Garden Birdwatch - Week Starting 21/7/2013

Goldfinch 4
House Sparrow 4
Blackbird 1
Coal Tit 1
Jackdaw 5
Feral Pigeon 7
Blue Tit 1
Greenfinch 3
Dunnock 2
Starling 8
Chaffinch 1
Woodpigeon 1

Food: Sunflower Hearts, Seed, Peanuts, Fat Balls & Kitchen Scraps
Water

Mammals: Hedgehog 2, Wood Mouse

Amphibians: Common Frog

Butterflies:
21/7/13 - Large White 1
24/7/13 - Red Admiral 2, Small Tortoiseshell 2 & Large White 2
25/7/13 - Small Tortoiseshell 1
26/7/13 - Large White 1, Speckled Wood 1, Small White 2 & Small Tortoiseshell 1
27/7/13 - Small Tortoiseshell 1, Peacock 1 & Large White 4

Other Insects: Common Brown Carder Bee, Garden Bumblebee & Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Garden Birdwatch - Week starting 14/7/2013

Goldfinch 4
Great Tit 1
Feral Pigeon 2
House Sparrow 5
Blackbird 1
Starling 4
Greenfinch 2
Blue Tit 2
Coal Tit 1
Jackdaw 6
Collared Dove 1
Chaffinch 1

Food: Sunflower Hearts, Seed, Peanuts, Fat Balls and Kitchen Scraps
Water

Mammals: Hedgehog

Butterflies:
14/7/13 - Speckled Wood 3, Small Tortoiseshell 2, Red Admiral 1 & Large White 1
17/7/13 - Speckled Wood 1, Small Tortoiseshell 5, Red Admiral 1 & Small White 1
18/7/13 - Small Tortoiseshell 1 & Large White 1

Other Insects: Red-tailed Bumblebee, Buff-taild Bumblebee

Wildlife Camera Trap

On Friday 26th July 2013, I put the Wildlife Camera Trap near the water dish hoping to video our visiting Hedgehog stopping for a drink. As I watched the Hedgehog moving about the garden I began to suspect that there were two Hedgehogs not one.

The first visit to the garden was usual between 10 pm and 10:45 pm, but due to an extended 2 hour midnight visit from nextdoor's cat the Hedgehog did not return to the garden until 4 am. Despite 2 hours until dawn this was the latest or earliest recorded garden visit by our Hedgehog.

One Saturday night, it was confirmed that two Hedgehogs are regularly visiting the garden now.

During this hot and dry weather it is so important to have a dish of water for the birds and mammals to use.

Garden Moth Update 26/07/2013

A quick summary of the catch on Friday with a minimum overnight temperature of 13.3°C

Taxa
Cnephasia species (Cnephasia sp.) 1 new species for me & garden
0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 4
0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 13
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 3
0658 Carcina quercana 1
0866 Brachmia blandella 2 new moth for me & garden
0892 Mompha subbistrigella 3
0972 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis heparana) 7
0994 Clepsis consimilana 3
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 3
1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana) 2
1036 Acleris forsskaleana 1
1057 Acleris rufana 2
1216 Cherry Bark Moth (Enarmonia formosana) 1
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 7
1304 Agriphila straminella 19
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 8
1388 Udea lutealis 1
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 1
1437 Acrobasis consociella 1 new moth for me & garden
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1713 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 1
1713 Riband Wave [non-banded form] (Idaea aversata ab. remutata) 7
1754 Phoenix (Eulithis prunata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1817 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata) 1
1837 Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata) 1
1860 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 1
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 3
1921 Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria) 3
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 12
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 1
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 2
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 6
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 2
2154 Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae) 2
2155 Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae) 3
2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 7
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 2
2318 Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina) 1
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 9
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 6
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 4
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 5
2387 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 1
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 3
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1
2489 Fan-foot (Zanclognatha tarsipennalis) 5

Total: 175 individuals of 47 species

Acrobasis consociella

Early Thorn

Cnephasia species

 

Common Wainscot

Garden Moth Update - 20/7/2013

Fourth trapping session with the 60W Actinic Light Skinner Trap.

A quick summary of catch with an overnight minimum temperature of 16.2°C.


Taxa

0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 1

0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 10

0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 2

0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 3

0873 Blastobasis adustella 2

0892 Mompha subbistrigella 1

0994 Clepsis consimilana 2

1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana) 1

1076 Celypha lacunana 6

1261 Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) 1
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 2

1304 Agriphila straminella 1

1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 8

1390 Udea prunalis 2
1405 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 1

1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1

1653 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 1
1708 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) 1

1713 Riband Wave (banded form - Idaea aversata) 1

1713 Riband Wave (non-banded form - Idaea aversata ab. remutata) 4

1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata fluctuata) 1

1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 2

1860 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 1

1921 Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria) 1

1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 13

1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 1
1962 Barred Red (Hylaea fasciaria) 1
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 1
2007 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) 1

2031 White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1

2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 3
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 3
2098 Flame (Axylia putris) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 2
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 3
2136 Gothic (Naenia typica) 3
2155 Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae) 3
2176 Antler Moth (Cerapteryx graminis) 1 - new moth for me & the garden
2193 Clay (Mythimna ferrago) 1
2278 Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala) 1
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 6
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 11
2322 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) 3
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 3
2343 Common Rustic (Mesapamea secalis) 3

2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 10

2421 Scarce Silver-lines (Bena bicolorana) 1 - new moth for me & the garden

2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 1

2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

2449 Dark Spectacle (Abrostola triplasia) 1

2489 Fan-foot (Zanclognatha tarsipennalis) 1

Total: 137 individuals of 51 species

Poplar Grey

Swallow Prominent

Antler Moth

 

Scarce Silver-lines

 

Garden Moth Update - 19/7/2013

Overnight minimum temperature was 17.7°C

A quick summary of the catch with the 125W Mercury Vapour Light Skinner Trap.
Taxa

0015 Orange Swift (Hepialus sylvina) 1
0303 Parornix anglicella 1 - new moth for me & the garden
0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 7
0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 11
0873 Blastobasis adustella 1
0972 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis heparana) 4
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 4
1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana) 2
1063 Celypha striana 3
1078 Celypha doubledayana 5
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 4
1304 Agriphila straminella 1
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 21
1390 Udea prunalis 1 - new moth for me & the garden
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 2 1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1653 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 3
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1708 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) 2
1713 Riband Wave (banded form - Idaea aversata) 1
1713 Riband Wave (non-banded form -Idaea aversata ab. remutata) 6
1726 Large Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata) 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 5
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1765 Barred Yellow (Cidaria fulvata) 1
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1
1817 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata) 2
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 2
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 8
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 2
1921 Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria) 1
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 15
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 1
2031 White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 2
2077 Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella) 1
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 2
2098 Flame (Axylia putris) 4
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 3
2136 Gothic (Naenia typica) 1
2154 Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae) 1
2155 Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae) 5
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 3
2193 Clay (Mythimna ferrago) 1
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 9
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 19
2322 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) 1
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 5
2343x Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 5
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 12
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 2
2449 Dark Spectacle (Abrostola triplasia) 1- new moth for me & the garden
2474 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 1 2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1
2489 Fan-foot (Zanclognatha tarsipennalis) 6

Total: 210 individials of 55 species

Early Thorn

Orange Swift

Dark Spectacle

Elephant Hawk-moth

Scalloped Oak

Common Footman

Wildlife Camera Trap

Our Hedgehog is now a regularly night time visitor to the garden. On Wednesday evening he was particularly quick off the mark and first visited the food dish 3 minutes after I had filled it. At 10:33 pm he arrived at the food dish and stayed in front of the camera for 7 minutes before going for a drink of water and more night time adventures.

He returned to the garden and food dish at 1:41 am on Thursday and stayed for another 7 minutes.

The camera did record something surprising before dawn on Thursday morning. The visit of a Blackbird at 4.40 am, showing how this bird is arriving a good hour before the others to ensure first pickings of the food left behind by the Hedgehog.

Garden Birdwatch - Week starting 7th July 2013

Goldfinch 4
Feral Pigeon 5
House Sparrow 5
Blackbird 1
Dunnock 1
Starling 6
Greenfinch 3
Blue Tit 1
Coal Tit 1
Woodpigeon 3
Jackdaw 4
Magpie 1
Collared Dove 2
Chaffinch 1

Food: Peanuts, Sunflower Hearts, Seed, Fat Balls and Kitchen Scraps
Water

Butterflies:
Speckled Wood - 1 on 7/7/13, 2 on 9/7/13 & 1 on 10/7/13
Red Admiral - 1 on 9/7/13
Large White - 1 on 12/7/13

Mammals:
Wood Mouse
Hedgehog

Amphibians:
Frogs & Tadpoles

Teesmouth Field Centre Butterfly Walk 14/7/2013

I woke up to a misty morning and wondered whether our current spell of hot sunny weather had come to an end the day before my Butterfly Walk. Typical!

As I drove to the Teesmouth Field Centre to open up in time for our visitors, mist/light fog could clearly be seen in the distance. The air was cool and there was no sign of the sun as the clock ticked around to 10 am. Ten visitors came to the Field Centre and after a short introduction we set off to start the Hartlepool Power Station Nature Trail.

No butterflies were around my first planned stop at the bramble bushes and there were none to be see along the grass edges. We reached the start of the trail and notice some mating Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moths and there was another sitting wait for the air to warm up. A few more steps along the path and we were met by dozens of Ringlet butterflies, Meadow Browns and Large Skippers. I needn't of worried as the butterflies and moths were showing well.

By the halfway point the sun was out, the temperature was rising and everyone was spotting things along the path.

Here is a record of our sightings

Butterflies
Meadow Brown 97
Large Skipper 43
Small Skipper 1
Skipper sp 13
Small Heath 15
Ringlet 61
Large White 4
Small Tortoiseshell 2

Moths
Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth 20
Six-spot Burnet Moth 1
Burnet Moth sp 13
Shaded Broad-bar 4
Timothy Tortrix 1
Cinnabar Moth 1
Cinnabar Moth larvae 20
Yellowshell 1
Chrysoteuchia culmella 2

Insects

7-spot Ladybirds 11

Birds
Carrion Crow 3
Woodpigeon 3
Common Whitethroat 4
Magpie 2
Dunnock 2
Reed Bunting 1
Wren 2
Great Tit 2
Swallow 2
Black-headed Gull 29

Damselflies

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Pyramidal Orchid

 

 

In the afternoon, I went for a walk to the Hartlepool Power Station Bird Hide overlooking Seal Sands. The wildflowers were beautiful having had no disturbance and of course they were also butterflies too.

 

Common Century

Vipers Bugloss

 

Butterflies

Meadow Brown 50
Large Skipper 25
Ringlet 85
Large White 1
Small Tortoiseshell 5
Grayling 3

Moths
Six-spot Burnet Moth 9
Shaded Broad-bar 6
Cinnabar Moth 1
Chrysoteuchia culmella 2

 

Grayling

 

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown

Shaded Broad-bar Moth

Ringlet



Garden Moth Update 13/7/2013

Third trapping session with the 60W Actinic Light on Saturday evening was again very successful. It was a pleasant evening and so I sat out watching the moths coming to investigate the light.

Here is a summary of the catch.

Taxa
2284 Grey Dagger 3
424 Bird Cherry Ermine 1
1713 Riband Wave (Banded) 1
1713 Riband Wave (Non-banded) 4
1937 Willow Beauty 7
2293 Marbled Beauty 18
2337x Marbled Minor agg 5
1765 Barred Yellow 2
1757 Spinach 1 (new moth for me & the garden)
2321 Dark Arches 6
2154 Cabbage Moth 2
1708 Single-dotted Wave 2
1076 Celypha Lacunana 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet 3
2305 Small Angle Shades 1
2050 Common Footman 1
1293 Chrysoteuchia Culmella 1
1063 Celypha Striana 1
1728 Garden Carpet 1
2089 Heart & Dart 1
1819 Mottled Pug 1
1817 Foxglove Pug 3
2340 Middle-barred Minor 1
1860 Green Pug 4
1376 Small Magpie 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing 2
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix 1
1378 Phlyctaenia Coronata 2
1428 Bee Moth 5
2077 Short-cloaked Moth 1
2098 Flame 6
998 Light Brown Apple Moth 1
2278 Poplar Grey 1
2498 Uncertain 2
2199 Common Wainscot 1
2031 White Satin Moth 1
1010 Red-barred Tortrix 1
2477 Snout 1
464 Diamond-back Moth 2
2128 Double Square-spot 4
1338 Eudonia Lacustrata 4
1524 Emmelina Monodactyla 1
1962 Barred Red 1 (new moth for me & garden)
2330 Dusky Brocade 1 (new moth for me & garden)
1216 Cherry Bark Moth 1 (new moth for me & garden)

Spinach

Foxglove Pug

Riband Wave (banded)

Grey Dagger

Barred Red

 Small Angle Shades

Narrow-winged Pug (waiting id confirmation)

Cherry Bark Moth

Butterfly Walk (recce) 13th July 2013

On Sunday 14th July 2013, had a public walk to lead for the Teesmouth Field Centre around the Hartlepool Power Station Nature Trail. I do this walk every year around the same time in July, so I decided to do a recce and checkout the route the day before.

We have been experiencing some very hot weather and Saturday was no exception at 28°C. The grass lined paths seemed to hold the heat and there was a very breeze to move the hot air. As I walked the Nature Trail I recorded the following species...

Butterflies
Meadow Brown 89
Large Skipper 24
Small Skipper 6
Small Heath 49
Ringlet 12

Moths
Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth 14
Six-spot Burnet Moth 13
Burnet Moth sp 23
Shaded Broad-bar 2

Birds
Carrion Crow 2
Woodpigeon 3
Common Whitethroat 3
Goldfinch 1
Magpie 3
Pheasant 3
Linnet 3
Dunnock 1
Wren 1
Swallow 2

Mammals
Rabbit

Dragonflies
Emperor Dragonfly

Large Skipper

Narrow Bordered Five Spot Burnet

Narrow Bordered Five Spot Burnet

Narrow Bordered Five Spot Burnet

Emperor Dragonfly

Garden Moth Update 12th July 2013

Garden Moth Scheme Night with a minimum temperature of 16.2°C.

Here is a summary of the catch....

Taxa
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 1
0421 Argyresthia bonnetella 1
0424 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 1
0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 4
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 3
0972 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis heparana) 1
0992 Clepsis rurinana 2
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 5
1010 Red-barred Tortrix (Ditula angustiorana) 1
1063 Celypha striana 5
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) 2
1089 Apotomis semifasciana 1
1119b Ancylis subarcuana 1 (new for me & garden)
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 2
1304 Agriphila straminella 1
1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 4
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 1
1378 Phlyctaenia coronata  2
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 6
1653 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 4
1707 Small Dusty Wave (Idaea seriata) 1
1713 Riband Wave [non-banded form] (Idaea aversata ab. remutata) 9
1762 Dark Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta citrata citrata) 1
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2
1827 Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata) 1
1860 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 3
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 2
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 6
1922 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 2
1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 15
1954 Bordered White (Bupalus piniaria) 1 (new for me & garden)
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 1
1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 4
2031 White Satin (Leucoma salicis) 1
2077 Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella) 2
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 5
2098 Flame (Axylia putris) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 1
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 5
2136 Gothic (Naenia typica) 1
2154 Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae) 1
2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 1
2284 Grey Dagger (Acronicta psi) 2
2293 Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) 7
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 4
2326 Clouded-bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata) 1
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 7
2381 Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 9
2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 2
2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1
2489 Fan-foot (Zanclognatha tarsipennalis) 12

Total: 159 individuals of 50 species

 Short-cloaked Moth

Snout

Bordered White

 Ancylis subarcuana

 Swallow-tailed Moth

Double Square-spot

Bright-line Brown-eye

Celypha striana