Thursday 21 April 2011

April 21st

A 5.30 start to record the moths was well worth it, an hour and a quarter and 395 moths later, Steve and I reflected on another mammoth haul of 240 Brindled Pugs!! (there were 72 just on the barn door where one of the traps is situated) a few of the other highlights included my first Frosted Green, the first Lobster of the year, 2 V- Pugs, several bright yellow Brimstone moths, a Pebble Prominent and the first Pale Tussock of the year, finally another of my favourites a Chocolate Tip, well, 3 in fact.
Above and below Chocolate Tip


Chinese Character

Frosted Green

So at 6.45 the hunt for new arrivals on the bird front started, the walk to the lake was fairly uneventful, there were still good numbers of the usual birds plus a JAY flew over the car park where a couple of BULLFINCHES were also seen, a COMMON WHITETHROAT sang from the hedge that runs away from the restaurant (I'm not sure why because the food is quite good!). 2 YELLOWHAMMERS, were in the newly planted crop along with now only a handful of corvids having their fill. Down by the lake the GREYLAG is still sitting on eggs and a wait of only a few minutes allowed me catch up with the GARDEN WARBLER (90), which wasn't singing but intent on finding food from what I could see. A female KESTREL then flew at treetop height across the lake.

Unsure about making my way round my usual loop I headed back up towards the moat a GOLDCREST was in very fine voice from the Holly by the gate and as I made my way towards the stream and the winter wheat the NIGHTINGALE, could be heard again.
Common Fumitory, I think!

Stephen called to say he had a Martin over the car park and when we met up I caught up with my first HOUSE MARTIN (91) of the year, as we chatted a LESSER WHITETHROAT sang nearby and 3 geese flew towards the lake, one of them looked smaller and we could hear a different call, against the light it was difficult to pick out any colour, they disappeared and a minute or so later came back allowing us to pick out the BARNACLE GOOSE (92) between the 2 Greylags, judging from the numbers on the ring on it's leg it was raised on a small tussock on a steep slope in the arctic tundra :-) (Ok maybe not)

Barnacle in the middle in both pics

7 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Not that Barnacle Goose again :-) I wonder if its the same bird I get Alan. Garden Warbler is a result though :-)

Phil said...

Hi Alan
92 puts us neck and neck! I better stop sky watching and get searching!

Rachel J said...

Blimey you're up to speed today. Good going. I do like barnacle geese, one of the prettier ones.

Tony Morris said...

I've had more Brindled Pugs here than usual (not as many as you!), seems to be a big hatch at the moment.
Tony

Greenie said...

Alan ,
You certainly got into overdrive on that visit .
Take no notice of Warren's comment re. the Barnacle Goose , he ticks it every year !
Wouldn't argue with your Common Fumitory ID .

ShySongbird said...

Looks like Common Fumitory to me Alan.

Well done on the latest ticks.

I'm still groaning at the hedge running away from the restaurant aside ;)

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Warren, I think there is a good chance of it being the same one :-)

Hi Rach, It was a very entertaining visit :-)

Hi Tony, It's interesting, there seems to be large numbers in a few places.

Hi Greenie, It's nice to get a good visit in, not that there many bad ones to be honest, Thanks for Fumitory confirmation, I am a bit out of my depth with flowers!!

Hi ShySongbird, Thanks, sorry about the attempt at humour, unfortunately I wouldn't expect it to improve but I can't help trying :-)