Croft Hill

Today was gloriously sunny, but with family chores and kids football I wasn't able to capitalise fully. The garden trap provided the first decent catch on Saturday night, and I noted a few bits in the garden late morning (first Brimstone, Small Torts and Peacock). Later this afternoon though I was free and I headed over to Croft Hill to have a mooch about. Not a cloud in the sky, and by that time it was a superb late teens temperature.

Croft Hill is a big hill overlooking a big hole

Looking north towards Huncote Embankment

I spent some time searching tree trunks and fence posts, and I managed to find a fair few inverts tempted out by the warmth, including two new beetles and a new bug for me (though I haven't managed to photograph them all yet).

Cicones undatus - a new one for me

This is a gall wasp - one to try and key through on a rainy day

Forest Bug nymph

Common Footman - found two larvae grazing on algae

Loads of 7-Spot Ladybirds about

Couldn't get a clear shot of this Tree Bumblebee - it flew off after I tried to manipulate it

Lots of flies sunning themselves on trees and fences, like this Calliphora vicina

Can't beat a bit of flowering Gorse to brighten any huge man-made hole

Here's a couple from the moth trap last night:

Grey Shoulder-knot

Clouded Drab

GSK, Pec, & Bittern Panic

Not much in the traps this morning, but I still managed a new species for the year:


Grey-shoulder Knot

This is not a regular for my garden, and it's the first time I've taken it here at the start of its flight period, the other 3 individuals all turned up in the spring after hibernation.

Also 3 of these in the traps:


Green-brindled Crescent f. capucina - lacking any metallic green scales

Early afternoon I headed over to Eyebrook Res in the hope (rather than expectation) of picking up Jack Snipe. A quick look along the inflow from the bridge drew a blank. I also checked the inflow for the Pec Sand and there was no sign. Moving round to get better scope views I confirmed that there was really not a lot about at all (not even much water). A car pulled up and out popped Brian Moore (aka The Wearside Whippet) - long time no see. We jointly failed to see anything more exciting than a Red Kite (which was nice all the same) and a handful of Snipe on the far bank. Brian was only stopping briefly after doing RW in the morning, so I moved on a bit but nothing else other than a few Goldeneye fresh in. I then doubled-back to re-check the bridge and the inflow - there back in exactly the same spot as I saw it last week was the Pec. Still no Jack Snipe.

Later this afternoon I noted that the LROS website detailed a Bittern at Cossington Meadows - interesting but a bit late to bother heading over. At precisely 17:59 I got a text alerting me to the fact that the Cossington bird was now confirmed as Little Bittern. WTF! Way too late to get over there before dark from my house. Apart from being a VC55 mega (first since 1954), I haven't seen one in Britain anywhere. Needless to say I will be there at dawn (though tomorrow I am constrained so unless it shows before 09:00 I will have to go back).