Half Term Week

Didn't get many chances this week to do much birding as it was half term. On Monday and Tuesday we took the boys to visit Aunties and Uncles and I was in London working on Wednesday. I managed to get the moth trap on on Thursday night (after trick and treat) and last night and also got a vis-mig session in the garden on Friday morning. 

Highlights were more Hawfinches over the garden, six yesterday, a Redpoll over this morning, Fieldfare yesterday and some fairly decent vis-mig yesterday too HERE. I can only presume there is a small group of Hawfinches hanging around locally which pass over here in the morning as sometimes they are going west and sometimes east. The Firecrest, Goldcrest and odd Chiffchaff remain in the garden too. The garden bird list is now on 92 HERE. 

The moth trap was pretty uneventful with no new species but still a nice little selection of migrants including 17 Rusty-dot Pearls yesterday (the same night Portland had 200+) and species like Feathered Ranunculus, Clancy's Rustic, Radford's Flame Shoulder, Gem, Silver-Y, Delicates, Rsuh Veneer, Dark Sword Grass, Turnips Scarce Bordered Straw and Crocidosema plebjana. In fact the majority of moths are migrants with just a few other species mainly Black Rustic, November moth agg, Red-line and Yellow-line Quaker, Green-brindled Crescent, Large Wainscot (upto 5-6 a night), Large Yellow Underwing, Blair's and Grey-shoudler Knot, Sallow, Beaded Chestnut, Lunar Underwing, Cypress Carpet, Feathered Thorn, a single Common Marbled Carpet and micros represented by Acleris sparsana, Light Brown Apple Moth, Blastobaasis rebelli and Blastobasis adustella. The garden moth list is now on 398 (June to present). My copies of Butterflies and moths of Sussex by Colin Pratt arrived this week and the 2023 Sussex Bird Report also arrived so I've got some interesting reading to get up to speed on with what's going on round here. 

Things are progressing on the wildlife homestead project. Yesterday Matt and I  prepared the perimeter for planting a mixed Mullberry, Buckthorn and Pear hedge (resistant to Honey Fungus which has appeared en masse in the garden) and today we picked up Holly's caravan which she is going to upcycle into some additional accommadation for Little Oak Lodge. 

Woodpigeons were still moving on Friday morning with nearly 2000 going over. 

Presumed Ashy Button, Acleris sparsana variant- quite a few of these at the moment 

Crocidosema plebjana (above and below)- a few of these lately showing a bit of variation

Found this Common Frog while doing the hedge preperation- now in the Paludarium 

4 Hawfinches going over