Sunday 30th September 2007

High Cloud/Hazy Sunshine, Light SE
The first couple of hours from the garden produced the following highlights : Woodpigeon c800 NE, Redwing 2 W, Grey Heron 1 E, Duck sp 13 E at 07.15 ( my back garden faces E/SE so anything moving over is always silhouetted, for the first few hours ).



Then a visit to Manvers Lake, where the main highlight was my first ever photographable Common Tern. This particular individual allowed quite close approach, but if i got too close it flew off and landed a short distance away ;





Other highlights from here, were : Mute Swan 6, Tufted Duck 20, Great Crested Grebe 8, Grey Wagtail 3, Cormorant 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Kingfisher 1, Swallow 2 S, Jay 1 ;

Mute Swan


Tufted Duck


Back at home for the rest of the day, where the highlights from the garden, were : Sparrowhawk 1 NE, Meadow Pipit 6 S, House Martin 12, Siskin 17 W, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 S, Kestrel 1 & a Small White butterfly.

Jakki & the kids arrived safely back from Norfolk. My peace & solitude is now well & truly over. Love them really, honestly!!

Copyright Dean Stables

Saturday 29th September 2007

Overcast, Showers ( am ), Brighter & Drier ( pm ), Light NE
Ran the moth trap last night for a couple of hours and ended up with 3 species ;

Garden Carpet


Willow Beauty


Black Rustic




Nothing at all from the garden ( bird wise ) this morning, so i had an hour down at the Old Moor. At last, got to grips with my first Curlew Sandpipers ( 2 ) of the year, from the wath ings hide. Other highlights from here were : 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 1 Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwit & 2 Kingfisher.


Little Grebe ( digiscoped )

Then another poor session from the garden during the afternoon with just 2 House Martin being the most noteworthy.

I should have been in Norfolk with Jakki & the kids, this weekend, but i changed my mind and let our next door but one take my place instead. As a result, i`ve probably missed a bucket full of decent birds, but never mind, i`ve enjoyed the solitude at home.

Copyright Dean Stables

Friday 28th September 2007

Cloudy, Showery, Blustery NE
The best of the birds from the garden this morning were : Woodpigeon c300 N, Grey Heron 2 W, Redwing 4 NW, Canada Goose 21 W.
The only thing on offer from the Wombwell garden were : 28 Redwing W & this Clavaria sp ( stunning colour ) ;



The walk home along the western edge of Cortonwood produced the following highlights : Redwing 9 W, Kestrel 1, Swallow 7 / House Martin 2 S, Migrant Hawker & this Assassin/Damsel Bug sp ;



Back at home the highlights were : Redwing 10 NW, Curlew 1 W ( calling ), & a Kestrel hovering, directly over the back garden ;



and, this Spider on the kitchen window that had caught a Hawthorn Shieldbug in its web. Fortunately for the Shieldbug, its weight was too much for the web, and subsequently it dropped to the floor ;



Copyright Dean Stables

Thursday 27th September 2007

Overcast, Blustery N
An even colder morning than yesterday forced me keep glancing out of the windows, instead of sitting by the back door. As a result not a lot seen : Pipstrelle 1 ( very surprised to see one of these, considering the temp ), Woodpigeon c400 N.
Went to the Wombwell garden and the only highlight from here was of 3 Song Thrush over, heading W ( probably migrant birds ).


Peppery Bolete

Then the walk home along the western edge of Cortonwood produced very little : Redwing 1 SW ( my first of the autumn/winter, 15 days earlier than my first from this period last year ), Chiffchaff 1 singing.


Ox-eye Daisy

Back at home the poor run continued with just : 5 Jackdaw SW, 1 Kestrel NW, a calling Coal Tit & a Grey Heron E.
Not many photographic opportunities today, so here`s a couple of digiscoped ones of last nights full moon ;





Not seen the forecast for tomorrow yet, but i hope it`s brighter than today.

Copyright Dean Stables

Wednesday 26th September 2007

Sunny, becoming Cloudy & Showery, Blustery N
A very cold morning did`nt produce a lot from the garden, with the best being : Lesser Black-backed Gull 11 S, Woodpigeon c450 N, Meadow Pipit 2 S, Swallow 3 S & surprisingly a Red Admiral fluttering round.
Then it was off to Notts ( courtesy of mike Richardson ) to see my first ever ( juv dark morph ) Long-tailed Skua ( i`m not embarrassed to say that ). These birds are seen mainly off the coast during the autumn, as they make their way from the breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra. Once in a while the odd bird gets blown off course and appears inland. The particular bird in question was found ( about a week ago ) by a Geologist who was taking soil samples from a field at Shelford Manor Farm near Newton. It`s a good job he had a knowledge of birds, as this individual could well have gone by without ever being seen.
When we arrived, we soon found the bird, but it was always quite distant and continuously moving between a system of 3 fields, feeding on earthworms ( a bit of a different diet to the Lemmings it would have been reared on ).
Anyway, there was no chance i was going to get any pics with my inappropriate photographic equipment, so i`d like to thank Mike for letting me use a couple of his excellent pics ;







While we were there, we were also treated to a skein of c100 Pink-footed Geese over, heading E and not to mention, a Comma that was on the sheltered side of an hedgerow ;





And once again, i`d like to sincerely thank Mike for his offer of both a lift and the use of the pics. Cheers Mike :)

Copyright Mike Richardson/Dean Stables

Tuesday 25th September 2007

Sunshine & Patchy Cloud. Light > Blustery NW
The first couple of hours from the garden produced the following highlights : Golden Plover c100 over to N, House Martin 18, Woodpigeon c100 NE, Goldfinch 60+ SW, Yellowhammer 2 S, Pied Wagtail 6 W.
Then a full circuit of Cortonwood did`nt produce a lot, with the following being the most notable : Skylark 2, Bullfinch 1, Mute Swan 9 ( 7 imm ), Tufted Duck 14, Siskin 15, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Small White, Common Blue, Comma, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood.


Tufted Duck


Common Blue


Comma


Fly sp

Back at home for the rest of the day, where the highlights were : Jackdaw 5 NE, Skylark 1 S, Lesser Black-backed Gull 9 SW, Swallow 2 S, House Martin 5, Red Admiral & a probable Pipistrelle ;


Red Admiral

The next couple of days are forecast to be a bit on the cold side, with the winds from the N/NE, so i should expect a bit more bird movement over the garden.

Copyright Dean Stables

Monday 24th September 2007

Rain, clearing to Sunny Spells & Showers, Blustery W
A really crap day from the garden. Very little moving in this mornings rain, apart from a group of 5 Duck sp E, & a Sparrowhawk N.
No bird life during the afternoon, but the sunny spells brought out this Red Admiral, which took to feeding on rotting apples ;





Then nothing till dusk, when a Grey Heron flew over heading E + a group of 14 House Martin.

Copyright Dean Stables

Swifts ( allegedly )

3 very late birds reported from the birding hotspot of RAWMARSH today. Need i say more!!!!

Saturday 22nd September 2007

Cloudy, Bright Spells, Light SW
Apart from the usual Canada`s & Greylags over, there was quite a variety from the garden during the first couple of hours : Duck sp 3 high NE, Kestrel 1 S, Meadow Pipit 4 S, Woodpigeon c900 NE, Sparrowhawk 1 NW, Siskin 2 E, Linnet 3 W, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 S, Swallow 138 S, Song Thrush 2, Coal Tit 1, House Martin 3.
Then a couple of hours at the Old Moor produced the following highlights : Black-tailed Godwit 3, Dunlin 2, Green Sandpiper 4, Spotted Redshank 1, Little Egret 3, Pintail 1, Chiffchaff 2+. Everything was again too distant for photographing, but this smart Long-tailed cutie posed just long enough & near enough for a shot ;



Back at home for the rest of the day. Nowhere near as many birds as this morning, but i still managed a few counts : Meadow Pipit 39 S, Swallow 100 S, House Martin 14, + Migrant Hawker, Small White & Red Admiral.


Woodlouse sp ( why not!!! )

Copyright Dean Stables

Friday 21st September 2007

Patchy Rain, clearing late afternoon, Light SW
A full day at home did`nt produce a lot from the garden. The highlights from the morning were : Greylag Geese c40 W, Swallow 7 W, Meadow Pipit 3 S.
The afternoon produced a few more sightings : Jackdaw 6 W, Sparrowhawk 1 NE, House Martin 5, Swallow 37 S & then c100 over, heading NW prior to dusk. Also a Migrant Hawker was feeding around the garden.


Eristalis tenax

Regards the hoverfly from yesterday, i`ve done a bit of research and it looks like E.lineata was formerly E.horticola.

Fed up with stopping in today, so a visit to Old Moor beckons tomorrow morning. Hope both the Spotted Redshank & Curlew Sandpiper are still present.

Copyright Dean Stables

Thursday 20th September 2007

Sunny, ( Patchy Cloud pm ), Light > Breezy W



A bit of a role reversal regards the geese this morning, with just 10 Canada`s over & c70 Greylags, both heading W. The only other highlights were : 22 Swallow S and increase in the House Sparrows, with 17 being recorded.


Greylags


( Mating ) Slugs

I then had a walk along the local canal, but did`nt see a lot while i was out : Chiffchaff 1 singing, Willow Tit 1, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker & my first Water Vole for about 2 years ( seen along the Hemingfield stretch ).
Back at home, i had quite an interesting afternoon ( for a change ). The 2 main bird highlights were, a juvenile Hobby circling at 14.15. It showed really well for a while, until it was pushed off S by the local Starlings. The other highlight was of 4 " wild " Geese over, heading SE, but they were silent and far too high to ascertain them to a particular species. DAMN!!
Other notable birds : a feeding flock of 12 Long-tailed Tits made their way through the garden with at least 1 Goldcrest in tow, 4 Meadow Pipits S, along with a few Swallows.
The Invert highlights were ; Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Silver Y & a first for me, in the shape of the Hoverfly - Eristalis lineata**.


E.lineata


Silver Y


Carder Bee sp

** waiting to hear the status of this species in the Rotherham/Barnsley area. Will update any news, as & when i hear anything.

Heavy rain forecast for most of tomorrow. There should be some sightings, but i don`t think i can say the same for any pics.

Copyright Dean Stables

Wednesday 19th September 2007

Cloudy, Sunny Spells, Breezy W
The usual stuff from the garden this morning : Canada Geese c80 W ( with a few Greylags in tow ), House Martin c20, Mistle Thrush 3 W, Meadow Pipit 6 S, Swallow 4 S, House Sparrow 4.
The same ( usual ) applied to the Wombwell garden : Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Jays, Common Darter, Red Admiral ;


Red Admiral


Forest Bug ?

Then walked home via the western edge of Cortonwood, not much about here : Grey Wagtail 1, Willow Tit 2, Jay 2, Bullfinch 2, Common Darter & Speckled Wood.
Back at home for the rest of the day, where the highlights from the garden were : Common Buzzard 1 S at 13.20, Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 W, Swallow c70 S, Grey Wagtail 2 S, House Martin c40, Carrion Crow 12 W at dusk, Common Darter & Small White.


Green Alkanet

Apart from the above, there was nothing else to photograph today.

I was only saying to Jakki the other day that i bet Rawmarsh has the first local returning Pink-footed Geese of the autumn/winter, and true to form i was right. The watcher from there had a skein of 20+ birds yesterday morning, heading NE. Personally, i find that a bit odd, because all reported birds so far nationally, have all been heading in a southerly direction. Honestly, he`s fooling no one but himself.

Copyright Dean Stables

Tuesday 18th September 2007

Sunny, turning Cloudy. Light N, turning Breezy W



An even colder watch from my garden this morning, with very little noted : Canada Geese c50 W & 30 House Martin.

Canada`s




Rook


Again, not a lot from the Wombwell garden, with the best being : Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Jay 3+, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood. Oh!! almost forgot, the pair of Stock Dove that nested in the owl box are now on their 2nd clutch. Decided to put a bit of food stuff just outside the greenhouse, now that winter`s approaching and to try & increase my bird pics. This Great Tit was the only obliging species today ;





Back at home, i had to wait till nearly dusk to record anything from the garden, with : 2 Swallow S, 3 Meadow Pipit SE, 2 Mistle Thrush S & 5 Carrion Crow W. Went to feed the Rabbits ( can`t remember the last time the kids saw to them ) and found this Solitary Bee on the hutch cover, but as it was nearly dark, i had to photograph it by torchlight ;



Bit of patchy rain forecast for the next few days, hope this stirs something different up.

Copyright Dean Stables

Monday 17th September 2007

Cloudy, Sunny Spells, Light NW turning Blustery N
The first couple of hours from the garden produced the following bird highlights : Grey Heron 1 ( landed in a neighbours garden ), Canada Geese c60 W, Meadow Pipit 7 S & 1 E, Sparrowhawk 2 W, House Martin c50, Woodpigeon c200 NE, Swallow 13 w.
A visit to the Wombwell garden did`nt produce any interesting birds but still a couple of Inverts making the most of the sunny spells : Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood ;

Red Admiral




Platyptilia gonodactyla ( Plume Moth )


Green Shieldbug


Not much on the walk home along the western edge of Cortonwood, with the most notable sightings being : Chiffchaff 1 singing, Migrant Hawker & Speckled Wood.


Dandelion

Back at home for the rest of the day. The wind had changed direction to a cold Northerly, so i did`nt spend a lot of time outside, hence the very few sightings : 2 Sparrowhawk flew over heading S at 16.00, 2 House Martin prior to dusk & 13 Canada Geese have just gone over heading E.
No mothing for the rest of this week due to forecasted cold spell.

Copyright Dean Stables

Sunday 16th September 2007

Mainly Sunny, Strong Gusty W/SW
Nothing to speak of regards the moth trap this morning and just a short watch from the garden produced the following bird highlights : Grey Wagtail 1 N, Meadow Pipit 4 S, Skylark 2 S & Grey Heron 1 E.
Then it was off to the Cross Country event at Askern. Although Storm`s pony Saffie refused a few ( very narrow ) jumps in the timed section, she really handled the rest of the course well, surprising both me & Jakki. We were well pleased with her first attempt at this discipline. She can only go forward from here, so much so, she`s having a go at the Wentworth & District one next weekend.
Back at home for the rest of the day, the garden did`nt produce much. A single Red Admiral was battling against the wind, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over heading SW. Then a group of c40 House Martin was brought down low by a brief but heavy shower.

Saturday 15th September 2007

Sunny, Patchy Cloud, Light SW
Nothing of interest in the moth trap this morning and the only birds of note from the garden during the first couple of hours were :Canada Geese 16 W, Cormorant 2 W, Sparrowhawk 1 NE, Jay 1 S, Coal Tit 1.



Then a couple of hours at the Old Moor did`nt produce a great deal, with the following highlights : Golden Plover 66, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Little Egret 10, Green Woodpecker 1, Kingfisher 2, Chiffchaff 2 singing.

Grey Heron ( digiscoped )


Lapwing ( digiscoped )




Dunnock ( not digiscoped )




Back at home, the highlights for the rest of the day were : Grey Heron 1 E, Canada Geese 11 N, House Martin c20, Swallow c50 NW, Red Admiral & an unidentified Hoverfly;



Seems a tad warmer this evening. Fingers crossed there`s something interesting in the moth trap, come morning.
Off to Askern ( Doncaster ) tomorrow to support Storm in her first ever ( pony ) Cross Country class. She`s taking part in the pairs event with her friend Fiona. Hope they do well.

Copyright Dean Stables

Friday 14th September 2007

Cloudy, turning Sunny, Blustery W/NW
The best from the moth trap this morning, were ;

Single-dotted Wave


Brimstone Moth




( immature ) Shieldbug sp


The only birds of note from the garden this morning, were : Robin 3, Grey Heron 1 W, Canada Geese 13 W, Swallow 1 & House Martin 5.
The afternoon was even worse, with nothing moving at all, and the only butters recorded were Small Tortoiseshell & Red Admiral ;



A bit on the cool side this evening, but the moth trap`s still going on.

Copyright Dean Stables

Thursday 13th September 2007

Thin Cloud, Clearing ( pm ), Light SW
Thankfully there were only half a dozen Large Yellow Underwings in the trap this morning, unfortunately, there were only 2 other species besides : 2 Garden Carpet & a single Autumnal Rustic.

Autumnal Rustic




The best of the birds from the garden this morning were : 20+ Canada Geese S, 1 Grey Heron SW, 2 Linnet S, 7 House Martin & a single Swallow.


Canada`s

Then a walk along the Trans-Pennine Trail at Cortonwood produced the following highlights & pics : Willow Tit 3, Chiffchaff 3 singing, Jay 1, Grey Wagtail 1. The only species of butterfly seen was Speckled Wood.


Hawthorn Shieldbug


Nettle-tap


Common Hemp-nettle

Then a visit to the farm where we keep the horses produced a partial albino Carrion Crow ( white Tertails & Secondaries ) and about 20 House Sparrow ( the largest number i`ve seen for a while ) ;

House Sparrow




The rest of the day was spent at home, where the most notable sightings were : Sparrowhawk 2 ( 1 N & 1 W ), Meadow Pipit 1 S, House Sparrow 6, also still a few House Martins & Swallows over ( no counts made ). Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood.
Hoping for more than 3 species of moth come tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed.

Copyright Dean Stables

Wednesday 12th September 2007

Sunny, Clouding over late afternoon, Light NW
A rubbish day for sightings all round. The highlights from my garden from the first couple of hours were : Grey Heron 1 SW, Canada Geese 6 S, House Martin 4, Swallow 5, also a few Meadow Pipits calling, but they were that high i could`nt see them.


Canada Geese

The Wombwell garden also did`nt produce much, with the following being the best : Nuthatch & Treecreeper ( both calling ), Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Common Wainscot, Grey Dagger ( larva ) ;


Common Wainscot


Grey Dagger


Feather of Woodpigeon ( It is )

Then i walked home along the canal between Hemingfield & Brampton, where the only highlights were : Chiffchaff 2 ( singing ), Bullfinch 1 male, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Speckled Wood.
The rest of the day was spent at home, where the sightings were just as bad as this morning : Sparrowhawk 1 soaring overhead. That was it regards birds, but there were a few Inverts knocking about : Common Darter, Small White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood ;


Pond Skater

Trying my luck with the moth trap tonight. Surely now, there should be something other than Large Yellow Underwings.

Copyright Dean Stables

Tuesday 11th September 2007

Sunny, Light N/NW
A very cold watch from the garden this morning did`nt produce a lot, with the highlights being : Grey Heron 1 W & 1 E, Cormorant 1 E, Sparrowhawk 1 NE, Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 S, and the only hirundines were 3 House Martin & a single Swallow.
Then a full circuit of Cortonwood produced the following highlights :2 Jay, 3 Chiffchaff ( 2 singing ), 7 Mute Swan ( 2 ad & 7 Cygnets ), 64 Canada Geese, 13 Tufted Duck, 1 Kingfisher, several Tree Sparrow, and the following Inverts : Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Comma, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell & Speckled Wood.

Mallard ( ducklings )








Tufted Duck


Migrant Hawker


Back at home, the most notable sightings were : Linnet 2 S, House Martin c40, Swallow 20, Sparrowhawk 1 N, Stock Dove 1 W, Pied Wagtail 5 W, Common Darter, Small White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral.


Wasp - taking a drink from the bird bath


Cyclamen

A pager report of a ringtail Hen Harrier over Rawmarsh this afternoon, was a bit dubious, as there`s been no other reported raptor movement locally today. The same goes for the report on Saturday afternoon from the same area, of 3 Buzzards, 2 Hobbys & a Peregrine, all in the same field of view, not to mention an earlier Goshawk & an additional Hobby on the same afternoon. It`s all a bit SUS!!!!

Copyright Dean Stables

Monday 10th September 2007

Sunny, Blustery NW
Nothing at all from my garden this morning, apart from a colourful sunrise ;



Nothing much from the Wombwell garden, with very little about. No birds to speak of, and only a few Inverts : Common Darter, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood & the usual Hoverfly species ;


Rhingia campestris ?

The only birds of note from the walk home along the western edge of Cortonwood, were all singles of : Kestrel, Willow Tit, Jay, Bullfinch, Chiffchaff ( singing ). Quite a few Inverts but nothing new : Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Emerald Damselfly, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood.
Back at home, the poor run continued with just the following of note : Starling c100, Meadow Pipit 1 N, Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood.

CRAP!!!

Sunday 9th September 2007

Mostly Cloudy, Light W
Not a lot during the first couple of hours from the garden this morning : 7+ Blackbird, 3 Meadow Pipit S & 2 Linnet N.
A visit to the Stubbin area of Rawmarsh produced the following highlights : Green Woodpecker 1, Willow Tit 1, Goldfinch c40, Meadow Pipit 10+, Skylark 1, + a few Common Blues & Meadow Browns ;

Meadow Brown




Then off to support my girls at the Wentworth & District Pony Club Rally, where Storm came 2nd in the 10 & Unders jumping and Rudi also came 2nd but in the Lead Rein Gymkhana ;

Storm & Saffie






Rudi & Merrylegs with runner Simone


Storm`s having her first attempt at Cross Country jumping, next week. Now that will be interesting.

Saturday 8th September 2007

Cloudy, Light NW
The only species different ( from the usual ) in my moth trap this morning were singles of both Angle Shades & Svenssons Copper Underwing. Unfortunately both made good their escape before a mugshot could be taken.
Meadow Pipit movement has finally got underway, with 2 birds S & 4 E. Other bird highlights from the garden this morning : Linnet 1 S, Canada Goose 7 W, House Martin c40 & a Grey Heron landed 2 gardens away from mine.
A couple of hours at the Old Moor produced 10 Little Egret, 106 Golden Plover, 5 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper & 2 Chiffchaff. All the usual wildfowl ( Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler ) were seen.

Little Egrets - showed well, but always fairly distant ( digiscoped )








Shoveler


Nothing to report from this afternoon ( otherwise engaged ). Pony Club tomorrow, but i`m sure i`ll find some blog fodder somewhere.

Copyright Dean Stables

Friday 7th September 2007

Sunny, Light NW
Had rather a lot to do today, hence the lack of both sightings & pics. The best species from my moth trap this morning were 2 Common Marbled Carpets ( if these were the best, then what were the others like, i hear you say ).
This is a very variable and double-brooded species, the adults being on the wing during May & June and then August > October ;





The only birds of note from the garden during the morning were, a Grey Heron W & a Sparrowhawk SE.
A short walk to Morrisons along the Trans-Pennine Trail, could only produce a single Jay, a singing Chiffchaff & a roadkill Peacock butterfly ( hence the eye spot pic ) ;



Did`nt see much in & around the garden from afternoon onwards. The following butterfly species were noted : Small White, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood.
I`ll be glad when the number of feeding birds build up again. All that`s been on the bird table over the last few weeks have been 3 Collared Dove & the regular as clockwork Woody ;



I never know how to really end a update ( i`m not the best text putter together in the world ), so, i`ll end it there.

Copyright Dean Stables

Thursday 6th September 2007

High Cloud clearing mid-afternoon, Light NW
The contents of the moth trap this morning were`nt even worth mentioning, with just the same species as the previous few nights.
Not many birds over the garden during the first couple of hours with the best being : c60 House Martin, Grey Heron 1 E, Goldfinch 14 S, Woodpigeon c100 E.
Had a walk along the canal from Brampton > Hemingfield and back. A bit better than my last visit here, with : 5 Grey Wagtail, 1 Willow Tit, 1 Chiffchaff ( juv ), 1 Willow Warbler in sub-song, Brown Hawker & several Speckled Woods.


Grey Wagtail


Bladder Senna ( seed pod )

As usual, the rest of the day was spent at home, where the highlights were : Kestrel 1 N, Goldfinch - a total of 111 birds over. Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell 3, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker & the longhorn beetle Strangalia quadrifasciata ( which Storm rescued from the garden pond ) ;

Common Darter




Strangalia quadrifasciata


As a request for Joanna at joannasfood regards what do moth traps actually look like. Well, there are several designs that are are all based on the same idea. They are simply boxes with a light source ( either Actinc or Mercury Vapour ) above an opening on the top. The actual box is filled with empty egg cartons, so the moths can have somewhere to settle.
The one i use is a 22w Actinic ( ideal for residential areas. The bulb is bright, but does`nt omit the light at too far a distance, not unlike the Mercury Vapour which has the same effect as a floodlight ) ;







Hope that as answered your question alright, Joanna.

Copyright Dean Stables

Wednesday 5th September 2007

Sunshine & Patchy Cloud, Blustery W/NW
Still not a great deal in the moth trap, this morning. Apart from the usual Large Yellow Underwings & Garden Carpets, there was just one other species, a single Bee Moth. The bird highlights from the first couple of hours of daylight were : Canada Goose 10 W, Grey Heron 1 E, Robin 2, Dunnock 2, Swallow c100 high W between 06.26 > 06.40, House Martin c30 + a presumed Pipistrelle was flying around the garden at 05.30 ;


Bee Moth


Garden Spider

Not much from the Wombwell garden either, with the highlights being : Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Nuthatch 1, Long-tailed Tit ( several small feeding flocks ), Red Admiral, Speckled Wood & Red Underwing ;


Red Underwing


Bolete sp

The main highlight from the walk home along the western edge of Cortonwood, was of a covey of 13 Grey Partridge, Other notable sightings : Common Darters, Migrant Hawkers, Brown Hawker, Common Blues, Meadow Brown & huggins of Speckled Woods.


Meadow Brown

Not as good as yesterday in and around my garden, with the following noted : Sparrowhawk 1 E, Goldfinch c50 over ( several small flocks ), Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 W, House Martin c60 over this evening, Common Darter, Small Tortoiseshell 3, Peacock ;


Small Tortoiseshell


Peacock

Copyright Dean Stables