Well, I'm here and alive enough to post - always a good thing I reckon. My
surgery did go ahead on Weds 15th June, though I knew nothing of it until
being brought out of sedation and off of a ventilator on 16th morning which
probably helped with managing the pain a bit. I spent the first day in
intensive care, just about getting over the anaesthetic whilst developing a
morphine addiction. On Friday I got moved to a general ward, and spent the
next three days gradually becoming more self-dependent and mobile. Much to my
surprise and relief, on Monday 20th they muted that perhaps I could go home
early (fully expected a 10 - 14day stay) as long as I came back in for a
couple of check ups on the Weds and Friday - I didn't hesitate in imploring
them to make it happen. I hate hospitals at the best of times, but being in
there once you are actually mobile and looking after yourself is absolutely
the most soul-destroying and mind-numbing thing imaginable. So on Monday night
I was home and happy.
Tuesday 21st June was a nice warm sunny day so I was pleased to be able to
intersperse sleeping, relaxing and generally lounging about with forays into
the garden for fresh air and to watch a few insects on the border flowers. It
dawned on me that with the sun shining, and with it requiring virtually zero
effort, I could dangle a couple of lures. So I tried both VES and FOR with
success, one Orange-tailed Clearwing to the VES lure and x3 Red-tipped
Clearwings to the FOR lure. I wasn't up to fannying about with a camera though
so only managed a couple of crappy phone shots ....
Orange-tailed Clearwing
Red-tipped Clearwing
I think the adrenaline of seeing clearwing and the euphoria at being home overtook
common sense, and I put the moth trap on for the night. Surgery and being in
hospital screws up your sleep pattern for ages so getting up early to empty it
wasn't a problem, though it was a bit more physical effort than was perhaps
good for me. Nothing exciting in there, but it was looking sunny again so out
went the LUN lure despite it being perhaps a bit early for the target. By
08:30 there were x2 Lunar Hornet Moths in the trap. All the more excellent as
with the pre-surgery records of Currant and Red-belted, all x5 clearwing
species that I recorded here last year have come again - no flash in the pan
luck involved, all clearly present within close enough proximity to come to
the lures reasonably soon after deployment.
Lunar Hornet Moth
Again, the moth trap went out and again with some effort I got it done early
in the morning. This time though there was excitement, a new for garden macro
and a decent migrant that warranted a quick snap with the camera ....
Scarlet Tiger
An expected addition to the garden list with recent expansion in VC55 range,
shame it was a bit tatty.
Bordered Straw - second garden record after one in 2006
The moth trap went out again on Thursday 23rd June, back to standard fare and
by now I was thinking that I'd perhaps overdone it, so the trap got put away
as the weather faded a bit anyway.
A week or so after surgery, things can go two ways. You either feel like
you're getting somewhere and feeling a bit stronger each day, or you start to
slide and feel a bit crapper. Over the weekend I felt a bit lethargic and
lacking energy, and on Monday I was in incredible pain in my left kidney. Back
to the hospital to be checked, and I ended up being re-admitted with bloods
showing infection markers. A subsequent CT scan showed a build up of likely
infected fluid stuck in a pocket somewhere in my pelvis, which would require
draining under a radiologically guided procedure. By then I'd had a couple of
doses of IV antibiotics and was feeling fine again, but the NHS system
conspired against me and despite my protestations and moaning I ended up being
stuck back in there until the Friday evening whilst they tried to work out
if/how/when this would be done. I was absolutely exasperated; every day I was
nil by mouth from midnight to c4pm just in-case they managed to fit me into
someone's schedule, whilst being sedentary and having bugger all to do. On the
Friday I made it clear I'd had enough and I was seriously on the page of
walking out and self-discharging, luckily they'd already come to the
conclusion and seen sense that they were better off bending their own rules
and essentially discharged me without discharging me, so that I could go back
for the procedure at an appointed time as a day case.
Back home for another week, gradually building myself up again after going
backwards in hospital. Yesterday I went in for a CT Guided Drain procedure -
and by christ it was the most painful experience of my life, local anaesthetic
only works so deep, and to avoid any remaining organs or major blood vessels
they went in the most direct route - basically they skewered my backside and
it fucking hurt! Anyway, it's done now and I can get back on with recovering
(although the drain will of course have to some back out, which will also be
uncomfortable but a lot quicker!). I'm actually feeling a lot perkier now and
I'm okay with basic pain relief. I've got a long way to go with recovery but
feel like I'm on the right path now.
Having major surgery, losing body parts and being in pain or uncomfortable etc
is of course worth it if it means I'm still here for the foreseeable, watching
the kids grow up (metaphorically, they've already grown up physically), being
here for and with Nichola and contributing to society. The surgeon told me
last week that the histology on the stuff they removed has clear margins -
that should mean I am cancer-free and there will be no further treatment. I'd
really like to hear that again with Nichola by my side at a formal
post-surgery consultation in due course.
The trap will be back out tonight, I've missed some of the best mothing
weather for ages and feel like I need to get back on track. I'm also able to
sit at the desktop PC for a while now - hence posting.
I realise that a lot of this post is a bit self-centered and unlikely to be of
any interest to anyone, but as I'm sure I've said before I write this blog for
me first and foremost.
In other news, apparently a large number of MPs in the lying bastard party
with no integrity and morals have realised that their leader really is a lying
bastard with the integrity and morals of a pile of bat guano. Who knew!
I really like this new track from Simple Minds ....
So far this evening, I've had a very productive time sorting photos from the
trap and working through a number of gen det confirmations - essentially
adding several species to my PSL and my garden moth list at the same time. But
I'll save that for another day.
You may recall that last weekend I unexpectedly added a couple of clearwings
to the garden list. Since then, I've tried on a few days in the week with the
MYO lure for Red-belted and the FOR lure for Red-tipped, both without success.
The conditions yesterday were perfect for clearwing hunting, but I was frankly
too knackered, hot and bothered to go out after the mothing expedition on
Saturday night. I decided to try a couple of different lures in the garden to
see if anything else might be attracted. I stuck out the VES lure again, but
again Orange-tailed turned up quickly so I couldn't leave that out. I tried
the HYL lure (intended for Raspberry Clearwing) but nothing was interested in
a couple of hours. Next I hung out the CUL lure (intended for Large
Red-belted). Within 15 minutes or so there was some action, but the small
black insect darting around the trap was not going in so I swiped it in my net
....
So somehow, Red-belted Clearwing arrived when using the wrong lure - with
no response to the supposed target lure. I've only seen Red-belted once before,
a brief appearance to MYO but not lingering and not that bothered. Every other
time I've tried MYO I've had no response. I left the CUL lure out but within
another 10mins or so the trap had another two Red-belted so I pulled it in. From
the pheromone luring Facebook group it seems that Red-belted is actually more
attracted to the CUL lure than MYO - so perhaps I should try again at a few
sites and see what happens.
Later in the day, after sleeping through most of the British Grand Prix ( I
saw the first lap, nodded off during the red flagged stop and woke up with
about three laps to go) I decided to try again with the FOR lure. The
conditions were still perfect, and I've had success with this lure when out
and about late in the afternoon / early evening. I wasn't too hopeful though
and left the lure in the trap whilst I made a rudimentary effort at cleaning
the dust and bird shite off of my car. An hour or so later, I checked the trap
and ....
A single Red-tipped Clearwing, the fifth clearwing sp. new to the
garden this year. Ironically, this is the one that I was most hopeful about!
The clearwing season is probably not going to last much longer, and I doubt
there will by any others added to the garden list. Yellow-legged has resolutely failed to turn up
but I can't keep leaving out VES anyway, Hornet Moth does not respond too well
to the lure but will be over by now, and Six-belted is unlikely here despite
being one of the commonest clearwing sp. But I think there is more to come
from hanging out the lures, one way or another.
I imagine from the blog post title you were expecting me to post a link to
some dirge from a ginger-haired Mancunian .... nope.
Prior to the Heart and Club in my last post, I'd recorded six individuals from the garden. All were singles, with the first in 2011 - my 13th year of garden trapping. Aside from my garden records, I've only recorded this species twice whilst out and about, so until recently it was a fairly uncommon moth in VC55. Last night, in one garden trap, I had five! This is an amazing turn up, and it'll be interesting to see whether this upward trend continues.
Other news - remember that leaf-mine on willowherb from the garden? Well, out popped a fresh Mompha langiella yesterday - one that was new to VC55 fairly recently and new to my garden last year.
Anyway, today was very warm and sunny. I was at a hospital pre-op first thing, and then back in work whilst the weather just got better. Whilst it was getting a bit late for it, I headed out with a couple of pheromone lures locally early this evening. First stop was the local PYO at Whetstone Pastures. Barely 3mins of exposed TIP lure and I'd recorded five Currant Clearwings - despite the wind blowing the scent away from the currants. This was at c6pm, but encouraged I headed down to Misteron Marsh where around 25mins later I was exposing my FOR lure. This was not so easy, and after around 10mins I was just about to give up when a single Red-tipped Clearwing appeared. Excellent - the new lures work a treat!
Strong warm sunshine when I got home from work today. I decided to get the lures out and nip off in search of a couple more species.
First up, I went south to Misterton Marsh near Lutterworth. It was c17:15 when I got there - out with the FOR lure, and I didn't have to wait long before I'd potted my first target ..
Red-tipped Clearwing - a sallow feeder, usually has two complete antennae
I netted at least 10 within a few minutes - great stuff. With this success, I decided to try a local pick you own just down the road from where I live. It was 17:45 when I got there. I'd tried this site a few times when I first had lures a few years ago but without any joy. This time I decided to just hang the TIP pheromone on the nearest hawthorn to the PYO and see what happened.
I hadn't finished tying the lure onto the stem before the first clearwing turned up, and by the time I'd got my net and pot ready there were loads zooming about, at least 40. in less than a minute!
Currant Clearwing - a currant feeder (obviously!)
Superb - and especially so as this is the first time I've recorded it making it a British and County Tick for me.
Tomorrow morning I'll post a summary of recent garden trapping including some micro-firsts. Then tomorrow I'm joining others for an impromptu Bio-Blitz at Ketton Quarry including an overnight trapping effort and more clearwing-ing.
Six-belted Clearwing, attracted to API lure in central Leicester 25th June 2003
I last used any clearwing lures in 2005, but it's back to 2003 when I first tried a few different combinations and sites trying to find different species. This year I've acquired a fresh full set which now comprises 10 lures (back then there were only 6).
The lures are simply small rubber bungs impregnated with a synthetic pheromone emulating certain clearwing species. The set I got also included 1 small plastic vial instead of a bung - sure they all work the same.
Preparing them for use is easy..
Clockwise from top left: the lures come in individually sealed bags, what the lure looks like, a bit of string and fine mesh netting, home-made labels. This should be worthy of a Blue Peter Badge.
Once assembled, the lure is ready to be hung from or pegged onto a suitable branch, twig or prop.
When they are not in use, keeping them in a sealed box in the freezer extends their useful life to c2yrs. This year I am hoping to re-find Six-belted, Yellow-legged and Red-tipped, and also to finally see Currant and Red-belted. Orange-tailed has also been recorded once in the county, so I'll be looking for that. Large Red-belted does not respond as enthusiastically as other species, and Lunar Hornet does not respond at all to the lures. On the complete outside chance, bagging the first Raspberry, White-barred or Welsh for VC55 would be nice.
All we need now is some warm sunshine and free time ......
Yellow-legged Clearwing, attracted to VES lure at Bradgate Park 24th June 2003
Red-tipped Clearwing, attracted to FOR lure at Misterton Marsh 19th June 2005
