Sunday 13 April 2014

All I Want For Christmas is a Beatle - Dora Bryan

No wonder we haven't been getting Posts out on time, what a weekend! Again, the Moth Man (Dave Foot) Cometh and apart from catching some quality Moths, along with a few interesting creepy crawlies, we enjoyed the hospitality here at Harbins Farm House including some 'fine wine' and even better victuals. During this short visit Dave wanted to concentrate on the northern side of the farm amid Silver Birch, Oak, Sallow a few Scots Pines and a couple of small areas of Aspen all on boggy soil. The latter is where Lead-coloured Drab and Light Orange Underwing exist while in the Birch's Orange Underwing is a likely capture. My 3 traps were set, as usual,  in the locality of the farm house and farm yard, while Dave activated his 3 as described above. There was plenty of daylight left so not only a chance later of the night-time fliers, but now some of the diurnal Moths and birds as well. Along with Linnet, Stonechat and Dartford Warbler, all engaged in nest building, we quickly found a couple of
TREE PIPIT*
mostly flying over the heath but spending some time perched
a new bird for the year.
 then, quite unexpected for me at least, a fly-by
LESSER REDPOLL
not often seen on the property.
It was Dave who heard the call of a 
GREEN SANDPIPER
and as twilight arrived the Sonar like 'ping' and some grunting from a 
WOODCOCK
This line drawing and the images above are from Wiki simply for illustration.
Another conundrum was solved by our friend John Gifford yesterday as growing on Parley Court Farm,
 WESTERN GORSE
something to do with the hairs inside the flower
separates this species from Common Gorse.
 
The scene at 07:00 yesterday morning as low lying mist was seen,
from Parley Court Farm across the Heathland to the north.
 SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP
first for the year was an early find followed by
 Two examples of 'green hue'
 EARLY TOOTHED-STRIPED
 Very local and confined to Aspen Trees
 LIGHT ORANGE UNDERWING
(lower image from Wiki, as this little rascal just would not show any orange) 
 Our best photo so far of
PURPLE THORN
 RINGED CARPET
something of a scarcity.
 ENGRAILED
 2 examples of
BRINDLED BEAUTY
dark and light morphs
 COMMON HEATH
a 'daytime flyer'.
 KNOT GRASS
 PALE PINION
 another variation of
BROWN-LIPPED SNAIL
COMMON STORKSBILL
 GREEN TIGER BEETLE
DOR BEETLE
 c7 of the 13 BRINDLED BEAUTY caught,
in company with Nut-tree Tussock (top) and Satellite (directly below).
 GREEN ALCANET
 The COCOON of a Psychid Moth (Micro)
 Thought to be the Larva of the Brown-tailed Moth in their tented cocoon.
My attention was drawn to the livery on the closest aircraft from
HUNGARIAN AIRLINES
 DARTFORD WARBLER
OK, distant but displaying and carrying nesting material!
That's a WOW!
 COMMA BUTTERFLY
 SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY
 Thought to be the Larva of the CLAY (Moth).
 On the face of it, just a small stand of
SILVER BIRCH
 but closer inspection revelled 2 distinct and tiny holes though to have been excavated by
LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER
which is calling and singing in this remote corner of the property.
 What is thought to be a Nest Hole
(only time will tell)
 plus a feeding hole?
 MINOTAUR BEETLE
 and
 POPLAR LEAF BEETLE
a stunning sight!
a putative LEAD-COLOURED DRAB
we'll let you know!
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