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!

Wasp nest and three more moths!

I have a wasp nest in my dormer roof. Over the last couple of weeks I have seen lots of comings and goings from these stripy rascals. These nests have occurred on and off every few years and on these occasions I keep my windows closed. I usually have a few wasps in my moth trap too. Sadly one wasp was found drowned in my kitchen sink this morning - it is a Common Wasp judging by the black 'anchor' mark on its face.

Although my catches have been appalling of late, I have at least caught interesting moths - this time a brand new one, a Broad-barred White - very attractive. The larval foodplants include sow-thistles which are very common in Montpelier. Also in the trap was a Marbled Green - I only catch one or two per year - and an Uncertain/Rustic. 

              

  

       

 

 

 

Three Moths!

Yep, just 3 moths in the trap this morning - pathetic! There was a nice Buff Ermine, an Uncertain/Rustic and a Chrysoteucha culmella. It was cool and breezy with a bright moon, all probably affecting the catch. Must try harder!

Buff Ermine

This morning There was a Marmalade Hoverfly on a dandelion along Station Road.

Moffs!

A reduced haul of moths this morning after a cool and breezy night.

Shuttle-shaped Dart 1

Dark Arches 2

Heart and Dart 3

Uncertain/Rustic 2

Dark Sword-grass 1

Common Footman 2

Dark/Grey Dagger 1

Endotricha flammealis 1

Chrysoteuchia culmella 1

Prays fraxinella 1

Dark Sword-grass

Common Footman

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Yesterday I had a visitor in my flat in the shape of a Common Soldier Beetle - I let him go after a short photo-session.

Moffs!

Last night I put the moth trap out but by 12.30am it was raining hard so I brought it back in again. It was quite frustrating as I had some good moths in the couple of hours it was in operation and I might have caught lots more. Never mind. The best was another Vapourer - this time allowing me to get a reasonable photo.  The others were 

Heart and Dart 2

Common Emerald 1

Coronet 1

Grey/Dark Dagger 1

Chrysoteuchia culmella 1

A beetle which the Facebook experts think is a Dromius, was also attracted by the light. It lives under the bark of old trees.

Vapourer

Common Emerald

Coronet

Grey/Dark Dagger

Chrysoteuchia culmella

Dromius

Cute Spider Alert!

I was idly looking out of the window this afternoon when this little chap trundled down my widow sill. It's Pseudeuophrys lanigera which was first recorded in the UK in 1930 and is almost always found in houses.

Montpelier Station!

I had a wander to the station between the showers this morning. There were several Small White butterflies on the other side of the tracks and some Enchanter's Nightshade was in flower nearby. A Rose Chafer was feeding on Buddleia. Towards the TV mast I was amazed to see lots of Broomrape plants - presumably Ivy-leaved Broomrape as the host plant was present. This seems to have been gradually colonising the railway land around Montpelier in recent years. I couldn't get better photos as it was behind a fence. A Marmalade Hoverfly was sat on a Hazel leaf. Halfway down Station Road a Harlequin Ladybird was trundling around. An Impressive Great Mullein plant was flowering near the Cheltenham Road arches.

Small White

Rose Chafer

Marmalade Hoverfly

Enchanter's Nightshade

Ivy Broomrape

Harlequin Ladybird

Great Mullein

In the garden a Dunnock was singing.

Dunnock

The last couple of nights I've detected Noctule bats hunting when sticking my bat detector out of the window.