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July 2008
Thursday 31st July
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Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Houghton, 31st July 2008
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Ringed China-mark (left) and Forest Bug (right), Bawdeswell, 31st July 2008
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Aethes sp. (left) and Blastobasis lignea (right), Bawdeswell, 31st July 2008 - please let me know if you know which Aethes it is |
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Wednesday 30th July
Tonights moths included Sandy Carpet, Green Pug and Blood-vein.
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Green Pug (left) and Blood-vein (right), Bawdeswell, 30th July 2008 |
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Tuesday 29th July
I always think Dark Arches are quite big moths when they're flying around in the bedroom, and tonight's was no exception. But then something else came in that was even bigger. When it eventually settled I discovered a cute, fat, furry, moley thing quite unlike anything I'd seen before. Turned out to be a Drinker; I've seen their caterpillars before but had no idea how bizarre-looking the adults were. After this, something else came in that was even bigger. I remember seeing them before I knew much about moths but I've not managed to see any in the last 2-3 years since I've been looking at them more carefully: a Poplar Hawkmoth.
Monday 28th July
I struggled to ID this moth, but I think it's a Large Twin-spot Carpet. Please let me know if you can confirm or otherwise. A Smoky Wainscot was the next best moth tonight.
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Large Twin-spot Carpet, Bawdeswell, 28th July 2008 |
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Sunday 27th July
Not much to report today, except my first Ruby Tiger.
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Dwarf Cream Wave (left) and Small Fan-footed Wave (right), Bawdeswell, 27th July 2008
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Dwarf Cream Wave (left) and Small Fan-footed Wave (right), Bawdeswell, 27th July 2008 |
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Saturday 26th July
At least 1 Green Sandpiper at Sparham Pools this morning. I always thought that juvenile passerines weren't good at singing but a Willow Warbler with all-yellow underparts (and therefore presumably juvenile) was in full voice singing away. Also here were several Red-eyed Damselflies and, among them, at least 1 Small Red-eyed Damselfly.
A good selection of moths tonight including my first Gold Triangle (a real beauty for a micro moth) and my first Nut-tree Tussock. Also both Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, Single-dotted Wave, V-Pug, Flame Shoulder, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 2 Common Footmen, Phlyctaenia coronata, Pyrausta aurata and more. Less pleasant was a Sexton Beetle that was flying around noisily and wildly and was covered in a seething mass of mites.
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Peacock (left) and Comma (right), Sparham Pools, 26th July 2008
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Grey Heron (left) and Common Blue Damselflies (right), Sparham Pools, 26th July 2008
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Black-tailed Skimmer (left) and Brown Hawker (right), Sparham Pools, 26th July 2008
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Green-veined White (left) and Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper (right), Sparham Pools, 26th July 2008
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Pyrausta aurata (left) and Gold Triangle (right), Bawdeswell, 26th July 2008
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Nut-tree Tussock (left) and Red Twin-spot Carpet (right), Bawdeswell, 26th July 2008
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Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (left) and Red Twin-spot Carpet (right, different from above individual), Bawdeswell, 26th July 2008
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Sexton Beetle, probably Nicrophorus vespillo, covered in mites (left) and Phlyctaenia coronata (right), Bawdeswell, 26th July 2008
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Three-lined Soldier, Sparham Pools, 26th July 2008 - not easy to photograph things sitting on your right hand when you're right-handed! Thanks to Jay Clark for the ID. |
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Friday 25th July
Best moth tonight was a Smoky Wainscot, though this Orange Ladybird was better looking.
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Orange Ladybird, Bawdeswell, 25th July 2008 |
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Thursday 24th July
Have spent the last four days on a course in London which was less than great. Tonight's moths included what I think was a Buff Ermine, though it never stopped flying to let me view it at rest.
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Brimstone Moth (left) and Buff Ermine (right), Bawdeswell, 24th July 2008 |
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Sunday 20th July
With an onshore NW wind forecast I was all set for a seawatch this morning, but when I woke up even the leaves on the trees weren't moving so I figured there weren't going to be any Cory's brought close to shore today. The breeze did pick up fairly soon, but not enough to tempt me to the coast, so to Swanton Morley instead. Highlight was a Greenshank flying over but other than Kingfishers, Barn Owl and dodgy geese, there wasn't much else to keep me entertained.
Naerby the Mallard x Egpytian Goose hybrid remains at Bylaugh, with a Little Egret today.
Moths dodging the rain tonight include my first Red Twin-spot Carpet of the year and another Flame Shoulder.
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Sedge Warbler (left) and Song Thrush (right), Swanton Morley, 20th July 2008
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female Tufted Duck and ducklings, Swanton Morley, 20th July 2008
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Blue-tailed Damselfly (left) and Fruit-tree Tortrix (right), Swanton Morley, 20th July 2008 - I guess the Tortrix is a Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, but please let me know if you can confirm or otherwise.
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Red-legged Partridge chick, Bylaugh, 20th July 2008
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Red Twin-spot Carpet (left) and Early Thorn (right), Bawdeswell, 20th July 2008 |
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Saturday 19th July
Am hoping the wind, rain and gloom will not be a theme of many more Saturdays to come this autumn, unless the wind's in the NE (in which case bring on the gloom). Did someone say it was summer? No birding, but lots of swotting up on Malawi birds ready for my upcoming travels.
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Bee Moth, Bawdeswell, 19th July 2008 |
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Thursday 17th July
A Lilac Beauty was a cracking new moth for me, and a Single-dotted Wave was new for the year.
Wednesday 16th July
With most things in life you get better with practice, even in birding. But with gull identification the more I do it the worse I get.
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Gulls, between Houghton and Harpley, 16th July 2008 - answers on a postcard please!
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Early Thorn (left) and Dark Arches (right), Bawdeswell, 16th July 2008
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Wormwood Pug, Bawdeswell, 16th July 2008 |
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Tuesday 15th July
I'm spending most of my lunchtimes at the moment scrutinising the gulls at a pig farm near Houghton, in the hope that one day I might learn how to identify some of them. Still can't pick out anything interesting though, despite some attempts to string Yellow-legged Gulls. Tonight's haul of moths included Small China-mark and a nice Scalloped Oak.
Monday 14th July
Sunday 13th July
Nothing to write home about at Swanton Morley this morning. Highlights were several Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Barnacle Goose. At Bylaugh one of the Mallard x Egyptian Goose hybrids is still present.
Saturday 12th July
Nothing to show from a wander round Sparham Pools this evening - best birds were a couple of Barn Owls. Also the worst evening for moths for some time with just 1 macro:
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Willow Beauty, Bawdeswell, 12th July 2008 |
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Friday 11th July
Spent lunch at a pig-farm near Houghton where there have been good numbers of gulls recently. Mostly Lesser Black-backed but plenty of Herring (and Black-headed) too. Unfortunately my gull identication skills aren't as strong as I'd like them to be, so I'm not at all sure about what might have been a Yellow-legged Gulll; what do you think? Back at home a Dwarf Cream Wave was first for the year.
Update: I think the gull's probably just a Herring - at least, apart from a slightly dark-looking mantle I can't see any good reason why it's not.
Thursday 10th July
Tonight's moths included my first Smoky Wainscot, my first two Dingy Footmen of the year (one of each form), Common Footman, Flame Shoulder, Small Fan-footed Wave and my first Wormwood Pug of the year.
Wednesday 9th July
With the rain, not much new in tonight - just 3 Common Emeralds and some micros. Also my first Cabbage Moth of the year which I think may have snuck in the night before without me noticing.
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Cabbage Moth (left) and Short-cloaked Moth (right), Bawdeswell, 9th July 2008 (the latter is the same one that arrived a few days ago - it seems not to want to leave!)
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Bramble Shoot Moth, Bawdeswell, 9th July 2008 - thanks to Håkan and Tristan for the ID |
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Tuesday 8th July
Tonight's selection of moths included my first Common Footman, Common Wave and Dark Arches for the year, my first ever Light Arches and another Triple-spotted Clay.
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Common Footman (left) and Common Wave (right), Bawdeswell, 8th July 2008
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Dark Arches (left) and Light Arches (right), Bawdeswell, 8th July 2008
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Barred Straw (left) and Barred Straw (right), Bawdeswell, 8th July 2008
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Large Tabby (left) and Fruit-tree Tortrix sp., probably Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (right), Bawdeswell, 8th July 2008 - thanks to Håkan Sandin for IDs |
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Monday 7th July
Highlights this evening were my first Ghost Moth and another Barred Straw. With Brimstone and Swallow-tailed Moths among the relatively few others, there was a distinctly yellow theme going on!
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Ghost Moth (left) and Barred Straw (right), Bawdeswell, 7th July 2008 |
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Sunday 6th July
Naff weather so not much activity today on any fronts. Just 2 moths in this evening, though both quite interesting ones: my second V-Pug and my first Short-cloaked Moth. Also one discovered this morning that had presumably come in last night it reminds me of Udea lutealis, but I'm not convinced. Is that what it is, or another Udea sp., or something else entirely - plesase let me know if you know! (Update - it's Udea prunalis: thanks Colin).
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Udea prunalis (left) and Short-cloaked Moth (right), Bawdeswell, 6th July 2008 - thanks Colin for confirming the Udea. |
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Saturday 5th July
Popped into Cley briefly this evening to see the Lesser Yellowlegs - don't think I've seen one in such full breeding plumage before. Not many other waders moving through yet, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and some nice summery Ruffs. Didn't bother going round to see the distant sleeping Spoonbills on North Scrape.
Moths this evening included my first Triple-spotted Clay, a Bright-line Brown-eye and my first Endotricha flammealis and Chrysoteuchia culmella of the year.
Friday 4th July
The Barred Straw remained from yesterday and a Clay was another new species for me. A Small Fan-footed Wave was new for the year.
Thursday 3rd July
Most interesting moth this evening was a distinctive new one for me, Barred Straw. A Fan-foot was new for the year - interesting to compare it with the Small Fan-foot from Monday. I hope someone can help me with another unidentified micro, this time a yellowy gold one.
Update: the unidentified micro is a Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana (thanks Rob!)
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Fan-foot (left) and Barred Straw (right), Bawdeswell, 3rd July 2008
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Hook-marked Straw Moth, Bawdeswell, 3rd July 2008 - thanks Rob for the ID.
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Riband Wave, Bawdeswell, 3rd July 2008 |
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Wednesday 2nd July
Engrailed and Grey/Dark Dagger were new for the year.
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Grey or Dark Dagger (left) and Engrailed (right), Bawdeswell, 2nd July 2008 |
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Tuesday 1st July
There was a Barn Owl less than a quarter of a mile from my house this evening, but I've still not seen one from the house. No shortage of moths here though including my first V-Pug and my first Beautiful Hook-tip. Also Treble Brown Spot and Mottled Rustic were seconds, while a couple of distinctive-looking micros remain unidentified as yet (please let me know if you can help with these).
Update: the micros are now identified (thanks to Colin): Codling Moth and Plum Tortrix.
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V-Pug, Bawdeswell, 1st July 2008
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Beautiful Hook-tip (left) and Treble Brown Spot (right), Bawdeswell, 1st July 2008
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Codling Moth (left) and Plum Tortrix (right), Bawdeswell, 1st July 2008 - thanks to Colin for the ID on these two (update August 2011 - just come across this photo somewhere else - surely with that ochreous tone in the pale distal section this must be Hedya ochroleucana and not Plum Tortrix?)
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Yellow Shell, Bawdeswell, 1st July 2008 - the in-flight shot would have been impressive if more than half of it had been in the frame!
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Mottled Rustic, Bawdeswell, 1st July 2008 |
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