The final week in August did not really live up to migration expectations.
On the 22nd I had a short walk around the Ness Point Net Posts. It was short because there was very little
to see. I searched the scrub line and
Tamarisks around Bird’s Eye but only found a small party of Blue Tits, a Robin
and a Dunnock – very underwhelming.
 |
| Cool Rabbit |
Three Wheatears were flashing white rumps along the seawall
but were very flighty and were kept moving by the promenaders. Brown Tail moth cats were tenting on the Brambles
and a Lesser Whitethroat was quietly tacking from the said same Brambles. I moth
trapped that evening and next morning I had a reasonable selection including
two more Prays ruficeps, Rush Veneer and two very smart Light Emeralds.
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Stigmella speciosa |
 |
| Burnet Rose |
 |
Burnet Rose
|
 |
| Brown Tail moth cats |
 |
| Ectoedemia heringella |
 |
| Light Emerald |
The following day I headed up to the Corton area for a good
walk round but despite walking the old railway line, sewage works and church
yard it was frustratingly silent. Two
Blackcaps and singles of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were the only vague
suggestion of autumn. A Volucella
zonaria was on the last of the Buddleia blooms with Small and Green Veined Whites
and I ended up spending my time moth leaf mining.
 |
| Corton Church - the tower is a ruin |
 |
| Black Spleenwort - Asplenium adiantum-nigrum |
 |
| Black Bryony |
 |
| Black Bryony |
 |
| Black Bryony |
 |
| Chicory |
 |
| Machimus atricapillis |
 |
| Phyllocnistis xenia |
 |
| Green Veined White |
 |
| Green Veined White |
 |
| Volucella zonaria |
 |
| Seem to remember that you are not allowed to do these Maple cones now! |
 |
| Phyllonorycter corylifoliella |
.JPG) |
| Milk Thistle munching Greenfinch |
I came home frustrated.
I have to admit to finding it difficult to work up any enthusiasm for
dragging myself around the coast searching for that something special. My friend walked a nine mile loop around the
coast south of here on Wednesday and barely saw a passerine. It has never really
been about rarity hunting and in our younger days we simply took ourselves
out for the day to see what we could find.
We did not even always have to go far and The Naze was as regular an
autumn haunt as the Norfolk, Kent and Suffolk coast. And yes we did sometimes find a rarer bird –
a Wryneck, a Red-backed Shrike, Barred Warbler or Lapland Bunting but, and here
is the crux of it, there were always migrants to search through. Willow Warblers and ‘throats popped out of
Bramble clumps, Flycatchers did their thing, Finches, Pipits and Wagtails flew
over and so, even if we did not find that little gem there was still a wealth
of things to fill the notebook with.
There are simply not the birds anymore. I mentioned last time that the Greenish
Warbler at Ness Point was literally the only migrant there. Where have all the carrier species gone? I suspect that this is why I now can’t
persuade myself to head off to stake out a local Barred Warbler. I do not think my perception has changed because
of my increased travelling and global birding experience. Those of us who visit Lesvos regularly will
all say that despite it’s amazing spring migration, it is also diminishing.
All of this makes me treasure my British birding adventures
of the preceding forty years all the more.
A gammy foot had me resting up but the trap went on once
again on the night of the 25th and despite the low species count, I
really did not care as there, on an egg box was a monster and I knew this time
that I too had joined the Clifden Nonpareil club.
 |
| Clifden Nonpareil - Quality Moff in a Quality Pot |
A classic moment of ‘gonna need a bigger pot’ resulted in an
old Quality Street box being utilised. I
was very happy. I did not keep it for
long and it was soon on the wing. I know
that they are not the rarity they once were but they will always be a dream moth
for anyone trapping at home.
 |
| Clifden Nonpareil |
The garden Figs have been excellent for a couple of weeks
but with a glut it was time for an open tart with a crumble top and they joined
some Pears from Patrick and Blackberries from the garden.
 |
| Epic... |
Show and tell moth time from Antony’s trap gave me a couple
of new ones before we started on the boarding out of the loft and after a couple
of days off I lit up the trap again and joined another of this years 'mothing
clubs' with a Scrobipalpa ocellatella.
Not new to my garden list but this little brown Beet Moth is having a bumper
year in the county.
 |
| Dowdy Plume (AW) |
 |
| Duponchelia fovealis (AW) |
 |
| Phyllonorycter schreberella (AW) |
 |
| Scrobipalpa salicornae (AW) |
 |
| Yellow-legged Clearwing |
 |
| Nutmeg |
 |
| Square Spot Rustic |
 |
| Eudonia angustea |
 |
| A very fresh Heart & Dart |
 |
| Scrobipalpa ocellatella |
 |
| Snout without a snout |
 |
| Epinotia immundana |
It may have been a grey week but it has still been warm and at long last on Friday it rained steadily on and off all day and you could feel the ground breathing a sigh of relief. Keeping everything alive has been tricky this year. I had some jobs in town and walked around to the ATM Green Eyed Hawker on the blue painted side of a house on the North side. I really must try and get a picture of all his fantastic murals around town. |
| ATM Green Eyed Hawker |
A final trap before before heading off to Lesvos in the morning was almost cut short by thunder and lightening and heavy rain but it soon passed and I left the trap on. A mediocre 30 species but six Orange Swifts was notable along with Spectacle, Canary Shouldered Thorn and one or two migrants.
Blue skies are back and two Wasp Spiders have mysteriously re-appeared in the garden which is good news for my own little population. Must go and pack now...
 |
| Wasp Spider |
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment