G...Utted.

 Day 6 since our dismally failing albatross twitch to Bempton. 

I can easily get over missing out on such a great bird, so that's not the issue. 

What wakes me up in the morning is that it is still there and has been present for the full 6 days since!  Due to other commitments, work, builders etc I am too tied up to set aside a whole day for a return visit. I just wish it would leave now so I can get on....

To take my mind off it, I'm trying to focus on the small things locally when on dog walks etc. A nice Merlin dashed along the coast road the other day and an adult moulting Mediterranean Gull flew south across the coast fields. There are flocks of warblers around the village early in the morning now, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs with a Sedge Warbler today. 

Autumn approaches...

Only my 3rd Southern Wainscot after two together in 2020.

Volucella bombylans a bee mimic hoverfly in the moth trap this week. 

Some Moths...

I thought that this was going to be my first year out of the 11 we have lived here that I might not record any new species in the garden. Whilst we have had some fine spells it has been largely cool with less moths than normal, but on a mild night on the 22nd July two new macros were almost side by side on the first tray. Not just new for the garden but both new for VC68 too!

Common Emerald, very rare in North East England and new for VC68 North Northumberland

The whole of Northumberland VC67 and VC68 status of Common Emerald before my catch.

The other one, I look for annually as it does occur more frequently in Northumberland than the Emerald, it is the Southern Wainscot.

Two shots of the Southern Wainscot including the forehead band plus the most recent distribution map of Northumberland. 

Also new for my garden was a micro, Gypsonoma dealbana. I thought I had recorded this species before but my MapMate never lies...

Gypsonoma dealbana

This puts my garden moth list at around 579 species. Certainly puts butterflies into context!