Above - The Bathing House on the coast path. Sea flat calm...
A lovely day today, better than most of the summer. Warm, crystal clear and calm.
A sky scanning session from the garden this morning produced very little, but I was pleased with a 'kettle' of 12 Buzzards all together with 2 Sparrowhawks circling then drifting south. Later I had another 2 Buzzards over the back field plus another 3 over Ratcheugh on our way to Alnwick. How come when one raptor is over Gosforth its a Honey Buzzard, but the sky here is full and they are all Commons. I'm still awaiting a Pernis in Northumberland. I need to get out more!
Moth trapping last night was quite slow -
Large Yellow Underwing 9
Lesser Yellow Underwing 5
Square spot Rustic 5
Frosted Orange 1
Mouse Moth 2
Silver Y 1
Red Green Carpet 3
Common Wainscot 1
Flounced Rustic 1
Brown spot Pinion 1
Grey Pine Carpet 1, new for me. Easily overlooked.
Above - Grey Pine Carpet.
And thats it. I'll try again tonight...
While we are on the subject, how do you photograph the Carpet Moths? They're fridge proof. As soon as you touch one after a night in the appliance its up and away like a rocket, thats why my photo above is still in the egg box. After this shot, true to form, it was away.
5 comments:
Plenty of Honeys up the Tyne Valley Stew.
Lets not go there, moving on swiftly, etc......
Photographing moths can be the most frustrating experience ever. Some sit still and stay there for a long while, others bugger off the instant you open the pot. At least most noctuids give you a chance to re-pot them whilst they rev up their flight muscles.
I find it infuriating that many moths, especially geometers, will happily sit on the window, pot or kitchen table but won't settle on a leaf. Micros are even worse!
It's just perservence, patience and trial and error to be honest. After a while you get to know how some species/groups are likely to behave and can adjust tiyr method/substrate to suit. I still bung them in the fridge though to stop them flapping themselves stupid whilst they await the camera.
I use 2inch square tubs for transferring moths to a background. The leaf is placed on a small piece of board, then tip the moth onto the leaf but don`t take the tub off and hold it upside down so the tub is beneath the leaf/book. This works for Geomotrids as they like to settle underneath leaves. Then when the moth`s settled, gently turn the whole shebang over. I always have the camera ready for when the tub is removed.
I agree with you, Mark. The micros are a bloody nightmare.
Cheers lads, I'll try everything. Dean thats my first start....
Alan, no there aren't. Hows that for controversy!
Lovely picture of the bathing house, Stewart.
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