Garden Hawfinch

It was a paperwork and earning brownie points day today but despite technically not actually getting out in the field I managed to bag a couple of local year ticks. Before the gang woke up I did the moths and after the school run I did an hour in the garden skywatching. 41 species of 218 indiviudals which isn't bad for the garden HERE The highlight was a cracking Hawfinch going over low calling , a nice movement of Med Gulls and a garden tick, 4 Gadwalls going over. There was also 3 Chiffchaff singing, a Redwing over at first light and Skylark singing overhead too. 

I took Holly out for lunch after picking up Isaac from Forest School and scored a Red Kite from the van over Itchenor. Now on 133 for the Peninsula year list HERE and Gadwall was the 100th species for the garden HERE. Later in the day I was going through some noc-mig recordings and found a calling Coot which was also a garden tick. I'm a bit stuck on noc-mig at the moment because I can't seem to reduce the files small enough to go through quickly. Hopefully will work that out as would be good to do the odd bit especially during big migration periods. 

Hawfinch - nice to actually get a photo of one. This is my 6th record for the garden now although five records presumably relate to a small flock (upto 8 birds) in the area between 23rd October and 1st November last year that kept going over. All records HERE

Med and Black-headed Gulls on the move

Grey Shoulder Knot- the 34th moth species for the year (moth garden list now on 428 after a few early spring ticks).  There were over 60 individual moths in the trap last night. Most of them have been the usual March fare- Common and Small Quaker, Twin-spotted Quaker, Chestnut, Red Chestnut, Clouded Drab, Early Grey, Early Thorn, Hebrew Character, March Moth, Early Reveller, Dotted Border, Oak Beauty, Double-striped Pug,  Common Plume and a few other micros (the two Lichen buttons were nice and nailing the Depressaria daucella and Agnonopterix yeatiana were both lifers). Another Herald this morning which was nice again to see and there has been the odd Satellite and Angle Shades. 

Presumably a Metzneria sp. One for Mike to have a look at. 280325- Redetermined as Brambe False-feather Schreckensteinia festaliella (thanks Colin)  Lifer. Has a distinctive resting pose with its hind legs held obliquely. The only species in its family Schreckensteiniidae, aka Blackberry Skeletoniser as the larvae skeletonise the leaves of Bramble but also Raspberries and ocassionally Hazel and Rose.