This autumn has been one of the worst I can remember for bird
migration.
We have had nothing much in the way of easterlies and no seawatching since
August. This is largely due to the omnipresent southerly or south westerly
winds since the last Bank Holiday. To give this some context, my last Manx or
Sooty Shearwater was way back on 18th August. No shearwaters in September!
Couldnt imagine it, but there it goes.
I thought that with our hols being a bit earlier this year I would be home for
the Yellow browed Warbler arrivals so have had the garden staked out every
single day. Nothing. Not only no Yellow brows, but not a Redstart or Pied Fly
and no thrushes either. I am hoping there is time yet, but I fear the high
pressure stationed for weeks over the Scandinavian area might have allowed the
migrants to move straight continental south so even if the wind does swing
East there might not be much left for us to get.
Time will tell.
So back to the post. These southerlies, have given us some nice weather at
least, and off that, a few interesting moths too. Without fear of repeating
myself, Northumberland is not good for migrant lepidoptera and North
Northumberland VC68 is worst of all, so please don't compare these with
catches in the south because it will seem trivial. Captions below...
Delicate - First for the garden and only the 25th County.
Pearly Underwing -my 5th here.
Bordered Straw - my most wanted as everyone else seems to have had
one, but this is my first. A stunner.
Dark Swordgrass -After some barren years, this year has seen an
upsurge here with 11 so far. My last were 2 in 2021.
Palpita vitrealis. Well pleased to see one in Suffolk last year, so 2 in
my garden this year is mindblowing! Only 17 county records.
Scarce Bordered Straw - only 5 prev records here since 2010 but 3 this
year is the best showing so far.
This blog is getting ever more neglected. Its like a derelict house just left to decay.
If anyone is still out there in the barren wastes of blogland, I am continuing here when I get around to it, its just that there is always something else to do.
Right here goes, this is just some random things since last time...
So, recently I've started doing some short video clips on my phone, some digiscoped but this one is just hand held with me lying on the ground and this Water Shrew 18 inches from my nose end. It was on 18th August, we were sitting out after work when this little fellow came snuffling past along the base of the wall...Its a while since we've seen a Water Shrew in the garden.
While I am on with video's heres another. I enjoyed this Greenshank at Buston Links in great light on 10th August. Phone hand held to scope eyepiece. Stabilisation in Google Images is a Godsend!
There were more decent moths in the garden since my last post -
I caught 5 of these odd Coeleophora in two nights. I had them as frischella /alcyonipennella but Tom Tams took the same on the last night and on Gen Det is was Coleophora alcyonipenella, First county records!
This Teleiopsis diffinis was an unusually pink individual...Steve Palmer at the Gelichiid Recording Scheme has asked for a copy for the website.
A garden first Palpita vitrealis only the 2nd for VC68.
Scarce Bordered Straw only my 6th.
A few Heath Rustics have been arriving after an absence of a couple of years.
So we are off to Scotland soon for a few days so I might get some stuff there to blog about...watch this space...or not.
As I am writing about something as trivial as moths, an ill old lady has
the eyes of the world trained on her health up in Scotland. Will this be the
end of an era? Time will tell...
It feels like I shouldn't be doing this at the minute but without any
disrespect, the world turns.
Back to garden insects.
The other day I posted some pics of a lovely Convolvulous Hawk-moth I'd found
on the road verge. Well, almost daily since then, rare and scarce migrant
moths have been found in my moth trap. Its a novelty here as we are a long way
north for moth migration.
Here they are -
4th Sept
I've been looking for Beet Moth (Scrobipalpa ocellatella) this
week without luck until this morning. I saw Tom and Ian both had first and second Northumberland records respectively so I was pleased to come in bronze position when I saw the target on the second tray from the trap.
This is where things go belly up... I got a pot and was about to pot the moth when I noticed another, larger micro near it. A pyralid.
My hesitation cost dearly as the Beet Moth flew off and away up the drive! Bugger.
Now, getting back to the cause of my distraction, the pyralid was duly potted. I knew I had not seen this species before so was keen to get on with identifying.
Imagine the shock when I find the moth in the Manley Guide and double check it on various moth sites etc and see it is very unexpected indeed. This time a gold medal winner, a first for Northumberland and a 'very local' species nationally.
Here it is -
1. Ancylosis oblitella Saltmarsh Knot-horn
Ancylosis oblitella
Knowing the invasive Beet Moths were out there, the trap was
deployed again the next night. Sure enough, my 2nd and 3rd Beet Moths were
secured this time. Firsts for vc68, 5th and 6th for Northumberland.
2. Beet Moth (Scrobipalpa ocellatella)
Beet Moth (Scrobipalpa ocellatella)
Accompanied by a few Rush Veneers as support.
Then as if to top it off on 6th the first moth I saw in the trap was
this belter, a dark form of Box Tree Moth, another first for vc68 ( are
you keeping up, 3 vc firsts in 3 nights!) but around the 16th for
Northumberland as a whole ( vc67 and 68). It was accompanied by another
2 Beet Moths, my 4th and 5th.
3. Box Tree Moth
Box Tree Moth
Finally, last night I left the magic light on again. No tales of
Oleanders or Beautiful Marbleds but another good migrant, a Scarce
Bordered Straw, only my 3rd ever and again with a Beet Moth. My
6th.
4. Scarce Bordered Straw
Scarce Bordered Straw
So what a good mothing week its been, maybe my best. I wonder if there
is anything else to catch out there?
