5561

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull or LBB (I give up on some of these)

Tufted Ducks- three broods on the Northern lake at the moment

Great Oak Beauty? (probably Willow Beauty)

Pug sp.

5561 is the total population of birds that were on or over the farm today. Well rather it is what I saw (this time of year there is probably a lot of passerines keeping low). The bulk of that number is made up of Starling (2000), Jackdaw (400), Carrion Crow (200), Herring Gull (700) and Ring-necked Parakeet (1500).
3 Wood Sandpipers still present.
Last night the moth room was pretty busy- I (think I) had Yellow Shell, Great Oak Beauty, Tree Lichen Beauty, some kind of Pug, 4-5 species of unidentified micro (meal moth?) and what I think was a Speckled Footman. (Actually could have been Ethmia dodecea).

BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS AUTUMN BIRD AND WILDLIFE WALK- AUGUST 21ST

Tree Sparrow

Willow Warbler

Fox

Comma

Wood Sandpiper

I'll be leading a bird and wildlife walk around Beddington Farmlands on Sunday August 21st. There should be plenty to see including migrating birds, the local Tree Sparrows and hopefully a range of butterflies and other wildlife (if the weather is favourable).
Meet up at Hackbridge Train Station for 0915-0930 with the walk lasting about 2 hours. Please book a place by emailing me on littleoakgroup@btinternet.com

Sandpiper City

Common sandpiper

Three Wood Sandpipers

Adult Lapwing

Common Blue on Bristly Ox-tongue

Swallow-tailed Moth
25-30 Green Sandpiper, 10 Common Sandpiper and 3 Wood Sandpiper this evening. Also 30+ Lapwing including some late youngsters and 1 Greenshank. 3 Teal, 1 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, 1 Hobby, 2 Sprawk, 2 Kestrel, few warblers and finches about.
Last night had another Swallow-tailed Moth and another Tree-lichen Beauty.
At least 20+ Common Blues by the stream.
Swifts numbers are well down now.

Hot and Moths

? Tree-lichen Beauty

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Probably Lesser Wax Moth

Double-striped Pug? (confirmed)

Small Argent and Sable? (nope it's a Common Carpet)

Shuttle-shaped Dart

These hot evenings seem to be stirring up the the local insects- quite a few moths recently and a lot of small beetles too in the obs. It's also stirring the local people up- five police cars outside at the moment following a little street riot.
The West's End aside, there's been a good range of moths which I have attempted at identifying (apologises for being an absolute beginner). As usual corrections more than welcome.
There were 3 Wood Sands on the farm today ,see here http://surreybirding.blogspot.com/
and I can hear them calling now (10pm).

Back in Business

Eclipse male Garganey

Juvenile Goldfinch on Creeping Thistle

Adult Common Sandpiper

Juvenile (pullus) Lapwing- just beginning to fly now

Fantastic Mr Fox

Replaced my camera today. At last! Got these shots this evening.

Sky Gardening

Today we were doing the green roof maintenance on the Bedzed eco-village (top pic behind the Traveller's Horse). Ragwort, Mugwort, grasses and elders had managed to find their way up there and rooted amongst the Sedum. So we had to pull out the weeds and replant the sedum. So basically weeding... but with cherry pickers, harnesses, ropes and professional climbers.
More on this side of my work here:
http://www.littleoakenvironmental.co.uk/

Moth Stringing

I'm at it again. This time I reckon the top one is a Chestnut-coloured Carpet and the bottom one I can't work out at all. Answers most welcome. 210825 update- Flame Carpet and Small Rannunculs