point. I was being given the complete run around by at least three individual Merodon equestris that refused to settle for a shot and all evaded the net. And then I heard not one, but it sounded like a family party of Greenfinches. I couldn't see them as I got ready with the camera, and then two shot out of the embankment scrub and disappeared. But I could still hear one wheezing and trilling a bit. You may need to turn the volume up and ignore the wind/motoway noise .....

Eventually I could see a fat motionless silhouetted blob in the twiggery, and managed to get a poor shot that I've had to lighten to reveal the glorious green and yellow blob.

Otherwise it seemed that there was more activity than in recent days, though not much was settling. Perhaps the biggest insect surprise came when I nipped back into the kitchen to make another coffee and noticed that a fly buzzing around the window was not your average housefly ...

Tachina fera - a first for the house/garden

Another first for the garden was this, although it is only a sp. for now ...

Altica sp. - almost certainly lythri, but ....

And a couple of firsts for the year ...

Episyrphus balteatus

Green-veined White

Also some good larval news, or at least I am pretty sure that this is what it is.

Early instar Orange-tip on Cuckooflower seed pod

Less good news for one larva. I idly pointed the camera at a Blackbird and when looking at the image noted something hanging off the edge of its beak ..

White Letter Day

It's not often that I'm tempted out to try and see a new butterfly; don't know why but despite being a keen moth recorder for 18+ years now, butterflies have never really got me that bothered. But I picked up news of one that I've not seen before just up the road at Huncote Embankment, and so I nipped over late this afternoon. Immediately found the spot and one of the butterflies, though some crappy record shots were about all I could manage ......

White-letter Hairstreak

To outline just how unbothered I am about butterflies, that's only my 44th British species.

I do like a good Marbled White though, and there were three or four knocking about on the plateau but catching up with one as they rested for seconds was harder work than it was probably worth!

Marbled White

Hoverflies were notable today, with Scaeva pyrastri in the garden and Volucella pellucens at the Embankment. Both of those evaded the camera, but I got these ....

Volucella zonaria - an absolute beast of a hoverfly

Episyrphus balteatus - several in the garden today

 Syrphus ribesii s.l. - female with predomninantly yellow hid femur

Syrphus vitripennis s.l. - female with part black hind femur

 Not a hover - Green Shieldbug nymph

The garden moths traps were back out last night, and there was a fairly decent catch. I'll post a few moth photos another day apart from this one - still enjoy seeing this in the garden, and still can't believe it was extinct as a British species just over a decade ago!

Small Ranunculus

Long over-due mothing update

I have at long last overcome the now regular summer MapMate malaise and have finally got the mothing records up to date (though the traps are out again as I type so I'm only up to date for a few hours!). Here are the headline summaries for the garden just before and after the Devon weekend:

28/07/2011
Total catch 358 of 81sp.
(125W MV 143 of 56, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 215 of 60)

NEW FOR GARDEN:
0401 Argyresthia laevigatella 1
1804 Barred Rivulet (Perizoma bifaciata) 1

First for year in garden:
0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 2
0363 Phyllonorycter platanoidella 1
0366a Cameraria ohridella 1
0602 Elachista apicipunctella 1
0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
0993 Cyclamen Tortrix (Clepsis spectrana) 1
1016 Cnephasia longana 1
1197 Eucosma campoliliana 1
1260 Cydia splendana 2
1309 Agriphila geniculea 1
1838 Tawny Speckled Pug (Eupithecia icterata subfulvata) 2
1919 Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria) 1
2112 Least Yellow Underwing (Noctua interjecta caliginosa) 1

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 49
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 32
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 25
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 18
1424 Endotricha flammealis 16
1304 Agriphila straminella 11
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 10
1439 Trachycera advenella 10

Best of the rest:
0125 Emmetia marginea 1
0878 Batrachedra praeangusta 3
1038x Acleris laterana/comariana 3
1378 Phlyctaenia coronata 1
1417 Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis) 1
1470 Euzophera pinguis 1
1651 Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) 1
1811 Slender Pug (Eupithecia tenuiata) 3
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 4
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 2
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1


31/07/2011
Total catch 467 of 72sp.
(125W MV 176 of 44, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 291 of 59)

First for year in garden:
Nothing!

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 84
1304 Agriphila straminella 28
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 27
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 25
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 25
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 23
1439 Trachycera advenella 22
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 20
1424 Endotricha flammealis 18
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 12
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 11
1138 Epinotia nisella 11

Best of the rest:
0411 Argyresthia goedartella 1
1016 Cnephasia longana 1
1313 Catoptria pinella 1
1452 Phycita roborella 1
1742 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata) 5
1811 Slender Pug (Eupithecia tenuiata) 1
1883 Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata) 1
1884 Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata) 1
2044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 1
2064 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) 1
2112 Least Yellow Underwing (Noctua interjecta caliginosa) 4
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 2
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1


01/08/2011
Total catch 503 of 87sp.
(125W MV 261 of 71, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 242 of 51)

NEW FOR GARDEN:
0360 Phyllonorycter kleemannella 1

(Actually this may well be a VC55 first aswell!)

First for year in garden:
0284 Caloptilia rufipennella 1
1113 Eudemis profundana 1
1126 Ancylis badiana 1
1348 Ringed China-mark (Parapoynx stratiotata) 1
2452 Red Underwing (Catocala nupta) 1

Highest counts:
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 71
1304 Agriphila straminella 58
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 28
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 24
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 22
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 22
1439 Trachycera advenella 20
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 18
0263 Apple Leaf Miner (Lyonetia clerkella) 16
1138 Epinotia nisella 16
1424 Endotricha flammealis 16
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 12
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 11

Best of the rest:
0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 1
0266 Bucculatrix nigricomella 1
0363 Phyllonorycter platanoidella 1
0366a Cameraria ohridella 2
1415 Orthopygia glaucinalis 1
1452 Phycita roborella 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1742 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata) 1
1777 July Highflyer (Hydriomena furcata) 1
1811 Slender Pug (Eupithecia tenuiata) 3
1884 Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata) 2
2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 1
2064 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) 1
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) 1
2112 Least Yellow Underwing (Noctua interjecta caliginosa) 4
2145 Nutmeg (Discestra trifolii) 1
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 2
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1


03/08/2011
Total catch 263 of 59sp.
(125W MV 106 of 39, 22W/18W Synergetic/CFL combo 157 of 46)

First for year in garden:
1842 Plain Pug (Eupithecia simpliciata) 1
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) 1
2123 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 1

Highest counts:
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 33
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 32
1304 Agriphila straminella 18
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 16
1424 Endotricha flammealis 15
1439 Trachycera advenella 14
1331 Water Veneer (Acentria ephemerella) 11
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 11

Best of the rest:
0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 2
0411 Argyresthia goedartella 2
1113 Eudemis profundana 1
1316 Catoptria falsella 1
1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla 1
1742 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata) 2
1825 Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata) 1
2030 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis) 1
2112 Least Yellow Underwing (Noctua interjecta caliginosa) 2
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 3
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 3


I haven't done too much photography lately either, though I grabbed one or two earlier this evening. The main disappointment on that front was losing the Plain Pug in the kitchen - a bit of a bugger that one as it's only the second I've ever seen, the first being from the garden way back in July 2000 before I had a digital camera. I need to have another go at photographing the Phyllonorycter kleemannella aswell.

Orthopygia glaucinalis

Anclyis badiana

Epinotia nisella

And here's a few hoverflies from the garden on Wednesday evening - loads of Episyrphus balteatus knocking about at the moment, and also a fair few of what I think are Eupeodes corollae (I may well be wrong on that one though!).

Pied Hoverfly - Scaeva pyrastri

Migrant Hoverfly - Eupeodes corollae

Marmalade Hoverfly (shit vernacular name) - Episyrphus balteatus

Also noticed Median Wasps building up again nectaring, like this one face deep in whatever the bush is that is really good for bees, wasps and hoverflies (must find out what it is exactly).

Median Wasp

Life in the garden, 25/07/2009

I spent an ultimately frustrating hour or so in the garden on Saturday morning tyring to get anything like half-decent shots of the various hoverflies that have built up in numbers over the last couple of weeks. Main problems were the speed of the subjects versus the shutter lag on the Coolpix, and the wildly changeable lighting with bright sun changing to dull cloudy light every few minutes. I eventually resorted to netting and potting a few individuals - even that was a game as they are much harder to net than moths. Despite having them potted, the ID of most of them was still beyond me with nothing more than a few internet images to go by. Eristalis tenax Episyrphus balteatus Scaeva pyrastri? Syrphus ribesii? Maybe I'll should look up a decent reference book for hoverflies - any recommendations?

Episyrphus balteatus - 23/07/2008

Noticed that there are lot more hoverflies in the garden over the last few days, mainly Episyrphus balteatus like this male. Fuck knows why it's also known as Marmalade Hoverfly - maybe they are often found loitering at alfresco breakfast tables.