The lambs are back in the field behind us. This one was very talkative. (Taken with my phone, so the quality’s even worse than normal.)
Much Ado about Mothing
A moth trap last night yielded hardly anything: only eight macro moths in total.
Mind you two of them were new to the house list, Frosted Green and a very worn Oak-tree Pug, and a Mullein was the first moth we have seen, having had a larva a few years ago.
Mullein
Frosted Green
Out and about
A morning at Selsey Bill and Pagham Harbour yielded a few birds, but nothing spectacular. One interesting bird was a Reed Warbler going through its repertoire of British bird songs. The clip below has Great Tit and Blackbird alarm call, but there were several other species being imitated as well.
Later on inland we had a walk in a bluebell wood and my first Orange Tips of the year
Sedge Warbler
Linnet
Orange Tip
Crab Spider
Patio Moorhen
It’s not rare, even for home, but we’ve never had one running around the patio before. By the time I got to the camera it had escaped onto the lawn, before giving the pond a try out.
It doesn’t make a summer…
… but the first Swallow of the year at home is always special. As well as that, there were loads of butterflies, bumblebees, including our first Red-tailed Bumblebees of the year. Pride of place goes to the smart male Redstart, that eventually gave itself up.
Swallow
Speckled Wood
Common Redstart, an infrequent spring and regular autumn migrant.
Garden Wildlife
Our first moth trap of the year yielded only four species, but one of them was new on the house list.
Male Sparrowhawk
Tawny Pinion, a new moth for home
Powdered Quaker
Bluethroat
On the way down south from Harrogate, the lure of the Lincolnshire Bluethroat was too much. It kept us waiting for nearly an hour, but eventually turned up and put on a show.
God’s Own Country
A superb afternoon up in the Yorkshire Dales, starting off at Strid Woods (no summer migrants yet, but the usual Goosander, Dipper and Grey Wagtail performed well). Then further north for both Red and Black Grouse. Red performed very well indeed.
The Strid
Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Southern Ecuador
I have finally ploughed through the photos from Ecuador. When I sort out a trips folder there will be some there, but for the moment they can be found on my OneDrive.
Jocotoco Antpitta
SEO at Beeding
A Short-eared Owl gave us some nice views at Beeding Brooks and on the way back a very nice sunset over Cissbury Ring
