Gary's Birding Blog: June 2014

Sunday 29 June 2014

Patching it - Pigney's Wood

I have been on short trips around the patch but as yet not really had anything to write about.

Yesterday was an exception, not a new bird for the patch but a bird that I have never had the chance to see so well. A Kingfisher.

Bird-wise the Kingfisher was the only bird of note, and after spending 45mins watching it I didn't leave myself much time to look for other bits. But here is the best of the rest although the species name I haven't a clue so I 'll give you a rough idea

Bee

Beetle

Fly

Small Fly

Orchid

Cricket

Monday 23 June 2014

Short-toed Eagle - About time to

I finally got to go and twitch the Short-toed Eagle, now in East Sussex rather than Dorset.

I left the house at 2.40 and collected Adam. When then set off.

We covered the 180ish miles and arrived at Ashdown Forest at about 6am.

First birds seen were Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Wren, Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Carrion Crow, Bullfinch and Pied Wagtail and all of these were before I'd even got the scope out of the car.

Once set up and scanning the trees for the Eagle we started seeing more species, Magpie, Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, Swift and Blackbird.

A family of Stonechat then came into view with the adults feeding what appeared to be at least 4 young with possibly a 5th.

We waited longer with more scanning and seeing Linnet, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Tree Pipit, Skylark, Wood Pigeon, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Woodlark, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker, Starling, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.

Adam and I had moved slightly away from the main group and stood further down the road to get a better angle with the light. I then heard a shout that it had been seen and reported on bird guides as being 2 km NE of where we were. Adam and I felt that we could see that far east so started scanning.

I then pick up a 'large' bird of prey and a awesome game of Chinese whispers begins and this is how.

Me " I have a bird of prey, its not a Common Buzzard, but not the Eagle"
OtherA " Hes Got a Bird of Prey"
OtherB " Hes Got the Eagle"
OtherC " The Eagle I can see it"
OthersDthroughY "Wheres the Eagle, is it flying in the Sky?"
OtherZ "Its Not and Eagle its a Honey Buzzard"

Well that was the gist of how it happened.

So yeah a Dark Morph Honey Buzzard flew over.

Everyone else ran off down the road to try and find the Eagle, Adam and I stayed behind as we could see people the other side of the valley all looking through there scopes.

We kept scanning, a person shouts that they have it in the tree but.... its a Kestrel.

Adam and I and 1 other the walk around the hill, mainly as the Sun had moved around so much you really couldn't see. The other chap gets a call from his mate and gives rough directions. Ironically the round looking evergreen tree described I spotted and then spotted the Short-toed Eagle.

We moved slightly further round but getting no closer to the bird so when it flew the sun would be behind us, which eventually it did, and as this took a Common Buzzard did also.

It flew off over the hill and out of sight to us so we walked back.

We saw the family of Stonechats again and this male.

and before we could get back to the car the Short-toed Eagle gave on last pass.

All in all a great morning out and 34 species record, shame the radiator got a whole on the way back adding 2.5 hours to the journey

Sunday 15 June 2014

Norwich Peregrine Chick

I went down to the Cathedral the day after the first chick had left the nest. I found the chick and watched as it tried to land on a sloped lead roof. It wasn't successful and slid all the way down the roof.

It then sat watching the world go by while I took these shots and video.

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Mega Moths of May including Marsh Pug and Woodland Marble

60 Species were caught during May and a total of 366 moths were trapped. 13 New Species for the Garden! All bar 2 were moth lifers.

I found total of 24 new moths during May.

I ran the trap 10 times only once I pulled it in at 11.20pm due to rain but the rest were all nighters.

Here is the full list and the total number of moths trapped for may and in brackets the highest single number caught in one night.

Brimstone - 12 (3)
Brown Silver Line - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Buff Ermine - 1 (1)
Buff-tip - 1 (1)
Cinnabar - 1 (1)
Common Marbled Carpet - 14 (10)
Common Pug - 17 (7)
Common Quaker - 8 (3)
Common Swift - 11 (4) (this was my first all brown Common Swift)

Dark Arches - 1 (1)
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet - 1 (1)
Early Grey - 5 (2)
Eyed Hawkmoth - 2 (1) (Lifer)

Flame Shoulder - 4 (2)
Freyer's Pug - 2 (1)

Garden Carpet - 7 (3)

including my first dark form

Grey Pine Carpet - 1 (1)

Heart and Dart - 71 (14)
Hebrew Character - 4 (1)
Iron Prominent - 1 (1)
Least Black Arches - 2 (1)
Lesser Yellow Underwing - 1 (1)
Light Emerald - 1 (1)
Marbled Minor - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Mottled Pug - 1 (1)

Orange Footman - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Pale Mottled Willow - 6 (3)
Pale Prominent - 1 (1) (Garden Tick)

Pale Tussock - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Pebble Prominent - 1 (1)
Peppered Moth - 1 (1)

Poplar Kitten - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Puss Moth - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Red Twin-spot Carpet - 3 (1)
Rustic Shoulder-knot - 1 (1) (Lifer)

Scalloped Hazel - 4 (2)
Setaceous Hebrew Character - 1 (1)
Shuttle-shaped Dart - 71 (16)
Silver Ground Carpet - 1 (1) (Garden Tick (but 'Garden Tick only' because I had seen one this month at Ebridge so not a lifer)

Silver Y - 2 (2)
Small Dusty Wave - 1 (1)
Small Square-spot - 2 (2)
Spectacle - 2 (2)
Tawny Marbled Minor - 1 (1)

Treble Lines - 10 (4)
Turnip Moth - 1 (1)
Vine's Rustic - 1 (1)
Willow Beauty - 1 (1)

The Micro's

Bee Moth - Aphomia Sociella - 9 (5)
Codling Moth - Cydia Pomonella - 2 (1)
Common Grey - Scoparia Ambigualis - 1 (1)
Common Slender - Gracilaria Syringella - 1 (1) (lifer)

Diamond Back Moth - Plutella Xylostella - 3 (2)
Light Brown Apple Moth - Epiphyas Postvittana - 46 (12)
Many Plumed Moth - Alucita Hexadactyla - 6 (2)
Small Clover Case-bearer - Coleophora alcyonipennella - 1 (1) (lifer)