Heat wave in the Bugry

Pretty nightmarish situation but blinking good bioblitz method.

Oncocera semirubella

Caught this good looking micro last night. I think it's an oncocera semirubella - if so a first for Beddington.
Also lots of other micros which I will have to find time to try and identify at some point . Here's some mugshots:
http://peteralfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/micros.html
More micros than macros last night- another busy one in this continuing heat wave.

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Little Grebe 

Pebble Prominent 

Treble Brown-spot 

Six-spot Burnets mating- lots on the mound

Blue-boarded Carpet- caught on the moth evening last week

The birding isn't too clever in this heatwave but the entomology is on fire. I am writing this at 11pm in the bugry (my old bedroom) in the company of thousands of insects- mostly midges, but also loads of beetles, lacewings, sawflies, caddisflies, true flies, mosquitoes, gnats, ophion wasps and a good selection of moths, all over the walls, ceiling and filling up the light trap (only a bachelor could get away with this! )- a Buff tip has just landed on the laptop. Had quite a few moths recently including Blue-boarded Carpet, Small Seraphim, Epitonia bilunana, Southern Waincot, Epiblema foenella, Pebble Prominent and Treble Brown-spot.

The first Snipe of the autumn today on the Southern Lake (a Mother of Pearl has just landed in my hair). Also Hobby most nights recently, 3 Shoveler around, the Shelduck young is still going for it and looks like all the Mute Swan young are still alive. 

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Stock Dove on the mound- up to 60 on there recently

Six-spot Burnet- 10+ on the mound

Marbled White- one of two today around the horse field

Black-tailed Skimmer- 20+ on the lakes and mound

Hoverfly

Essex Skipper

Busy night in the moth room including a good number of micros

Loads going on on the moth and insect front in this heat wave and also a good display of flowering plants with the melliots and goat's rue transforming the valley into a colourful pic.

11 Green Sand on 100 acre and 1 LRP on the southern lake. Hobby, Buzzard and 4 Kestrel, 20+ Stock Dove on the mound, 1 Shoveler, 2 Teal and 3 Shelduck (including the growing chick). Some warblers still singing- Blackcap, Lesser White, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Chiffy. A handful of Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Linnet.

Butterflies- loads including a large bright yellow black veined swallowtail looking beast which flew past me by the 100 acre gate- didn't nail a record shot and couldn't rule out some exotic for sure. Other than that 2 Marbled White, 2 Gatekeeper (first ones) 150+ Meadow Brown, 50+ Essex Skipper, 15 Small Tortoishell, 10+ Ringlet, 2 Green-viened White,  5 Large White, 1 Red Admiral, 4 Common Blue, 5 Speckled Wood, 1 Comma and 5 Large Skipper.

Beetles coming to the night light and moth highlights included Peach Blossom, Wormword Pug and a load of micros that I'm still working on.

Moth Trapping Evening

Poplar Hawkmoth 

Elephant Hawkmoth 

? 

Derek, Devil and Josh 

Interesting photo on the camera!  

Peach Blossom

 

Had an official moth trapping evening yesterday at the farmlands with three MV traps around the lake/ hide area and also the actinic on at the obs. Derek, Devil Birder, Josh, Josh's dad and Johnny's cousin turned up.

At least 11 Elephant Hawkmoths and 1 Poplar Hawkmoth and a good suite of other moths too (waiting for Derek to write it up).



Summer with an autumn twist

Green Sandpiper- up to 12 (mainly adults) around at the moment. Most birds are in active moult. Numbers build up at Beddington over the next few weeks as part of a post breeding gathering, firstly adults and later the juveniles arrive.

Elephant Hawk Moth

Marbled White- the first one this year 

Melliot on the mound- a burst of summer wildflowers underway

Peas on the Horse Field

A bit of tree pit planting for bugs - snap dragons, rudbekia and strawberries

Green Sandpiper numbers on the up, the first Greenshank of the autumn and a flock of Sand Martins heading north provided the first taste of the autumn migrations.
Lots of young birds around but unfortunately only one of the Shelduck chicks is still going.
Loads of butterflies on my regular route-30+ Meadow Brown, 10 Ringlet, 15+ Small Tortoiseshell, 5 Common Blue, 1 Comma, 10 Speckled Wood, 1 Marbled White and 1 Painted Lady. More dragonflies on the restored grassland and lots of day flying moths up there including six-spot Burnets.
Harvested a load of the yellow rattle this weekend for transfering to other parts of Hackbridge (out first batch came from the wetland centre) and did some more planting around Silverdale in the week.

Busy Times

 

Been a hectic week or two during this hot weather. Been on niece and nephew duty and trying to keep up with all the new bugs and stuff that is appearing. My compact camera has broken too and it won't focus properly, work has been hectic and trying to keep all the new planting watered.

Been a good bag of new moths (many first for Beddingtons). About 16 new pan species ticks over last few days taking my Beddington list to 948. More here: http://peteralfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/busy-times.html

 

Blotched Emerald 

Common Emerald