The Biggest Catch here...

 A quick summary of catch at Howick 28/07/19

I went out at midnight and the whole place was leaping with moths with a 'landing pattern' circling in the light beam above the trap high into the night.

Despite the massive numbers ( a total record smashing catch for my 125w Robinson in the 10 years operating) there were no big surprises.

Anyway the numbers are 1209 moths of 121 records. There must have been thousands hiding in surrounding vegetation because spuggies are still catching moths this evening.

Highlights.

A massive 214 Common Footman.

3 Dingy Footman

1 Blood Vein

My second Dingy Shears ( the other was still in the fridge)

My 3rd and 8th county Othotelia sparganella that flew as I was potting it.

The 20th county record of Endothena quadrimaculana.

8 Painted Ladies quietly roosting in the egg trays.

I'll be leaving the light off tonight and must wash the trap before I next put it on...

Taxa

Coleophora species (Coleophora sp.) 1

Common Rustic agg. (Mesapamea secalis agg.) 91

Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 4

Yponomeuta malinellus/cagnagella sp. (Yponomeuta malinellus/cagnagella) 2

15.015 a moth (Aspilapteryx tringipennella) 1

16.001 Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella) 2

18.001 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 56

19.001 a moth (Orthotelia sparganella) 1

28.010 Brown House-moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1

32.032 a moth (Agonopterix angelicella) 2

39.001 a moth (Blastodacna hellerella) 1

40.004 a moth (Mompha propinquella) 1

41.002 a moth (Blastobasis adustella) 33

41.003 a moth (Blastobasis lacticolella) 1

44.001 Many-plumed Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) 1

49.025 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana) 1

49.026 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis heparana) 3

49.109 a moth (Agapeta hamana) 5

49.127 a moth (Aethes cnicana) 1

49.156 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) 1

49.161 a moth (Celypha striana) 1

49.166 a moth (Celypha lacunana) 2

49.193 a moth (Endothenia quadrimaculana) 1

49.252 a moth (Epinotia tedella) 1

49.265 a moth (Eucosma cana) 1

49.341 a moth (Cydia splendana) 2

59.024 Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) 8

62.058 a moth (Phycitodes binaevella) 2

63.005 a moth (Pyrausta despicata) 1

63.033 a moth (Udea lutealis) 4

63.037 a moth (Udea olivalis) 1

63.038 Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis) 24

63.057 Garden Pebble (Evergestis forficalis) 1

63.064 a moth (Scoparia ambigualis) 5

63.066 a moth (Scoparia pyralella) 1

63.067 a moth (Eudonia lacustrata) 8

63.080 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 18

63.089 a moth (Agriphila tristella) 67

63.093 a moth (Agriphila straminella) 20

63.100 a moth (Catoptria margaritella) 1

63.102 a moth (Catoptria falsella) 8

65.009 Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides) 2

66.010 Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) 2

69.003 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 2

70.011 Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) 2

70.013 Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) 26

70.016 Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 2

70.016 Riband Wave [non-banded form] (Idaea aversata ab. remutata) 3

70.029 Blood-Vein (Timandra comae) 1

70.045 Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) 1

70.059 Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata) 1

70.061 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1

70.069 Dark Spinach (Pelurga comitata) 1

70.074 July Highflier (Hydriomena furcata) 2

70.093 Barred Straw (Gandaritis pyraliata) 5

70.131 Twin-spot Carpet (Mesotype didymata) 1

70.132 Rivulet (Perizoma affinitata) 4

70.133 Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata) 2

70.138 Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata) 2

70.141 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1

70.160 White-spotted Pug (Eupithecia tripunctaria) 1

70.173 Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata) 3

70.190 Grey Pug (Eupithecia subfuscata) 2

70.205 Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata) 1

70.207 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1

70.226 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1

70.237 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 4

70.241 Scalloped Oak (Crocallis elinguaria) 3

70.243 Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) 1

70.258 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1

70.264 Satin Beauty (Deileptenia ribeata) 1

70.265 Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata) 3

70.278 Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata) 1

70.283 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritaria) 1

71.012 Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius) 1

71.013 Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac) 2

71.017 Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) 1

72.002 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 6

72.003 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 6

72.013 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis) 1

72.024 Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) 5

72.026 Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) 11

72.044 Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola) 3

72.045 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 214

72.053 Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis) 1

73.001 Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 1

73.002 Dark Spectacle (Abrostola triplasia) 2

73.012 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 4

73.015 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 8

73.017 Plain Golden Y (Autographa jota) 5

73.084 Marbled Beauty (Bryophila domestica) 2

73.092 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 1

73.096 Uncertain (Hoplodrina octogenaria) 2

73.097 Rustic (Hoplodrina blanda) 5

73.107 Old Lady (Mormo maura) 1

73.123 Rosy Rustic (Hydraecia micacea) 2

73.131 Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 1

73.147 Small Dotted Buff (Photedes minima) 3

73.155 Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion) 1

73.160 Slender Brindle (Apamea scolopacina) 2

73.162 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 134

73.163 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) 15

73.171 Rosy Minor (Litoligia literosa) 2

73.222 Dingy Shears (Apterogenum ypsillon) 1

73.254 Antler Moth (Cerapteryx graminis) 12

73.267 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 5

73.290 Brown-line Bright-eye (Mythimna conigera) 1

73.291 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 30

73.293 Smoky Wainscot (Mythimna impura) 86

73.298 Clay (Mythimna ferrago) 6

73.313 White-line Dart (Euxoa tritici) 3

73.317 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 1

73.325 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 3

73.334 Small Square-spot (Diarsia rubi) 4

73.342 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 98

73.345 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 4

73.348 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua janthe) 3

73.353 Dotted Clay (Xestia baja) 16

73.358 Six-striped Rustic (Xestia sexstrigata) 15

73.359 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1

73.361 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 7

Patch List Catch up...

I haven't done a patch birding update since May, so here goes so far...

After the excitement of Baikal Teal and Baillons Crake in the county, it was back to patch watching in earnest. We always start the year full of vim and vigour but this often deteriorates as the summer arrivals peter out. On a North east coastal patch however, as mid summer beds in, things are only just starting to warm up. We are full of hopes and aspirations of what the return migrations season will be like. Willw e get any fall conditions? Will there be any rare birds? Will the sea watching be classic year? Or, will it all just be a damp squib...that remains to be seen, but a few decent species have been added to the local list since spring...

126. Quail. On 9th June as I stepped out onto our drive, the distinctive 'Whit, whit whit' call sounded only 30 yards into the field but could easily have been in the next field such is the skill in voice throwing that these birds exhibit. It remained until 22nd June when we came back from our Suffolk holiday.

127. In the quiet doldrums of mid summer living near the coast can have its advantages...see here for details on what happened next.

128. On the same crazy seawatch Arctic Tern was added...

129...and Common Sandpipers had already began moving to the coast on 2nd July after breeding.

130. Arctic Skua. After packing up on another seawatch on 7th July a dark phase adult came so close it was almost touchable just over our heads and away north.

131. Later in the afternoon on 7th July, I walked down to the coast patch just to scan for terns and waders and was pleased to see two birds not far out moving north. As I locked on to them one was a Whimbrel and the other, scarcer here, a Bar-tailed Godwit....

132 / 133. The sea is the way to lift the flagging list from now onwards and the hour spent on the 14th July was no different with Little Gull and Common Tern added. The Little Gulls were two birds, one a lovely sooty underwinged adult and a more typical first summer.

134. The most difficult of the breeding terns here, 4 Little Terns flew south just offshore this afternoon as I walked Peggy...

So, 9 year ticks and one a lifer who says mid summer is quiet for birding! With real autumn just around the corner, I am sure there is time to slot in a few more missing common species...a Dunlin or Sanderling wouldnt go amiss...

Giant Patch Tick!

What a bizarre evening that was.

I was driving home from work when I had a phone call from Gary Woodburn who said the incomprehensible news that Mark Newsome has just had a Giant Petrel fly north at Whitburn.

A what? Giant Petrel? Are they not the things that kill penguins on Blue Planet? In the North Sea?

It was a dark phased bird with a massive white bill.

Giant Petrel has two species, they are Southern and Northern and are incridibly difficult to identify let alone on a fly past at a kilometre range...

Gary was going to wait for news from seawatchers further south and then head to Newton Point. I had already considered a seawatch, as the high pressure out in the Atlantic looked good for a movement of shearwaters and there are a few terns I still haven't had on the patch year list so this news prompted me even more. Gardening would have to wait...

Straight home, changed, snacks and tea packed and out to Cullernose Point by 6.55pm. I was perched halfway down the cliff on a lovely summer evening. The sea was alive with auks, buzzing back and forth in small flocks, razorbills, guiilemots and many puffins. To a back drop of calling kittiwakes on the cliff, whats not to like.

Snacks eaten, tea drunk, and the first 50 Manx Shearwaters were logged. I was studying a winter plumaged diver on the sea that was very Black throated like but just too ar to confirm, when I was joined by Mark Eaton to look seaward. Seeing anyone here is unusual so company and in particular another set of birding eyes was welcome.

The diver was analysed,and I still think Black throated, complete with 'cobra-like' nape shape but its not inked into the notebook.

We commented on how good the visibilty was, Highish up with a flattish sea we could pick out puffins atalmost 2 kms, and at 1 km an 8 inch bird was easily identified, so a 3 foot long, black albatross should be no trouble to connect with, if only...

News came through that a good candidate was seen very distantly at the horizon from St Mary's Island. Ho hum, it was a nice night.

Then a slow motion, quiet, tenseness came as I scanned south from a distant oil tanker when all of a sudden, a huge, black apparition loomed up from the waves and I called to Mark ' There's your Petrel!' scarcely believeing my own words. A short 10 second panic ensued while I stammered out directions, but luckily the oil tanker came in handy as a marker and seen at three quarter distance Mark was on the bird.

The GIANT PETREL, flapped on elastic wing beats, giving the impression of one of those big Fruit Bats or Flying Foxes rather than a bird. It soared and glided seemed too heavy to shear in the calm conditions. This continued for 10 minutes and once it switchbacked south briefly before getting back on track North. We watched as it passed Gannets, Manxies and flocks of auks looking like nothing I've ever seen. The wing tips seemed a bit rounded or ragged maybe giving an 'eagley' look at times, then on down glides it vanished into wave troughs before towering back above the horizon line. it lookd darker than a Sooty Shear but it was the size and jizz that were unmistakeable.

What a bird. It slowly vanished from view. Word was put out by Mark as I had no signal at all and the enormity of the sighting sank in. I was trembling a little bit...

That was certainly some start to the seawatching season...

Oh and even though it cant be identified to a species, I'm having it on my lists!

 

What a week!

I'm going back a few weeks now to Monday 3rd June....I should have one of those wavy 70's special effects...

Sitting at work just having my lunch in front of a computer, I glanced at What'sApp on my phone. A message had just appeared - 'BAIKAL TEAL, East Chevington North Pool now'. This was not wholly unexpected as this bird has travelled around eastern England for a few weeks now, but yesterday it had gone past us and into Scotland. We thought we had missed out on its north bound itinerary. However, Scotland wasnt to its taste, and it was now loafing on the bankside here at East Chev.

I downed tools [keyboard] and headed off up the road for this genuinely wild, long distance vagrant, ***it has been to Spurn, so it must count*** arguably one of the finest looking of all the wildfowl. As its name suggests it should be breeding now somewhere east of the Siberian Yenisey on tundra pools, not hanging around the ex Northumberland coal field.

A few birders were already watching the bird when I arrived, and what a little stunner it was too, with the green and yellow harlequin face pattern of an adult drake. Although it was quite distant, good scope views could be had on the bank and out on open water. At the time of writing, it has moved down to Druridge Pools where it looks set to put the summer in.

Although some people are concerned that it is a species widely kept in captivity and it may have just hopped a fence, it was unringed and certainly behaved like a wild bird, being very uneasy and flighty even at range. Numbers have increased from a few hundred thousand birds in the 2000s up to a million birds now wintering in South Korea so why wouldnt it be the real deal?

We will have to wait until the powers that be decide on that one, but I've already added it to my list.
More importantly, it is in 345th position on my Northumberland List and is a great bump start to a slow year, arriving in the county with a few other good birds such as Broad billed Sandpiper, Red necked Phalarope and American Wigeon.

Northumberland's first Baikal Teal, East Chevington.

In June it pays northern birders not to rest on their laurels, and sure enough only two days later a visiting birder looking at a Garganey on Monks House Pool turned up Northumberlands second ever BAILLON'S CRAKE after one in 1942.

This small roadside pool,a  former local patch for the master, Eric Ennion, is a proper mass of thick impenetrable juncus, so I didnt hold out much hope of having a repeat performance of the 1989 Sunderland bird. I hung back awaiting news. I just sat down to my tea, when the message came, the bird was out scratching around the mud, in the open!

As with the Teal, the pause button was pressed, tea put in the oven, Springwatch recorded, and off I went, all of 15 miles north of home. I skidded to vehicle abandonment and jumped out. 20 birders were just gazing around as they do. 'Has it gone? I asked Ian Fisher. 'Its just gone behind those rushes a few minutes ago' was the response. Thats that then I thought and got the scope out as a token gesture. After 10 mins, Tariq Farooqi gave the call, 'There it is!' resulting an a 30 second panic until I could locate the tiny hunched scrap of feathers picking around in a tunnel of rush. Eventually it emerged into the open and had a bath and a preen for 10 minutes before skippng off out of sight where it was never seen again....  wow, what a bird. Not a full lifer, but one I never thought I'd see again, let alone in the home county.

These tiny marsh creepers are quite scarce and difficult to see anywhere in Europe even though they are widespread breeders. It is believed that some may breed in the UK after a survey found several calling birds on marshes in Wales, but in this kind of habitat, we could never be sure.

The county tick [346] was tinged with some ( very little) remorse that many of the top Northumberland Birders couldnt make it up north from Newcastle etc. A bitter sweet experience for sure...

Northumberland's second Baillon's Crake, Monk's House Pool.

 



 

The Grey Wolf...

Spiders are new to me even though I have been a Birder / Naturalist for 40 years.

Flicking through the field guide pages, one particular arachnid sprung to life for me, and that was the big hairy rare Arctosa cinerea, the Grey Wolf Spider.

Living in Northumberland where we have a plethora of fast flowing, stoney, upland rivers, so I thought I must stand a chance of locating one, until I read here some one had turned over hundreds of rocks in Wales and had not found any!

We have some older records of cinerea in Northumberland, and I knew of some good looking habitat to start in, so today we went to have a look.

We walked 30 yards and I turned over 3 stones - KaaaaaBooom! our very first Arctosa cinerea!! It did not leg it for cover as I expected a wolfie to do and just sat allowing prolonged views and photos. We continued for another hour and over about 100 metres or so, finding another 7 of them even having two under one stone. If we continued checking I am sure there would be many more, they were the commenest spider here.

We got our eye in on 'spider looking stones', ones about hand size, often balanced on another rock with a small niche underneath and sure enough one would be there. Some 'nests' were littered with legs of beetles and even a dead bee that had fallen prey to the spider.

A great morning!

May...

There goes spring...

For us in Northumberland it was quite dry but usually cold too. A few new birds were added to the patch list, but they were mostly expected summer visitors.

117 - Mandarin, a drake flushed from the pond in grim weather as I led a dawn chorus walk on the 4th.
118 / 119 - On the same afternoon a seawatch added Bonxie and Manx Shearwater to the list.
120 - was a singing Sedge Warbler on the 5th while the species continued to arrive in the afternoon with...
121 - Puffin, 5 N past our coast path,
122 - 23 Whimbrel and a
123 - Great Northern Diver also added to a reasonable spring seawatch.
124 - was a typically late Swift. They dont breed on patch so can be erratic in the spring.
125 -  House Martin was finally added on 16th when 3 birds flew S over the village.

So ending the month with 125 equalling 62.18% of the patch total overall.

What will June bring? To be honest I think I'll be lucky to add anything but there are possibilities. In May I missed two species. Jane had Cuckoo calling 3 times when I was away to work and another local had 3 Little Egrets roosting in our small heronry on one evening. Despite trying, both remained elusive for me. These two plus four tern species out there to get, I might just need a slice of luck...

I wonder how Steve in Surrey is coming along....

An unsuccessful morning looking fo Bluethroats but a lovely Bullfinch in the fog made up for it...a little. 

An Upland Walk...Northumberland National Park

Harthope Valley - Carey Burn to Broadstruther Walk.

On Sunday we had a walk half way up the Carey Burn mainly looking at butterflies but also for anything else that attracts attention. This is an area we have visited since the 80s but have never walked further than the Carey Burn itself. We used to see Ring Ouzel and Peregrine here but now they both seem to have gone.

On Tuesday, the weather forecast was so good, I took an impromptu flexi day off work and went feral, heading for the silence of the hills. These are the Cheviots, just south of Wooler in the North of Northumberland and about 20 miles from home. Its a scenic quiet spot and doesnt get the quantity of visitors that go to the Ingram Valley for instance.

Above - The walk starts on a flat sheep walk area on the north bank of the Carey Burn with views into the valley. On Sunday I missed the Red Kite that has been around since early spring, but on Tuesday it gave me a nice fly over along with 6 soaring Buzzards. Red legged Partridges are ever present here and are best ignored!

The south facing slope on the right is clad in Broom and Gorse and was full of Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. A few butterflies were noted with many Orange Tips, 4+ Small Copper and 2 Green Hairstreak.

Green Hairstreak

Small Coppers

Further up the steep scree and crag sided valley, the path gets a bit, disorientated, but is passable with care. Scree seems to have caused it to slide off a bit. Around every corner here are fantasic and new views.

The Carey Burn waterfalls.

This time we saw a pair of Whinchats, Dippers, Red Grouse plus a few interesting invertebrates. 

Mother Shipton moth named after the witches profile in each wing...a rare species in the county.

On the rocks,a small jumping Zebra Spiders, Salticus sp.

An even rarer moth is the Small Purple Barred with two seen, only the second and third records in the county in the last 30 years.

This tiny spiralled Snail under a log needs some research.

Green Tiger Beetles are abundant on the snady paths here.

Beyond the waterfalls, the valley widens a little, with grassy areas and a small shepherds hut. Dippers call and dash along the burn here. Watch out for Adders and Slow Worms. We found a freshly dead slow worm that looked like a bird had killed it, maybe a kestrel?

Bitter Vetch

Beyond the footbridge the walk begins to look different. Gone are the steep scree slopes and now we have open rounded heather clad vistas. In the birches many Redpolls were chasing around, while Whitethroats and Meadow Pipits were everywhere. A Redstart was singing unseen here while a lone Cuckoo called.

This is the halfway point in the walk. Out here the broom holds Mountain Bumblebees, Bombus montana, a scarce species. Skylarks, Pipits and Grouse call everywhere while two or three Ravens added a more menacing air to the scene and a beautifil cock Whinchat just refused to sit for a photo.

A scarce self appearance on the blog, but no one was around so I banaced the camera on a fence post and set the timer... 

Broadstruther cottage, recently renovated. Imagine living here in the winter. A stone sheep stell near the footbridge is a thing from the past.

Broadstruther, a closer view.

The ubiquitous Meadow Pipit. 

Small hill Bown Trout filled the burn, rising for insects on the top with a  splash.

The start of the track back.

From here the hill was quiet other than some heart stopping Grouse leaping into the air only feet away calling go-back go-back....

And finally the view to the car park and the steep decent down some very rough stone covered track way. A fantastic walk of about 4 miles, I'm looking forward to trying it in different seasons...

My car is in the centre of that loop...

I'm late!

For an April round up that is.
As you may have read here before, Northumberland doesnt do spring like the southern counties. We often just slip from winter into summer...Still this April has been quite good on the patch with some decent birds...
Shelduck came first on 1st April and was species 103. A common and almost daily sighting here in spring with most bird being seen in flight.
104 was the Blackcap bang on cue on 5th...
105 on the same date Wheatear was early here, I dont usually get one til mid month.
Swallow was 106 on 10th...
and Sand Martin nearby was 107...
Willow warbler at 108 are getting later year on year, on 12th...
A nice Yellow Wagtail 109 on the muck heap was on 20th...
Whitethroat 110 was early on 24th often not arriving until May...
Lesser Whitethroat came the next day...111.
Sandwich Tern was added on 27th 112,
While a good day on 28th added Red legged Partridge, Grasshopper Warbler, Ring Ouzel and a full patch tick - Hooded Crow all at Craster taking the total up to 116.

The scores on the doors are.... 116 species = 56.58% of the total patch score.

Yellow Wagtail with a Pied on the muck heap.

At last!

... spring has sprung!

But, lets pause. On the TV weather forecast I am seeing those inland people with temps up to 22+ degrees. Within sight of the Northumberland coast, here, we did have 12 degrees but the wind was still sharp. The key was to get into a sheltered spot.

During the day, I hung around the garden and through our village wood to the pond field. This was my first butterfly day of the year with 7 Peacocks, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 1 female Orange Tip, 1 Small White and best of all, 3 Holly Blues in the garden. Last year i had my first confirmed Holly Blue in August here but it was too quick to photograph but thes eones, 2 males and a female, were a bit more cooperative...

Its great at this time of year to see more biodiversity on the local patch...

Holly Blue

Holly Blue

Holly Blue

Dark edged Bee-fly

Kidney spot Ladybird

Mute Swan, cob.

Female Orange Tip

Our garden this morning

Primrose bank near the pond field

Primroses

Germander  Slender Speedwell ( see comments)

Common Violet