Sunday 15 August 2021

Weekend at Home

So after our mini-disaster of a holiday we decided to relax around the Old Vicarage garden and local area for the last few days. The mothing has picked up again and after a few more firsts for site we are now on 985 pan-species for the garden. If we did another bioblitz in the next few weeks I'm pretty sure we could crash through 1000 species. 
 
Juvenile Chiffchaff in the garden with the Tit flock that seem to like the Silver Birch outside the balcony.  The prominent pale lower eye ring is a good id feature. Also had Willow Warbler sub-singing and a bit of ticking from the hedges are presumably Blackcaps (saw a couple last weekend).  
Coal Tit from the balcony. 
Closest I can get to this is Cochylidia rupicola. No this is Water-plantain Conch, Gynnidomorpha alismana (thanks Dave). 
Dichrorampha simpliciana I believe (it's gen det one). 
Acleris laterana ? It's a dissection job by sounds of it to separate from comariana but the default in Bucks is laterana. 
Dusky Thorns are appearing more now as autumn is approaching . 68 species in the trap last night and quite a few autumn moths such as Flounced Rustic, Straw Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character etc
Orange Swifts- the first for the year 
Poplar Hawk-moth- these have been going for months but only one a night now. Also had Elephant Hawk-moth last night which I presume is pretty late. 
Seems like we had a Prominent party in the moth trap last night with Lesser Swallow and Swallow Prominent (above) and below in descending photo order Iron, Coxcomb, Pebble and Pale Prominent.




Sallow Kitten- always stunning to see
Gold Spot- always stunning and a first for site here 
Ypsolopha scabrella
Apotomis betuletana
Dark Spectacle 
Gold Spot joining the breakfast table 
Things are going well in the mini-farm. Bryan cleared out a few beds so that we can put the Kale in 
Courgettes/marrows are ready now, so stuffed Marrow with Runners was on the menu for dinner  
Looks like our broccoli has become a sacrificial crop for what I presume are white butterfly caterpillars? 
Wood Sorrel (according to PlantNet) growing in the mini-farm 
This female Vapourer moth laying eggs was a bizzare discovery

.........and meanwhile at Otmoor
 
Spent a couple of evenings at Otmoor, Ebird list HERE  . Highlights included 8 Cattle Egrets (there have been up to 10), 7+ Redstarts, Wood and Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and Garganey.  




Cattle Egrets at Otmoor 
Redstarts on Long Meadow (female/immature above and adult male below). Also Chiffchaffs, Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcaps so lots of tacking and hoo-weeting calls coming from all over. Interesting variation in the different calls many sounding like Redstarts and a few Redstarts sounding like pylloscs.  Would be good to take the sound recorder in there. 

Marsh Tit at Long Meadow

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