Thursday, 29 August 2024

Lots of migrants

The calm and warm conditions continue and last night was muggy and cloudy resulting in my best night for moth migrants since we moved here.

It's not just insects on the move either- large number of hirundines have appeared in the Lane and there have been up to 30 Yellow Wagtails feeding in the fields around our garden and a couple of Tree Pipits flying around too. 

Due to work commitments I haven't been able to get out beyond the garden and lane but there seems to be lots going on around here anyway. 


200-250 mixed House Martins, Sand Martins and Barn Swallows (and also a single Swift been around). Simply wonderful to have this iconic sight of staging hirundines on the wires literally in our front garden


The House Martins were actually landing in the poplar trees and gleaning insects from the leaves 


Another Beautiful Marbled (above) , two Porter's Rustics (below) and Olive-tree Pearl (below that) were the highlights of a good moth migrant night which also included L-album Wainscot, Four-spotted Footman, Radford's Flame Shoulder, 9 Portland Ribbon Wave, 2 Dark Sword Grass, 2 Silver-Y, 5 Rusty-dot Pearl, 6 Rush Veneer and 3 Angles Shades

The second Porter's Rustic was a bit more tatty. Apparantely some of the Porter's Rustics in this influx could possibly have been Aethis lepigone, a species I have encountered in Bulgaria HERE. Had a quick look at how to seperate them and not easy by looks of it- presumably gen dent. 

Large Thorn (above) was a lifer and Campion (below) was a first for the garden. Garden year list now on 349. 

Gorse Groundling, Mirificarma mulinella- as far as I can remember this is a lifer. Thanks to Stephen Palmer for the identification. 

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