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June 2009
Tuesday 30th June
Mostly fairly standard stuff tonight: Small Blood-vein, Small Fan-footed Wave, Small Dusty Wave, Riband Wave, Barred Straw, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, Bright-line Brown-eye, Smoky Wainscot, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, Spectacle, Snout and Fan-foot. The ones shown below were new for the year.
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Clouded Silver (left) and Bee Moth (right), Bawdeswell, 30th June 2009
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Fan-foot, Bawdeswell, 30th June 2009 |
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Monday 29th June
News of a Bee-eater on wires at Pott Row sent me racing over there this evening but unfortunately by the time any twitchers arrived it had flown off. When I returned the best evening for moths so far this year was getting underway, the highlight being my first Marbled White Spot. The Uncertain also appears to be the first I've identified, although it wouldn't surprise me if someone tells me it's actually the very similar Rustic. Others included Scoparia ambigualis, Udea prunalis, Bee Moth, Common Emerald (3), Small Blood-vein (4), Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Riband Wave, Freyer's Pug (thanks Rob), Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Bright-line Brown-eye (2), Clay, Spectacle and Snout - not a bad evening's mothing without using a trap.
Sunday 28th June
Tonight's haul included my first ever Clouded Silver and Diamond-back Moth.
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Clouded Silver (left) and Bee Moth (right), Bawdeswell, 28th June 2009
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Small Blood-vein, Bawdeswell, 28th June 2009 |
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Saturday 27th June
Back from the Pyrenees today - more on that later. For now here are a few of the many moths that arrived tonight:
Friday 12th June
A Mottled Rustic was the only moth in tonight. I'm now going to be offline for a couple of weeks so no more updates until near the end of the month.
Thursday 11th June
Got my Coolpix back just in time for the Pyrenees... (thanks Dave).
Wednesday 10th June
A few moths in tonight, including two lovely Burnished Brasses.
Update 30/6: many thanks to Ade for correcting my Pug ID!
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Mottled Pug (left) and Snout (right), Bawdeswell, 10th June 2009
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Burnished Brasses, Bawdeswell, 10th June 2009 |
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Sunday 7th June
I normally see Bright-line Brown-eyes with their wings flat so I thought this one was going to turn out to be something rather more unusual, but it wasn't!
Bright-line Brown-eye, Bawdeswell, 7th June 2009 |
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Saturday 6th June
Before meeting my monthly group at Lakenheath I decided to check a couple of former Oriole sites in Norfolk as seeing them in the plantations at Lakenheath is no good for my Norfolk year list! As far as I know they haven't been at either site for ages but worth a look as the habitat is still good. No sign this morning though.
At Lakenheath we enjoyed prolonged views of a female Golden Oriole's tail and occasionally a bit more of it. The male also put in a brief appearance. Unfortunately for me they were settled in Suffolk and obstinately refused to go for a jolly across the river and into Norfolk, at least while I was looking. At least 3 Hobbies were seen in flight with one showing very well in the plantation. Cuckoos were also prominent - I saw 3 together before the group arrived and there was at least one other calling. A Bittern boomed occasionally and apparently Jos managed a view of it after I'd gone.
Friday 5th June
Had hoped to get further views of the Black-winged Pratincole at lunchtime but it had moved to Titchwell. I looked for it from Chosely Road but in the heat haze there was no chance unless it was flying around, which it didn't appear to be. I did see a Spoonbill there though, albeit only briefly before it flew off high to the west/north-west.
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Common White Wave, Bawdeswell, 4th June 2009 |
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Thursday 4th June
I was working in Glasgow today but fortunately QueasyJet did a bit better on the return journey than they did on the way up so there was enough time for me to see the Red-necked Phalarope at Hickling on the way home from Stanstead. Not quite enough time to see the Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper that had been there earlier but I think I'll live with that.
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Red-necked Phalarope, Hickling (Rushill Scrape), 4th June 2009 |
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Tuesday 2nd June
A few moths in tonight, including these:
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White Ermine (left) and Brown Rustic (right), Bawdeswell, 2nd June 2009
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Common Carpet (left) and Rustic Shoulder-knot (right), Bawdeswell, 2nd June 2009 |
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Monday 1st June
Went to Ringstead to see the Pratincole again after work but no joy initially. We saw a Hobby but I was about to give up and leave when news came through that the Pratincole had been seen at the reservoir nearer Thornham. It was reported to have flown off again so, pushed for time, I decided to head off home. On my way I bumped into Steve who had seen it at the reservoir and as it sounded like it had gone down in the adjacent field I decided to give it one last look before heading off. Once again I'd nearly given up and was about to go when I heard a call that reminded me of Black Tern. I guessed what it was but couldn't see where the noise was coming from; then I noticed Dick and Brian watching something and looking to where they were looking I picked up the pratincole flying up the field away from me and out of sight. After a slight delay they picked it up in the field and I just managed to get on it before it flew again. This time it hawked insects around the reservoir for a minute or two, calling again, during which time I could see all I needed to identify it as a Black-winged Pratincole.
Now, where's that Oriental Pratincole got to... could we get the hat-trick in Norfolk this year?
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Black-winged Pratincole, Thornham, 1st June 2009 |
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