Where to start...

 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.

Catching up.

I still haven't found away to add a picture to the header above. It looks like its because this template may not be recognised so its time for a change in look but I'm nervous the whole lot will go awry... 

Whats been happening lately? The Albatross is still there. It went missing on Friday and Saturday again after about a week of daily presence. I wish it would just go, because I just don't have time to lay a full day aside to go for it.

The mini warm, dry spell is continuing and, though a little cooler, we've not had any rain. We've had to resort to getting the hose onto the garden plants every other night, until there is a ban that is. On 17th the temp was 29.5 degrees, probably the warmest day since we've lived here. The conditions, as mentioned in my last post, have been great for moth trapping. So much so that I've had to take a break for a few nights to get away from processing catches and photographs. Its been taking up quite a bit of time, so I'll leave it til Wednesday. The moths will have a rest too.

There is little happening on the bird front at the minute. A couple of good garden records were had last week with Dunlin calling over in the dark and both Arctic and Sandwich Terns taking inland flights over the village on a few days.

At the weekend we returned home from shopping to be met by a Water Shrew having a right old rummage around the drive. It showed well for a few minutes, constantly active as it made its way along the wall and into a neighbour's old lean-to. There are a few records here now over recent years with this being the 5th individual seen but they are always pleasing to actually see in the open and alive ( two have been casualties).

 Finally, on Sunday the morning began with a seawatch from Cullernose Point. Despite a calm sea and a very light N breeze we put in an hour with 3 Bonxie, 10 Roseate Terns, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 65 Common Scoter, 13 Teal, 1 Red breasted Merganser, a Whimbrel and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull all N. Not bad considering.

From there, next stop was Boulmer via Seaton Point where it was very quiet. 4 Bar tailed Godwits included a full summer male, 1 summer plum Grey Plover, a few Roseate Terns in with hundreds of other terns offshore, 1 Little Tern flew S and 2 Manx Shearwaters moved N. Small waders were almost totally absent except for a lone Sanderling. Not one Dunlin was very odd, with none even heard.

Already outside there is a sense that seasons are on the change ...