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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