Common Scoter - Sat July 27

A text from Mark Islip caused me to visit Arrow Valley Lake for the first time in ages. The reason was the presence of a Common Scoter.

I walked all the way around the lake in pouring rain, pausing to look at five Oystercatchers. They must have bred here I imagine.

Oystercatchers

Eventually I met Gavin coming the other way and we discussed the surprising absence of the Scoter, and moths (he has been trapping them for longer than I have).

Then on one of our scans I noticed the Common Scoter, a drake, asleep opposite the cafe. We both must have walked past it.

Eventually it woke up and I got a reasonable shot of it.

Common Scoter

This is not a species which is ever going to occur at Morton Bagot, a true sea duck. They are a lot more regular on Midland reservoirs than I am nowadays, so its probably my first for many years.

I can recall a record from Arrow Valley Lake from about 1972, but not any since.

Tuesday April 8

No moth-trapping as such for the last few days, but plenty of moth stuff to talk about. On Sunday I was obliged (by Mrs H) to do some half-hearted gardening. I quickly got distracted by some leaf mines in the leaves of the brambles I was cutting.

This could be the mine of Stigmella aurella but I don't really know, and I suspect my Facebook friends will be a bit irritated by having to judge the unidentifiable.

So this morning I headed for work and on alighting from the number 50 bus in the city centre I discovered a collection of moths on a grating on the side of Selfridges. They were two Angle Shades, a Common Quaker, a Small Quaker, and a two-tone dark moth about the same size as an Angle Shades. Annoyingly it was out of reach, and all I could do was try to take a photo with my Smart Phone.

I got to work and struggled to find an image of anything like it. My best guess was the migrant Dark Swordgrass. I shared the photo with JS who agreed it could be a Dark Swordgrass. As this is quite a scarce moth I photographed the screen shot this evening and posted it on the Facebook page. No one has commented yet. I think I may be getting a bad name in moth trapping circles.

Speaking of which, my name is now mud at work. I had captured one of the Angle Shades and popped it into the downstairs fridge. Here it was discovered by one of the receptionists, who freaked out.

Angle Shades

Back home, the moth was shivering its wings as I took it out of the pot. It soon flew into the garden to hide.

PS; Robert Cox from the Facebook Group has agreed it is probably a Dark Sword-grass, so I have felt emboldened to send the photo to David Brown. It appears that three migrant Blossom Underwing moths turned up in garden traps in Warwickshire at about the same time, which strengthens the argument as they are very scarce migrants, much rarer than Dark Sword-grass.

Saturday April 4

After waiting impatiently for the temperature to rise this week, last night it was just about ok so the moth trap went out. I quickly noticed a pug on the window of the utility room, and potted it to see what it was.

As I had hoped, it turned out to be my first Brindled Pug of the year. I decided to photograph it under artificial light and then release it. There was always a chance it would find its way into the trap by morning. I also saw a micro, probably a Light Brown Apple Moth, but didn't look at it closely enough to be sure.

Brindled Pug

So a rather poor photograph. Annoyingly there was no sign of it, or the possible LBAM, by morning.

However, there was another species of geometer on the window, and a much more attractive one. A Streamer was new for the year. I only saw one last year so it is also a bit special for the garden.

Streamer

The rest of the catch were in the trap. It contained 10 Common Quakers, one Small Quaker, two Hebrew Characters, and one Clouded Drab.

Clouded Drab

So 17 moths of seven species (including the possible LBAM) represented a typical haul for a cool night in early April.

An unexpected visitor

Sometimes you don't have to try too hard to see wildlife.

Last night I was putting off lights, checking the doors etc before heading for bed when I noticed a butterfly-like shape on the wall of the dining room. I grabbed my pot and caught it. When I put the light on it went berserk, so I had to return the room to semi darkness to calm it down.

Eventually it settled and I walked it into the hall where I was able to confirm what I had suspected. I had caught an Early Thorn.

Early Thorn

This is, as the name suggests, a moth which appears early in the year. I managed to capture one with the moth-trap last year, but this second one came as surprise.

The last time the windows were open was at the weekend when Lyn was cooling down in the afternoon. They were accidentally left that way until nearly midnight, so I guess the moth must have come in then and remained undetected until last night.

I released it (well, took the lid off the pot) and photographed it this morning. A male Blackcap appeared in the apple tree while I was making breakfast, and I was almost tempted to rush out and shoo it away.

Shame about the sub zero temperature overnight.

52 moths - 29/30 March

I almost chose not to put the trap out last night as the forecast suggested it would be cold and clear. Within minutes I knew I had done the right thing as moths were soon fluttering against the window and I was dividing my attention between watching West Brom beat Birmingham City and grabbing moths for identification.

This morning I peered into the trap and eventually tallied 52 moths of six species. These included one new for the garden (and a very attractive lifer for me) in the form of a Pine Beauty.

Pine Beauty

The full list was: 33 Common Quakers, 11 Small Quakers, five Clouded Drabs, a Double-striped Pug, a Light Brown Apple Moth, and a Pine Beauty.

The only other thing to report is a bee in the house yesterday morning which carefully removed, photographed, and placed on the Rosemary growing outside the kitchen window.

Red Mason Bee

I identified it as a Red Mason Bee.

Casual mothing

Since my last post I have seen three moths.

The first was a ridiculously tiny micro which I found on the inside pane of our back garden window. Getting any sort of image of a 2mm moth was quite a challenge, but I eventually came up with something which the Warwickshire Moth Group suggested was a leaf-miner, Stigmella sp.

On Wednesday, back at Selfridges, I spotted a moth behind the grating of a air duct. It was inaccessible, except that by standing on tiptoe I was able to photograph it with my mobile. Two people, a road sweeper and a hijab wearing young woman, asked if I needed any help. I think they were referring to my mental health! My tenth attempt came out well enough for me to identify it as a Common Quaker.

Finally this evening I was about to start cooking Spaghetti Bolognese when I noticed a pug sp fluttering outside the kitchen window. I was out in a flash and duly caught what turned out to be my first Double-striped Pug of the year.

Double-striped Pug

Shots taken under electric lights never come out very well. I nevertheless decided to let it go rather than keep it until morning.

Another city centre moth

My journey to work has been enlivened by the discovery that moths are occasionally attracted to the discs which form the fascia of the modernistic Selfridges building.

This morning a Small Quaker was discovered. I potted it and transported it to my garden after work.

Small Quaker

I'm not sure what the moth makes of falling asleep in Birmingham City Centre and waking up in Redditch. Probably not very much. It should find more Small Quakers in the leafy suburbs than in the concrete jungle, so I reckon I have done it a favour.

More moths 20/21 March

With some warmer weather and a hint that the night could become cloudy I put the moth trap out and gained almost instant success when a largish moth on the window proved to be a Twin-spotted Quaker, only the second I have seen.

Twin-spotted Quaker

I was therefore very optimistic this morning as I stepped outside to check the trap. The immediate surroundings were disappointingly devoid of moths, so it was all down to what was in or on the trap.

Two hours later I had recorded 40 moths, but only five more species. Most were Common Quakers (26), plus Small Quakers (eight). However there were some new ones for the year including one, a micro identified as Acleris literana which is a lifer.

Acleris literana

I had vaguely decided I wasn't going to put myself through the stress of trying to identify micros this year, but this one looked pretty distinctive.

Other firsts for the year were a Light Brown Apple Moth (another micro), and three Hebrew Characters.

Hebrew Character

Ironically, there was no sign of the Twin-spotted Quaker which had been returned to the utility room window by the time I went to bed.

Mothing - 28 Feb/1 Mar

I seem to remember declaring (or at least thinking) that this year I would only put the trap out once per month. Well that seems to gone by the board as the mild, rather damp, overnight conditions encouraged me to run it again.

I was up early and quickly spotted the back end of a moth poking out from a narrow cavity between the wall of the trap and one of the supports. It looked like a geometer (and therefore interesting). I eventually poked it out with a ruler, but before I could pot it, or even get a good look at it, it took to the air and fluttered around behind the trap with me in hot pursuit. Not hot enough though, because it seemingly vanished.

So a disappointing start but as soon as I started examining the inside of the trap I soon found there were lots of moths; 23 in all.

The majority, 18 of them, were Common Quakers. However I soon started to find some that were different. Three Small Quakers were new for the year, as was a Clouded Drab. There was also one that didn't look familiar at all, although it did eventually turn out to be a species JS had identified from a photograph last year. A Chestnut.

Small Quaker and Common Quaker

Clouded Drab

Chestnut

With almost as many moths trying to hide in recesses in the box as were in the egg boxes, I had the tricky task of extracting each one with the tip of my pencil before placing the dangling creature onto a green napkin I had spread out on the garden table. The eventual effect was quite impressive.

Or appalling if moths give you the collywobbles.

February 22/23 - mothing

After a series of warm days and cool nights I decided to try the trap again.

There was a heavy dew and some fog by the time I got up, so I was half expecting to see an empty trap. But no, it contained four Common Rustics and nothing else.

I checked the fence - nothing. I checked the brickwork of the house - noth...oh hang on a minute. Brilliantly camouflaged against the mortar was a moth, and it looked like a new one.

After a quick check in the book I confirmed it was a Spring Usher.

Spring Usher

Another moth which is reasonably common, but new for me.

Saturday February 16

For the third time this year I put the trap out, but this time success shined upon me. My first two moths in the garden this year.

The first was also a lifer. Clinging to the fence was a Pale Brindled Beauty. Not an uncommon moth, but as I didn't start mothing in earnest until last April its not surprising that I hadn't seen one before.

Pale Brindled Beauty

The second was in the trap itself, a pristine Common Quaker. Last April this was one of the commonest captures, but its great to get one early.

Common Quaker

Finally, some bird news. A Blackcap which I had seen a couple of times in the garden this winter, was singing from the hedge along Costers Lane both yesterday and this morning.

Spring is on the way.

Selfridges comes up trumps

The moth famine was broken this morning on my way to work. The discs on the side of Selfridges in Birmingham city centre seem to act as a giant moth trap. The favoured areas are the heating ducts, and I was very pleased to discover a Satellite there, the first I have ever seen.

Satellite

I had devised a plan for this year, although I wasted the opportunity on 2 Jan, when I found an Angle Shades. The plan was to take a moth pot into work in the hope I would find another one.

My colleagues' reaction to my placing it in the fridge for the day varied between alarm, revulsion, concern, and fascination. I was obliged to bodge a hole in the lid of the pot to give it some air (I'm sure it would have been fine anyway).

This evening I photographed it and let it go in the garden.

The Satellite is a winter flying species which is pretty common if you can be bothered to put the trap out in the winter. My January and February efforts (one in each month) produced absolutely nothing, so its Selfridges 2 Winyates East 0 at the moment.

Thursday January 17

The lack of posts since the new year is entirely deliberate. I like to set myself a challenge at the beginning of each year and I intend to spend 2019 hammering my other patch, Morton Bagot.

It was good to go out on a high though. 2018 produced quite a smattering of good birds, mostly at Arrow Valley Lake. Highlights included Slavonian Grebe, Kittiwake, and Dunlin in March, Goldeneye from November, and a Black-throated Diver in December.

I will still be putting my moth trap out. The plan is for once a month targeting warmer nights. My January night about 10 days ago produced nothing at all.

Lyn has been stuck in hospital from just before New Year, but I'm pleased to say she was allowed home yesterday. I am now fussing over her while she regains her strength. So its garden birds only for a day or two.

My next post is likely to be in late February (unless a Waxwing intervenes).

Thursday December 27

A cloudy mild morning.

 I visited Ipsley Alders where I didn't see a soul, but didn't see any unusual birds either. The best was a Pheasant and a handful of Siskins.

So I went to Arrow Valley Lake where I saw hundreds of people and a good many birders twitching the Black-throated Diver, Among them were Paul Hyde and Des Jennings, so it was very nice to have a catch-up chat with them.

The Black-throated Diver was still showing well.

Goldeneye

Tufted Duck

The Goldeneye has been joined by three Tufted Ducks. I learned, from chatting to various birders, that I had missed some Pochard on a frosty day last winter, and a Pink-footed Goose this week.

The site has never been so popular.

Monday December 24

Sunny with hardly a breeze.

A rare event: Lyn came birding with me. We were of course twitching the Black-throated Diver, and it was late afternoon. The bird couldn't have been more co-operative. It was swimming around off the visitor centre and we were able to view from the opposite bank.

Black-throated Diver

It was diving frequently but on one occasion popped up right in front of us.

A nice by-product of twitches is that you often get to see birders you know. This afternoon, Nick Barlow from Marsh Lane Gravel Pit had been unable to resist making his second ever visit to Arrow Valley Lake. It was good to catch up.

Saturday December 22 - Black-throated Diver

Earlier today I got a text to say there was a Black-throated Diver at Lower Bittell, a very rare bird in a Worcs context. By midday I was wondering whether I might persuade Lyn that we could go to Hillers via Bittell (ten miles in the wrong direction), so I checked t'internet and found the message that it had flown south early afternoon. Well it was only 12.25 when I saw the message, so I thought I had missed it.

Then I thought I could just check Arrow Valley Lake before we went to Hillers. So I arrived to see a familiar shape striding ahead of me, Gavin Peplow. He had obviously had the same idea. I caught up with him as he was scanning. He turned to me and said "its here!"

Neither of us could believe our luck.

Black-throated Diver

Looking into the sun (with Cormorant)

Wing-flapping

Needless to say, the first for the locality.

Much phoning and texting followed, and others soon arrived to enjoy the spectacle.

Just wow.

I didn't take much notice of the other birds on the lake, but did see that the Goldeneye was still present.

One last thing. Back from the shops in the afternoon I found a small Ichneumon wasp sp on its last legs on the draining board in the kitchen. It soon expired and I photographed it in the hope I can find an expert who can identify it.

Tromatoria lineata

I know there are a very great number of possible species and it may require a microscope (which I don't possess). I have retained the specimen. If I do find out what it was, I will update the blog.

This is the update. An expert has identified it as the 44th British record of Tromatoria lineata an obscure ichneumon wasp.

Friday December 14

I decided to take advantage of the brief cold snap hoping that Arrow Valley Lake might be partly frozen. In fact it was ice free, but sunny and cold.

So no new diving ducks, but there was an increase in dabblers. A pair of Teal were new, and there are now 34 Shovelers feeding around the two islands.

Teal

Any fishermen present today would have been dismayed at the sight of 26 Cormorants arriving for their breakfast, while three Grey Herons, a drake Goosander, and the female Goldeneye were no doubt accounting for the smaller fish.

Cormorants in flight, fishermen's fright

A Kingfisher was also present, but although I heard it several times I failed to see it.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, a Fieldfare has started to strip the berries on our cotoneaster, while at least one Redwing has joined the Blackbirds chomping on the apples in the back garden.

Fieldfare

Monday December 10

Sunny intervals and a light north-westerly. Still fairly mild.

I decided on a stroll around Arrow Valley Lake. This produced pretty much the same as always, the only noteworthy bird being a Little Egret, my first since the spring.

Little Egret

Other than that, the Goldeneye was still present, Shoveler numbers have dropped to 11, and there were about eight Siskins and a few Redwings representing winter.

Back home I had a brief view of a male Blackcap on fat balls in the garden. I didn't see any last autumn.

Thursday 6 December

The recent run of mild nights encouraged me to put the trap out, maybe for the last time this year. It was starting to irk me that I hadn't recorded a particular species in the garden. Happily this morning, despite the gloom and rain, a single Winter Moth was sitting on the fence. Job done.

Winter Moth

Not the most spectacular moth, and worryingly similar to a species called Northern Winter Moth which I think would show a white underwing poking out from the skirt of its upper wing. I used to see what I took to be Winter Moths regularly on the front door of the flats Lyn and I lived in in Birmingham 15 years ago (the foyer had a light on all night). But I had never seen one here before......correction, I recorded one in 2009 according to some previous notes I had made.

I also attracted three Light Brown Apple Moths, the first for about two months. This adventive species seems to breed throughout the year, and was not too much of a surprise.

Friday November 30

On what the weathermen tell us is the last day of autumn, I found time for a quick circuit of Arrow Valley Lake. The weather was sunny and fairly mild, the breeze gentle and south-westerly.

I am getting used to seeing the same old birds there, and in the main that happened again. The Goldeneye is still present while Shovelers have increased in number to an impressive 28. Not bad considering the only other duck species present is Mallard.

Some of the Shovelers

Just past the bend I did hear a familiar species which was nevertheless the highlight of the visit. A Chiffchaff was audible from the other side of the lake. It always amazes me how the "hweet" of this species can be heard from over 100 metres away.

By the time I had reached the spot it seemed to have shut up. But after a short wait it started up again, and I eventually located it in the lakeside vegetation.

Chiffchaff

It took several minutes of stalking before I got a shot where you could actually make out the bird. Presumably it will try to over-winter here.

My moth trap is out as I am typing this, but with the temperature at eight degrees and falling and rain due before dawn, I may struggle to catch anything. I'll add to this posting when the results are in.

Stop Press: I caught four December Moths, and while I was emptying the trap on the morning of December 1, all the birds in the garden erupted into flight as a male Sparrowhawk flew in and landed on the fence.

December Moth

Sparrowhawk

A Sparrowhawk with red eyes. Hmmm.