St Andrews Park!

An hour in the park this morning produced c20 Redwings, 10 Goldfinches, a Jay, a Coal Tit, Blue Tits, a singing Great Tit, a couple of Collared Doves, some Woodpigeons, several Blackbirds and a Dunnock.

St Andrews Park!

St Andrews Park was hopelessly crowded so there were very few birds of note today apart from 10 Starlings, 20+ Goldfinches, 2 Jays, a couple of Blackbirds, a fly-over Chaffinch, a singing Dunnock and a few Woodpigeons and Collared Doves. It was good to see the first Snowdrops in flower. I escaped to the more peaceful environs of Montpelier Station where there were good numbers of House Sparrows, a couple of Chaffinches, Blue and Great Tits, several Starlings, a Grey Squirrel and 4 or 5 Collared Doves. A Pied Wagtail was feeding in Station Road.

Starlings and Slime-moulds!

 A dismal and rather uninspiring afternoon in St Andrews Park produced 20+ Starlings, 10 Goldfinches, several Magpies and Carrion Crows and the ever-present Herring Gulls overhead.  

Starlings

Magpie

Goldfinch

Apart from the paucity of bird life there was a Slime-mould on the dead wood habitat which is my first I've ever seen! Slime-moulds are very strange organisms once thought to belong to the fungi but are closer to amoebas. - more information can be found here.

Slime-mould

St Andrews Park

 Despite millions of people in the park I did manage to find a quiet spot behind the park-keeper's depot where some birds were hiding. Highlights were a Goldcrest, 3 or 4 Blackbirds, a calling Dunnock, a singing Wren, a few Goldfinches, a pair of Magpies, several Woodpigeons and a singing Robin.

At Montpelier station there was a very impressive mixed party of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits and at least 2 Coal Tits - the total numbered at least 20! A Jay was feeding nearby and a couple of Chaffinches were a welcome sight. There was a supporting cast of Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, House Sparrows and Goldfinches.

A Common Wasp was on the wall and a Red Admiral was in Station Road.

Chaffinch

Common Wasp

Blackbird

Hiding Jay

Red Admiral

Wasps 1, Moths 0

 Well I'm afraid the wasps from the nest are now a serious threat to future trapping outside my widow, as they are now somehow getting into the flat, attracted by the UV light. As a result this morning I waited too long before checking the trap in an attempt to allow any wasps to escape, but many moths also escaped by then. I might be able to trap in the front garden but this presents a logistical problem. Anyhow the list is as follows:

Jersey Tiger 5

Shuttle-shaped Dart 2

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1

Large Yellow Underwing 3

Willow Beauty 1

Marbled Green 2

Marbled Beauty 1

Common Carpet 2

Straw Dot 1

Grey/Dark Dagger 1

Flame Shoulder 1 

Ash Bud Moth (?) 1

Tachystola acroxantha 1

Ermine sp. 1

Apple Leaf Miner 1

Also a few Harlequin Ladybirds and Birch Shieldbugs in the trap.

Lesser Earwig (and some moths)!

Some super moths in the trap this morning, but they were upstaged by my first ever Lesser Earwig! The full list as follows:

Jersey Tiger 8

Flame Shoulder 1

Shuttle-shaped Dart 4

Brimstone 1

Ruby Tiger 1

Uncertain/Rustic 1

Copper Underwing sp. 1

Marbled Green 5

Buff Ermine 1

Mint Moth 3

Ermine sp. 1

Cloaked Minor 1

Knot Grass 1

Common Rustic 1

Large Yellow Underwing 1

Light Brown Apple Moth 1

Blastobasis adustella 1

Acrobasis advenella 1

Chrysoteuchia culmella 1

Apart from the guest appearance from the Lesser Earwig, there was a Honey Bee, a tiny crab spider, several Common Wasps, a tiny beetle (probably a Bradycellus sp.) and a Birch Shieldbug in the trap together with the usual hoards of Caddisflies and Harlequin Ladybirds.

Moffs, wasps and spiders!

Some good moths in the trap this morning including a few new ones for me. Highlights were a Herald and a Buff Arches, both 'firsts'.

Herald 1

Buff Arches 1

Brimstone 1

Swallow-tailed Moth 1

Shuttle-shaped Dart 2

Bright-line Brown-eye 1

Marbled Beauty 1

Marbled Green 1

Flame Shoulder 1

Common Rustic 1

Copper Underwing/Svensson's Copper Underwing 1

Knot Grass 1

Silver Y1

Gold Triangle 1

Small Dusty Wave 1

Tachystola acroxantha

Agriphila straminella

? Acrobasis sp.

There were inevitably some rather cold and dopey Common Wasps in the trap because of the nearby nest, but I was surprised to see a male False Widow Steatoda grossa just outside the window!