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.
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| Above and below Chocolate Tip |
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| Chinese Character |
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| 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.
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| 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)
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| Barnacle in the middle in both pics |
7 comments:
Not that Barnacle Goose again :-) I wonder if its the same bird I get Alan. Garden Warbler is a result though :-)
Hi Alan
92 puts us neck and neck! I better stop sky watching and get searching!
Blimey you're up to speed today. Good going. I do like barnacle geese, one of the prettier ones.
I've had more Brindled Pugs here than usual (not as many as you!), seems to be a big hatch at the moment.
Tony
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 .
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 ;)
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 :-)
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