Monday 31 May 2021

Moth to a Flame - Metallica

 Not everyones cup-of-tea we know but Friday night was so productive at the Moth Traps that we felt our Valued Readership might like to see the results all in one post. With the extra bonus of a visitation from our friend Dave Foot Wanting to carry out something of an experiment by

hoisting a trap into the canopy.
19 new species for the year included:-

POPLAR LUTESTRING
GARDEN CARPET
MAY HIGHFLIER
SANDY CARPET
DWARF PUG
SHARP-ANGLED PEACOCK
OCHREOUS PUG
COMMON WHITE WAVE
PUSS MOTH
COMMON PUG
BUTTONED SNOUT
MOTTLED RUSTIC
RUSTIC SHOULDER-KNOT
MARBLED MINOR
TAWNY PINION
LIGHT BROCADE
WHITE-POINT
SMALL SQUARE-SPOT
COMMON SWIFT
Inevetably with Dave in attendance it was going to be a long and enjoyable weekend but, with only a limited number of hours in the day we have had to reduce today's Post to just the additional Moths on the Year List. There is a lot more to come from a brilliant couple of days which we will bring to you a.s.a.p.
Lower Away My Hearty's
Not as much success as was hoped for so likely the Test Runs will continue?

Sunday 30 May 2021

TAIWAN II

 In my humble oppinion the greatest accolade that can be bestowed upon anyone is an invitation to visit someone’s home, which was the situation as we continue the

Taiwan Odyssey!

Vicky Cheng had already excelled and endeared herself to me, highlighted by the host of ‘goodies’ shown on last Sunday’s post, and now there were to be more!

Not a route march by any means but enough distance, through a heavily wooded area, where the day tally had shown a few birds and diverse countryside

leaving the
Hotel and Village
BLACK-THROATED TIT
the ubiquitous
TAIWAN BLUE MAGPIE
followed  by a 'rare' form of the same speicies only minutes later
a leaucistic individual with the pigment missing and Vicky only having seen c2 of the kind before!
Through virgin jungle with just occassional peeks of
CIVILISATION
PALLAS'S SQUIRREL
While along the course of the river

 a true delight not even considered on the Imaginary List
BROWN DIPPER
Local Temple
A lille further on to the flatlands and now getting
Far from the Madding Crowd
HOODED CRANE
any of the family group always a delight to add to the ever lengthening list'
Before Vicky spotted in quick succession both
PLAIN PRINIA
and the sharply contrasting
LONG-TAILED SHRIKE
before crossing the
RICKETY RACKETY BRIDGE
and her families
Place of Worship
before the vista opened up to mile upon mile of
RICE PADDIES 

her families stock-in-trade. We could have gone directly to her  home but our attention was caught by the sighting of a

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER

something a 'mega' when found on UK turf but many dozens here followed by the Real Delight of the who day meeting the

CHENG FAMILY
with the only regret being the moment taking over the whole scene and no taking enough photos of a Warm - Warm - Welcome! Mum and Dad just beyound the stool and
UNCLE DJEONG
performing his party piece tying his ear lobes below his chin, sometimes you get to thinking you have
Seen It All?
Also across the paddies were a number of other  Wading Birds the highlight of which were many, many
LONG-TOED STINT
which was contender for if not THE
BIRD of the TRIP
in as much as not only a longed for 'Lifer' but the last of the c4 species of Stint in the World recorded
(the 2 images above have been 'borrowed' as all at the site kept their distance)
Just for your interest the other 3 family members all seen in Dorset are

Ferrybridge - 19/09/1976

RED-NECKED STINT

Ferrybridge - 27/08/2010
and

TEMMINCK'S STINT
Lodmoor - 16/05/1982
A huge wrench to pull myself away but there were other things to see and if we were going to follow Vicky's plan of attack we would have to seek higher ground - something of a plod until Lady Luck once again visited us. Not a mile up the hill yet there before us appeared the
ROAD CLEANERs
who agreed to take us to the place we wanted and then clean from top to bottom!
On the decent the delights included
GREY TREEPIE
CHASM
SPOTTED DOVE
WHITE-WHISKERED LAUGHING THRUSH
The only Moth of the trip and
TAIWAN SIBIA 

With still more to come, again we hope this is as enjoyable to view as it has been to cobble together!