A cornucopia...

 Out and about yesterday seemed pretty much standard fare with one or two bits of interest thrown in.

Lets begin with the moth trapping.

For the first time this year I put the small bucket trap out in the Village Wood on Saturday night. The evening was calm, overcast and quite mild at 8 degrees so despite the early date I was hopeful that a few moths would show.

On collection yesterday there were a reasonable 32 moths of 6 species - Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella 1, Acleris cristana 1, a nice form I have not seen before, Tortricodes alternella 1, Dotted Border 3, Pale brindled Beauty 8 and 18 Chestnut. As usual in early spring, this outshone the more powerful garden Robinson trap that could only muster 1 Hebrew Character and 1 Dark Chestnut.

I always feel a bit guilty entering the wood at first light as I feel I am disturbing the locals - Roe Deer. The tactic is to make a small amount of noise as I walk so as not to overly surprise them when I round a corner. On this occasion, one stood only about 10 mtrs away watching me walk past, so I kept eye contact to the ground and quickly went on my way.

     

Acleris cristana

 Catch counted and released by 7.45 I met John and we headed down to Birling Carrs to have a look at the sea. This is the southern boundary of John's patch and there has been a Red necked Grebe in recent weeks so it was worth a look. On route, a short pause at Lesbury for singing Dipper resulted in a blank.

At Birling the track is now closed to all traffic like a lot of places here since covid, but in some ways at least there is less disturbance on the walk. First off, 100+ Linnets looked promising on a seeded rape field but there was nothing with them, not so much as a Tree Sparrow or Reed Bunting. Only 2 Grey Partridges added variety. A few yards further on, a distinctive call stopped us. A Willow Tit was buzzing away in low brambles and flat bracken close beside the track. It soon popped out giving good views but briefly as it flew off to thicker cover to the south.

We finally took position in the caravans to scan the sea in good flat grey viewing conditions. To be honest we were a bit disappointed. Over a vast area all we had were 17 Great crested Grebes ( 15 in one flock), 4 Common Scoter and about 20+ Red throated Divers way out 'on the edge of science'.

Back at the car, a good count of 62 Whooper Swans were in the field west of the road.

From here, a short half mile journey south to twitch a plant! At least the Mistletoe was still present and showing well. A rare plant in the county and only my second sighting up here and it looked like it was doing well.

  

Mistletoe, maybe the first time on this blog?

Back north now, to Alnmouth where we had our tea and sausage rolls while scanning the estuary. There were a lot of birds on a falling tide - 1 Black tailed Godwit,  200+ Lapwings, 18 Ringed Plover and  a pair of  Red breasted Merganser and an adult Mediterranean Gull the highlights. The Med was colour ringed but just too far to read.

Mediterranean Gull, Aln Estuary

We took a walk along to the Golf Course Pond to check for wintering Chiffchaff maybe. As often happens, that plan failed, but a nice Water Rail showed itself at our feet before vanishing again leaving me wondering if it had been there at all! A female Bullfinch and 2 Goldcrest the only passerines of note.

Alnmouth GC Pond, just the spot for Northumberland's first Penduline Tit!

This weekend has been like a taste of spring, but I'll not be putting my big coat away just yet, there could be snow before the Swallows return...

Mint.

 

For a change a post about a moth. And what a moth it is too. This is the Merveille du Jour Griposia aprilina, with two individuals posted above, the top one being slightly fresher and darker than the bottom. 

When flipping through the field guide, the bright sharp cool mint green and black patterning jumps off the page, making you filled with desire. I remember catching my first in 2009. I couldnt believe it. What a panic to pot it up as it flew around the light on an October night. Since then I have caught it on 34 occasions, mainly singletons but occasionally up to 4 at a time.

It is specifically an moth of cooler autumn nights and tends to associate around oak trees of which we have a young one in the garden.

This year I am very pleased to meet with Merv, as these are my first since the 11th Oct 19. Two blank years in succession is unprecentented here though 2016 was also a miss. The best year here was 11 caught in 2018.

I'm not sure if some autumn species are cyclical as I've also checked Frosted Orange and Flounced Chestnut for garden stats. In 2010 I had 93 and 39 respectively but in 2022 I have 2 and 0 !   Lets hope things improve next year...

Small fry...

Since last weekend's gales the weather has been typically dry as has the rest of the spring, but today and onwards it looks like warming up a bit. Being located on the east coast, it is always a few degrees cooler here than inland, but I'll take it.

When the weather is like this my attention turns from birding to the local invertebrates to be seen. There is always something new to photograph and of course the moth trap count is still building up.

Our village green looking good.

The lane into our village lined with clouds of cow parsley.

For the first time this week we have been treated to the pair of Barn Owls out hunting together in daylight.She is very much darker than him, here she is below, the first time we have seen her. In the 11 yrs we have lived here I think this is the first time we have had a pair out together, usually its just the male that puts a show on.

Female Barn Owl hunting the back field, photo taken from our drive.

After these, its back to the inverts. In my dotage I forget which ones I have previously identified and which are new so it pays to take some shots and work them out later.

This is a parasitic Tachinid fly, Gymnocheta viridis. When fresh it looks a bit like a standard greenbottle but the long hairs on the body seperate that. It is older now and has gone a nice pinkish, copper colour. It is a parasite of moth larvae.

Hoverflies are getting more abundant as the days get warmer. This is Merodon equestris, the Narcissus Bulb Hoverfly.

 The best moth catch was of 120 moths of 47 species this weekend, with a few highlights below.

Green Silver lines, scarce here. I had my eye on the grey lichened twigs for a while now I get the chance to let the grey show off the green.

Nutmeg. Another very scarce moth in this area.

Scorched Wing, 2 taken on one night this week.

Esperia sulphurella, only my second garden and first trap record.

Chinese character

Grey Pug

Pale Prominent

Gardening Leave...

I didn't post yesterday, because there wasn't too much new to add on the bird front other than Black headed Gull with 3 flying S overhead.

Other garden wildlife picked up though as the temperature rose in the sunshine. Small Tortoiseshell and Tree Bumblebee were new for the year and in the afternoon an intriguing hoverfly stopped briefly. I though at first it was a Bee Fly, it was overall ginger and furry but without the proboscis. It has a pale whitish face too. It was too brief to be sure and I didnt manage a photo but it could have been  Criorhina berberina of the form oxyacanthae that mimics the Common Carder Bumblebee. At this early date I cant see it being anything else.

Mammals made a garden appearance yesterday with an emerging Hedgehog and a Brown Hare in the back field.

The moth trap has been good this last day or two, after a very poor February.

Pale Pinion

Powdered Quaker

Twin-spotted Quaker

Diurnea fagella

Red Sword-grass

Common Quaker

Early Grey

Red Chestnut

The Moth Trap...

Seconds please...

I suppose that there will be more photos of this morning's solar eclipse than there are of wheatears on the blogosphere today. Not to be out done, here is another. We got up to clear blue skies this morning though a few clouds soon began to show, making us a bit anxious that we would never see the partial eclipse. We need not have worried and the morning remained very pleasant with 75% clear skies with some thin, steadily moving clouds.

This is my second eclipse after the one in 1999 and I cant wait for my next in 2026. I heard on the BBC today that there have only been 8 solar eclipses visible in the UK in the last 500 years, so to have been fortunate enough to be around for two of them is a privilege indeed.

How it started seen through reversed binoculars on the back door. 

And later when there was cloud cover I managed a proper direct photo.

 While waiting for the 09.35 Armageddon, a check of last nights moth trap catch was a nice surprise - 24 moths of 9 species including the second garden ( and 12th Northumberland ) record of Acleris cristana, though this one was of the form cristalana.

Down to earth...

...with some commoner species of autumn moth found in last nights garden moth trap...

Angle Shades, a lovely fresh one.

Chestnut. First one of the autumn, again nice and fresh.

Red line Quaker

Green brindled Crescent

Buff Ermine caterpillar.