Thursday December 22

Posts that start "we were driving home from shopping" are starting to occur with alarming regularity on this blog. On this occasion we were driving along the A435 half way down Gorcott Hill at dusk when I spotted a Woodcock as it flew across the road.

Lyn missed it in much the same way as I miss half price offers when we are shopping together.

The light was pretty poor but I saw its shape well enough to tell what it was. The tricky part was trying to work out whether we were in Worcestershire or Warwickshire at the time. I have plumped for the former.

This was only the second Woodcock I have seen in the Midlands this year.

Sunday December 18

As the year ambles to its conclusion, there is little to see but garden birds.

The highlight was a very brief male Greenfinch on the feeder pole. About eight years ago Greenfinches visited our garden in good numbers, but then suddenly disappeared. I have no doubt that the reason for this change in fortunes was a virus which Greenfinches and Chaffinches can pick up from dirty feeding stations and then pass on to others of their species. I just hope our feeder wasn't the source. Since then Greenfinches are regularly seen in small numbers at the tops of the surrounding trees, but have become extremely rare in the garden. The visit was too brief for a photo.

We are still getting lots of Blackbirds in the back garden, and up to six at a time on the berries in the front. Disappointingly only one Redwing has been seen with the Blackbirds on the rowan.

A very uncooperative Redwing

About six months ago, at great expense, Lyn bought me a stone bird-bath to replace the rusting, grotty, iron ones which littered our back garden. It was almost completely ignored by the local birds. But a few days ago this happened.

I would like to think it will be the first of many visits.

Finally, with insects virtually non-existent I have had to turn to arachnids to have anything to say about mini-beasts. Last night Lyn alerted me, in no uncertain terms, to the presence of a large spider in the bathroom. I duly caught it and identified it as a tegenaria spider. I had hoped that after I had photographed it I would be able to identify it to species, but it seems that is not possible, or at least not advisable, due to the close similarity of related species.

Either a Common House Spider or a Giant House Spider

It seems that Tegenaria domestica and Tegenaria duellica can only be separated using a microscope and therefore a specimen. Presumably you have to look at their privates, which I am not about to do.

Thursday December 8

After a bit of a wait since I proclaimed our rowan tree to be Waxwing bait, I have at last seen a bird in it...a Blackbird.

So forget Waxwings, our garden is definitely proving a magnet for Blackbirds. Odd ones on the berries and a flock of nine in the apple tree the other day. In fact the apple tree may prove to be the better bet.

Male Blackbird

As for the Waxwing invasion, it seems to have stalled in Scotland. My theory is that thrushes will eat all the countryside berries in England by the end of December, so once the Waxwings have done the same in Scotland they will be forced to head south at speed as the choicest berries will have been eaten.

Saturday November 19

On the drive back from shopping we spotted a Little Egret flying across the road and down the Arrow just this side of Studley.

We last saw it circling back over the Washford Mill pub.

Thursday November 17

Although I have not really seen a lot around the garden and its immediate environs since my last posting, I find I do have things to talk about.

Firstly, for the first time since the 2012/2013 winter, it is shaping up to be a Waxwing winter. This extremely attractive migrant from the taiga zone of northern Scandinavia and Russia is an irruptive migrant. This basically means that most years there are hardly any in the UK, but in some winters they turn up in their thousands.

For a suburban patch like this one, Waxwings have the added attraction that they actually seek out ornamental trees in towns, so for example, while I saw them around Winyates East (one even in our apple tree) in both of the last two influxes, I have never seen one at my other patch, the more rural Morton Bagot (although someone did see a flock of 15 there in January 2011).

Anyway, we planted an ornamental rowan in our front garden with Waxwings in mind shortly after we moved in. This winter it looks particularly splendid.

Waxwing bait?

Sadly there was a flaw in our thinking.

The berries on the tree evidently become ripe enough to eat by around the end of November, and each year we are treated to the sight of Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, and the occasional Redwing stripping the lot by mid December. The problem is that Waxwings basically eat their way across the country after they first arrive at the end of October, so right now there are hoards in Scotland, stacks in north-east England, a few in the east Midlands, and today one in north Warwickshire. None at all in Worcestershire yet.

So the chances are that by the time Waxwings set foot in the county, our berries will be gone.

But fingers crossed eh.

Changing the subject, I feel I need an incentive to wander around the neighbouring streets, binoculars and camera in hand, no doubt alarming the residents. What I need is a list, oh yes. So I have entered East Redditch into Patchwork Challenge 2017. I find I can just about get Arrow Valley Lake and Ipsley Alders Nature Reserve into the three square kilometres you are allowed.

Changing the subject again. I actually saw a moth the other week, November 10. Admittedly it was just a house moth, or to be more precise a White-shouldered House Moth. The books say they are very common and live on detritus. I obviously need to do a bit more vacuuming.

White-shouldered House Moth - Endrosis sarcitrella

Good one for the moth list.

Now there's an idea.

Thursday November 3

I'm feeling very guilty today.

Partly this is in a "bless me father I have sinned, it is almost a month since my last posting" kind of way. But also because of the havoc I have wreaked upon one of the most wildlife friendly parts of our garden. More of that later.

So now come the excuses. I have not bothered to blog recently because I haven't really had anything to say. A holiday, work, shopping, birding at Morton Bagot, and most of all apathy have resulted in me scarcely bothering to look out of the window lately.

This morning was really rather pleasant in a crisp, cold autumnal sort of way and I resolved to grab my camera and go to post a letter and then head for the local shop. Cutting edge stuff. In the past this sort of morning has at least produced big flocks of Woodpigeons heading over. This morning there were two rather small flocks of them, but it'll do.

Pathetically small flock of Woodpigeons

Slightly less pathetic, still Woodpigeons

Now for the more serious confession. About eight years ago we planted a tiny lavender plant in our back garden. It was very happy there, and it grew. And grew. And GREW. This year it stood about six feet tall, and and spread outwards to make the patio in front of the kitchen window unnegotiable without a machete.

For the last few years I had been told it needed hacking back, and even that it had got to go. But here's the thing, the local bees love it. Butterflies like it. Hoverflies like it. Moths like it. And to be frank I like it, but I also like seeing the garden, and the bloody plant is in the way.

So this morning I did the deed. The lavender is now a sad little stump. As I was chopping away I disturbed a little plume-moth of uncertain species which I swear looked at me accusingly before fluttering off to the underside of our garden table. Homeless.

I promised that moth that we will plant something just as good, but much smaller, in the spring.

Before that, more pruning is expected of me.

Saturday October 1

With nothing to report this week, the rain today left me doubting that any post would be produced.

However, whilst answering the door to a neighbour I heard a Grey Wagtail call. Quite nice. 

Then the rain stopped and I wandered into the kitchen and for the first time in ages discovered that the garden actually contained some birds.

Up to six House Sparrows, a couple of Great Tits, two Dunnocks, and a Woodpigeon were at least considering using our feeder.

Next, a Goldcrest appeared before disappearing into the apple tree, followed by a Chiffchaff, which also nipped away within seconds. Blue Tits, a Blackbird, and a Robin followed by a few Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Coal Tits.

Coal Tit

This was a post-breeding Tit flock, the Chiffchaff and Goldcrest being typical hangers-on. The thing is, you never know what else might come through with them so to me they are compulsive viewing.

Saturday September 24

The lack of recent posts has been a reflection of my recent lack of effort. Despite commenting that I needed to start looking at birds, I have to admit that the birds noticed in the garden and its environs recently have been too unremarkable to be worthy of comment.

Instead, it is a moth which has sparked the blog back into life. If it had been a rare moth this would have been one of the all-time great intros; I was taking a shower when I noticed a small speck on the shower rail. I wondered if it could be a moth, so captured it to investigate further.

It turned out that it was a tiny moth, and also that it was a very common one. With the naked eye it just looked like a tiny black streak, maybe the leg of a small spider. But through the lens of my camera, which was having trouble focussing on it because I could not persuade the moth out of the pot, it revealed itself to have an interesting pattern of spots at its rear end, and to actually be fawn brown with white legs and antennae.

Apple-leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella

The Apple-leaf Miner is probably the smallest moth I have ever identified. It's presence is not unexpected as we have an enormous apple tree in the garden. In fact I then investigated the leaves and quickly found several leaf mines which were probably made by the caterpillars of this species.

Leaf ones probably created by an Apple-leaf Miner

While I was messing about with the moth a party of six Meadow Pipits flew south calling.

There you are, some birds!

Wednesday September 7

After another few days of warmer than average nights, the bathroom window was thrown open in the hope that we would be inundated by moths.

In the event four moths did find their way in, but there was nothing new (or at least I don't think so).

First up was a Double-striped Pug on Sunday night.

Double-striped Pug

Then last night produced two noctuid in the bathroom, and one in the hall. One was a migrant, but a common one, in the form of a Silver Y.

Silver Y

No problem identifying them. The last two were the tricky dull ones I slightly dread. Eventually I decided they were both Square-spot Rustics. I did think of emailing the recorder again, but I suspect he is getting sick of seeing photos of common moths, so I will stick with my own identifications.

The Square-spot Rustic found in the hall

The Square-spot Rustic found in the bathroom

Its probably time I started looking at birds again.

Friday September 2

After a very quiet week, moth-wise, two turned up in the bathroom last night.

One was another Garden Carpet, but the other was a brown noctuid I was unable to name. However, an email to Michael Southall has produced the answer. It was a Flounced Rustic (great name), and was a moth tick for me and also for our bathroom.

Flounced Rustic

Garden Carpet

It seems that Flounced Rustic is an autumn-flying moth which is quite familiar to the local mothers (pronounced moth-ers).

Sunday August 28

This week initially saw a certain amount of repetition, with moths in the bathroom being Square-spot Rustics, but also a new grass moth for me, called Agriphila geniculea. After discovering the first in the bathroom, there was another on the front door, then another in the bathroom etc etc.

Agriphila geniculea

Square-spot Rustic

However, last night a completely new moth turned up. It was worryingly active in the pot, but I worked out it was a Flame Carpet. The following morning, I took a precautionary photo through the perspex of the pot just in case it made a sharp exit when I removed the lid.

Flame Carpet

Unfortunately the flaming Flame Carpet paused for just a couple of seconds before disappearing around the corner of the house, and I duly missed the shot.

Finally, some bird drama last night as we were about to sit down for an evening meal with my sister and brother-in-law. Lyn noticed a bird fluttering across the garden, and then a cat.  I shot out and shooed off the cat, but it was clear I was too late, as a damaged Woodpigeon scuttled away. By now it was nearly dark so I joined the others for the meal. Within ten minutes the Woodpigeon was fluttering pathetically against the window. I went back out and grabbed it. Its tail was gone, and its left wing was bloodied and damaged. I grabbed it and suck it in a cardboard box to roost it overnight.

This morning it was still alive so I took it to the Hollytrees Animal Rescue Centre. They took it off my hands and promised to attempt to nurse it back to health.

Normally, I must admit, I do not intervene and tend to let nature take its course. But we are very fond of our local Woodpigeons, so we couldn't help ourselves.

Tuesday 23 August

Since my last post the weather has warmed up again, and each evening has brought mini-beasts to examine and try to identify.

Beginning with Saturday evening I found a Hawthorn Shieldbug on the bedroom wall, and a boring little Brown House Moth in the bathroom. The following morning I photographed them with such mixed results that the moth, which quickly flew off, will not be shown.

Hawthorn Shieldbug

Shortly after the photo-shoot, I opened the front door to find a tiny little moth on it. This turned out to be the 25th record for Worcestershire of a micro-moth called Psychoides flicivora.

Psychoides flicivora

They apparently thrive on ferns, and its probably no coincidence that we have some right outside the front door. They are also an accidental introduction from Asia.

On Sunday evening a small macro-moth flew into the bathroom, and I was able to catch it and identify it as a Garden Carpet. Surprisingly, this was still a first for our house.

Garden Carpet

The following evening I caught a Cranefly which I think was Tipula oleracea, a Pug species, but released it when a common, but pretty, moth flew in. This was a Brimstone Moth, and a species I have recorded in several previous years.

Tipula oleracea

Brimstone moth

This morning, as I was supposed to be preparing to go to work, I noticed another moth on the kitchen window. I nipped outside and photographed it, deciding it was an Orange Swift.

Orange Swift

The reflection of the garden in the window makes for a very unusual shot. Finally, I arrived home to find that Lyn had entered into the spirit of it all as she directed me to a micro-moth in the utility room. This turned out to be Pyrausta aurata, although I may have released it a bit hastily as there are other Pyrausta species I should have considered. However, as I let it go I spotted a blue butterfly on the lavender.

Holly Blue

Not the first I have seen in the garden, but the first time I have photographed one here.

Thursday August 18

Since my last post the weather has been very warm and sunny, which is good, and I have been at work, not so good. However, Lyn has come into her own, grabbing my camera and photographing a dragonfly yesterday.

As far as I can tell it is a Common Darter, which I think is a first for the garden.

Other than that, the best beastly action came from our bathroom on Monday night, with two largish moths making it across the threshold. Ironically, the one I instantly recognised is technically a micro-moth, the Mother of Pearl.

Mother of Pearl photographed on a dying herb pot the following morning

The second moth was a macro-moth, but of the kind I slightly dread, a boring brown one. After thumbing through my moth book and checking the internet I couldn't come up with a name for it. So I emailed the shot to Michael Southall of Butterfly Conservation, who promptly replied to tell me it was a Square-spot Rustic.

Square-spot Rustic

The diagnosis was slightly disappointing because I believe I have seen one here before, so I should have been able to work it out. They are very common, and in bird terms its a bit like finding out that the exciting bird in your garden is a Dunnock. To be fair to me, they are quite variable (unlike Dunnocks).

Last night was just as warm, but only one small, but familiar, micro-moth turned up. The Twenty-plumed moth.

Twenty-plumed moth

Finally, our buddleia has attracted three Painted Lady butterflies. A migrant species, and very pretty to boot.

Painted Lady

Sunday August 14

Last night I attended a moth trapping evening organised by David Brown. It took place at Coughton Park, and was very enjoyable.

The main relevance to Winyates Beasts was that a fellow attendee was a chap I know only as Martin, but who was evidently a proper expert on micro-moths. I took the opportunity to show him my photos of moths taken in the bathroom (and at Morton Bagot) and was pleased to be informed that I had got most of them right.

The one error concerns the identity of the micro shown in the last post, which is in fact Bryotropha affinis, and not senectella as I had thought.

I have therefore made the necessary amendment.

The only noteworthy creature from the house today came as I was watching the Olympics. Across the road a sizeable Tit flock was giving tantalising glimpses of a phyllosc, which I eventually confirmed to my satisfaction as a Willow Warbler.

Finally, here are some Coughton Park moths, photographed in the light of the moth traps.

Ruby Tiger

Black Arches

Purple Bar

The full list of moths I managed to see was: Ruby Tiger, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Large Yellow Underwing, Calcina quercana, Straw Dot, Black Arches, Mother of Pearl, Small Fanfooted Wave, Iron Prominent, Flame Shoulder, Willow Beauty, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Angle Shades, Maidens Blush, Purple Bar, Silver Y, Brimstone Moth, and a Hook Tip sp.

Thanks to all the mothers who told me what I was looking at.

Saturday August 13

Regrettably I have very little to report since my last post.

The open bathroom window has ushered in very little, perhaps because of the coolish nights and strong winds of the last week. A further problem concerns the early starts I have to make to get to work. The issue is that I end up trying to photograph my "catch" in slightly gloomy post dawn light resulting in imperfectly precise identifications.

So last Sunday I potted a ridiculously small micro moth which turned out to be one of a genus called Bryotropha which comprises several near identical species. I came up with the name Bryotropha senectella, but this could easily be incorrect. The slightly blurry photograph didn't help much.

Bryotropha affinis

The following evening I trapped a slow moving beetle which is clearly some kind of weevil.

Possibly a Vine Weevil

It turned out that there are very many species of weevil to consider, so I am not sure which one I have caught.

Sunday August 7

After a week of work and not much wildlife watching I only have a couple of interesting micro-moths and a welcome Peacock butterfly to report.

The micro-moths were both potted in our bathroom this morning. Interestingly it appears that their National status is described as local in both cases, so I am not sure what their status in Worcestershire is.

Blastobasis adustella

Recurvaria leucatella

By the time I saw the Peacock butterfly it was blowing a gale in the back garden. This is the first here this year, and only the second I have seen anywhere in what must be an absolutely terrible year for them.

Peacock

Sunday July 31

Since my last post the weather has remained largely warm. This has  resulted in plenty of insect activity in the garden.

The huge lavender outside our kitchen window is at last proving a great draw for the local bees, and I have been driven to distraction trying to photograph and identify them. They mostly seem to be Buff-tailed Bumblebees, Bombus terrestris, and I have seen an obvious queen, and a lot of much less obvious workers. In fact it appears to be almost impossible to distinguish the workers of this species from White-tailed Bumblebees, Bombus lucorum, as they both show a largely white "tail", actually the abdomen.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee - queen

Buff-tailed Bumblebee - worker

Another common bumblebee which visits the lavender in good numbers is the Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum.

Common Carder Bee

This afternoon, however, I had a bumblebee tick. It's just a pity that its identification is rather tricky. What I do know is that it was a cuckoo bee, and what I think, because it was quite big, is that it is a parasite of the Buff-tailed Bumblebee, a species called Vestal Cuckoo Bee, Bombus vestalis. 

Vestal Cuckoo Bee

In contrast to the bees, it remains pretty hopeless for butterflies and moths. A handful of Gatekeepers, and Large Whites have visited, and I had a brief view of a Holly Blue. The only moth to get through the bathroom window was a micro, which I eventually concluded was a Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana.

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix

Finally, yesterday morning I spotted a cranefly scooting along the kitchen floor. I potted it and took it outside for release and a mugshot. What a stonking beast it turned out to be. All Craneflies are not the same.

Nephrotoma flavipalpis

It doesn't seem to have an English name, and as I am not a latin scholar I can only propose that it be called Yellow-headed Cranefly. Not that anyone's listening.

Sunday July 24

Following my last post the weather has remained warm, and I'm pleased to say that the insects have responded accordingly.

To begin with, the Buddleia and Lavender in the garden are starting to attract bumblebees and butterflies.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee - queen

Red-tailed Bumblebee - worker

The butterflies have included Red Admiral, Large White, and Gatekeeper. There remains a worrying complete absence of Peacocks though.

Gatekeeper in an unfamiliar pose

After dark the bathroom finally played host to some macro-moths last night. The Common Emerald and Fanfoot which I caught were both moths I had seen before, but were welcome nonetheless.

Common Emerald

Fanfoot

I also saw a Silver Y fluttering on the lavender after dark three nights ago, but it declined to appear in the bathroom.

Finally, a somewhat less wild beast.

Fred

We are currently giving my sister's tortoise its annual summer holiday. It mainly stays in the garden, but has learnt how to climb the back step if we are silly enough to leave the back door open...and we are definitely silly enough to do that.

Fred is over 50 years old (a family heirloom) and was discovered to be a she many years ago, but the name Fred has been retained. It's not house-trained, but has not disgraced itself yet this summer.