Moth News 23/10/09

It was much milder lastnight (10.5C) after not seeing any moths last Friday during a cold 8C session. Rain threatened all evening with occasional rain drops falling.

A Light Brown Apple Moth was the first to visit and then a faded Red-green Carpet was also caught.

Moth News 10/10/09

Two photographs of Green-brindled Crescent and Setaceous Hebrew Character both new visitors to my garden. Despite the beautiful markings of the Green-brindled Crescent it can still become camouflaged on the wall.

Saturday's Visitors

1 Common Marbled Carpet

2 Light Brown Apple Moth

2 Green-brindled Crescent

1 Grey Shoulder Knot

1 Silver Y

1 Setaceous Hebrew Character

1 Grey Pine Carpet

Hungary Highlights - Insects

Sadly both were dead when we found them on the forest floor, but still amazing.

Hungary Highlights - September to October 2009

I went Birdwatching in Hungary with Bird Holidays between 26th September and 2nd October 2009. A few highlights are listed below:

Imperial Eagle (max. count 3)

Saker

Long-legged Buzzard

White-tailed Eagle

Steppe Buzzard

Red-footed Falcon

Great White Egret (max. count 43)

Ferruginous Duck

Eurasian Spoonbill (max. count 13)

Pygmy Cormorant

Great Bustard (max. count 13)

Common Crane (estimated ~20,000)

Eurasian Eagle Owl

Long-eared Owl (max. count 25)

Ural Owl

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Eurasian Green Woodpecker

Black Woodpecker

Syrian Woodpecker

Middle-spotted Woodpecker

White-backed Woodpecker

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker

Crested Lark

Red-throated Pipit

Black Redstart

Short-toed Treecreeper

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Little Crake

Northern Grey Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Hungary is a great country for Birdwatching and the Hortobagy area is amazing. My personal count of bird species was 124 however, I think the group total was 128. A lack of rain meant that the land was very dry and a temperature of 26C was a nice surprise although a little too hot at times. The wonderful and varied list above excludes some of 'our' common species such as Bearded Tit, Marsh Tit and Jay which gave rememberable views between the rarities.

Moth News 11/9/09

Friday Moth News

2 Willow Beauty
1 Dusky Thorn (see photo left)
1 Straw Dot
4 Garden Carpet
37 Light Brown Apple Moth
1 Square-spot Rustic
4 Large Yellow Underwing
1 Canary-shouldered Thorn
1 Emmelina Monodactyla
2 Silver Y
3 Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 Common Rustic
7 Common Marbled Carpet
1 White-shouldered House Moth

Painted Lady Butterflies

Four Painted Lady Butterflies visited my garden today.

New Moth Visitor 4/9/09

This Carnary Shouldered Thorn, ennomos alnairia (1913) was one of three new moths caught in my garden trap last Friday night. The others were Emmelina Monodactyla (1524) and Red-green Carpet (1760).