Busy night in the Bugry

Peeble Hook-tip 

Marbled Minor 

White-point 

Common Marbled Carpet 

Treble Lines

I had at least ten moth ticks yesterday: Burnet Campion, Latticed Heath, Common Marbled Carpet, Marbled Minor, Peeble-hook tip, White point, Silver Ground Carpet, Treble Lines, Epiphyas postvitanna, Crambus lathoniellus and an Aethes sp.

32 individual moths (identified) of 19 species,

My micro moth book has finally arrived! Happy days in the obs. 

Bee- Day

Common Carder Bee on Sage

White-tailed Bumblebee on Green Alkanet

Bee hunting 

Burnet Campion on Bird's-foot-trefoil

Latticed Heath 

Cinnabar on our planted Yellow Rattle 

Black-tailed Skimmer (First ones out today) 

The Meadowland on the mound is beginning to flower

Joined up today with Bioregional who were taking part in a Bumblebee Conservation Trust survey http://bumblebeeconservation.org/. We had a look round the Horse Field and found quite a few feeding on the flowering plants.

Also quite a few other insects about including some day flying moths and the first dragonflies of the year.

On the bird front (lest we forget what this blog is supposed to be about) I had a Red Kite go south this morning and a Peregrine from the obs, a Hobby in the afternoon and yesterday evening there were about 70 Swifts flying around the lake.  



Minor operation

A new moth last night. I think its a Tawny Marbled Minor but if I want to be certain I will have to open it up and examine it's genitalia. I think I'll let it be:-)  

Busy night

Clouded Silvers 

Small Dusty Wave



Busy night in the bug room. 24 moths (identified) of 15 species including my first Clouded Silvers and also first for the year included Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Bee Moth, Garden Carpet and Silver Y.

Sunny and Calm

Common Blue - the first of these appeared over last few days

Common Bluetail - more appearing now

Angle Shades - not too much in the moth trap last night as the wind was up

Adult Robin from this morning's ringing. Also a few Reed Warblers but overall rather quiet in the hot and calm conditions.

Meadows and Wildlife Gardening

Yellow Rattle growing well in our test area. Thanks to John at the London Wetland Center we have got a successful wildflower meadow growing. The Yellow Rattle is a parasite on the roots of grasses so serves to suppress grasses and gives a chance for other plants to get a look in. 

In this test area we did not seed but cut back the grass in early spring to simulate grazing and again provide opportunities for less dominant species.  

This is the control area which is dominated by coarse grasses and cow parsley 

Yellow Rattle test area- over the next few weeks we hope to see summer wildflowers emerging in this area 

Wildlife Garden on Bedzed today with aliums

Wildlife garden in early May with spring bulbs 

New wildlife garden under construction

Had a good look today at several of the habitat projects that we have on going. The wildflower meadow test areas at Beddington are going on well and are being used by lots of bumble bees. Also did some work on Gillian's Bedzed wildlife garden this afternoon which is looking pretty damn good.

More on all this here

http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=wildlife+gardening&max-results=20&by-date=true

Sunny Summer day

Lapwing displaying on 100 acre 

About 8 singing Reed Warblers around 

Still about 3000 gulls around including an Iceland Gull 

Bluetail 

Wasp Beetle

The good weather continues (although it is rather windy). Had a Red Kite this morning, a few Common Sands about and Steve had a flock of Redshank- so stuff still on the move. 6-8 Sand Martins around the bunker, about 50 Swifts over the lake, a couple of House Martins and still the odd Swallow dripping through. Certainly feels like spring passage is behind us- more juv Starlings and other local birds about including the first Canada Geese chicks. Hoping for a mid summer mega now.

More insects around now too- the first damselflies and more bugs and beetles on the vegetation which is growing up quick.  

Parsnip and Cabbage

Cabbage Moth 

Parsnip Moth

A few new moths over the last summer nights including this Cabbage Moth and Parsnip Moth.

The Beddington ERF/ Incinerator- Update

The consultation for an Energy Recovery Facility/ Incinerator at Beddington Farmlands continues ahead of the formal application for planning permission in June/July. Some changes to the building design and the restoration have been made since the beginning of consultation.

Our bird group have expressed various ecological concerns and the local community have responded with concerns regarding public health, public access to the restored area and the possibility of other waste management solutions.

Virdor Beddington ERF link:

http://www.viridor.co.uk/sites-developments/beddington-erf/

Local opposition:

http://www.stoptheincinerator.co.uk/

Hopefully as the application goes through the planning system all the concerns will be adequately addressed and we get a good result for all of us- Viridor, the local authority, the local people, the local wildlife enthusiasts and of course the birds and wildlife.

700th Species

Tinea trinotella  (700th species)

Brimstone moth (One of 13 moth species yesterday evening)

Argyresthia trifasciata  (tiny tick)

A few new micro moths over the last couple of warm evenings has pushed my Beddington biodiversity list over the 700 species mark (inc inadvertent dodgy ones) :
http://peteralfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/beddington-biodiversity.html

Summer Time High

Oystercatcher 

Ringed Plover 

Oak Hook-tip 

Rustic Shoulder Knot   

Shuttle-shaped Darts



Summer is finally here and it was a busy night in the bugery and the moth trap with 1 Rustic Shoulder Knot (tick), 1 Oak hook-tip, 2 Pale Mottled Willow, 4 Agonopterix heracliana, 1 White-shouldered House Moth, 1 Diamond Back Moth, 2 Brown House Moth, 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 1 Grey Pine Carpet and a Mompha subbistrigella (tick).
First thing this morning an Oystercatcher was flying past the window and a visit in the afternoon produced 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Common Tern and 1 Wheatear.
Also a load more bugs that I've got to try and sort out! Its getting busy.

Back to Beddington

Turnstones

Knot Grass 

Gastrophysa (translates as swollen abdomen) Viridula (translates as little green) 

Aquilegia sp.

Horses are back on the horse field

A couple of Turnstones on the lake this morning and a few other bits and bobs. Two new biodiversity ticks today: Gastrophysa Viridula (beetle) and an Aquilegia sp. A few moths in the trap a couple of nights ago including this Knot Grass.

Quiet in the bird nets this morning but Mike's team caught the Cetti's yesterday and half a dozen Reed Warblers.