MV moth trap

Ran the trap for a few hours last night before the wind got up:

Flame Shoulder 6

Angle Shades 1

Ruby Tiger 3

Clouded Drab 1

Lime Hawkmoth MYL 33

WHITE PINION SPOTTED 1 MYL 34

Iron Prominent MYL 35

Shuttle-shaped Dart 1

DARK-BARRED TWINSPOT CARPET 1 MYL 36

White Ermine 1 MYL 37

White Ermine

Lime Hawkmoth

White Pinion Spotted


Dark-barred Twinspot Carpet

oh, and some moths!

Almost forgot that I had the trap on last night!
Common Quaker 2
Small Quaker 1
Clouded Drab 4
Red Chestnut 1
Waved Umber 1 MYL 20
Angle Shades 1 MYL 21
Nut-tree Tussock 1
Shuttle Shaped Dart 2 MYL 22
Frosted Green 1 MYL 23
Swallow Prominent 1 MYL 24
Flame Shoulder 1 MYL 25

Swallow Prominent


Frosted Green


Flame Shoulder


Shuttle-Shaped Dart


Shuttle-shaped Dart (female and male respectively)


Angle Shades

Day Off

NW 2 murkey with sunshine remaining cool 0700-0945

Had an enforced day off today so popped down to SBO first (ish) thing. Bit of bird movement and a couple of FotS but nothing unexpected- Linnet 281w, Goldfnch 25w, Mipit 10w, Swallow 8w, Pied Wag 3w, Yellow wagtail 1w, Carrion Crow 6w, Common Scoter 50w, Eider 17e, Shelduck 2e, Sandwich Tern 10w and Common Tern 1w. Present on the patch were Wheatear 2, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Barn Owl and a brief Merlin.

Back home the Little Owl is still ranging along the hedgerow but with an incresed northerly it neither felt or looked like it was going to be a big bird day.

Fared alittle better on the moth front last night with some distinctive, enigmatic species starting to occur now.

Clouded drab 8

Common Quaker 2

Small Quaker 2

Purple thorn MYL 15

Great Prominent 2

Engrailed 1 MYL 16

Sallow Kitten 1 MYL 17

Pebble Prominent 1 MYL 18

Nut-tree Tussock 1 MYL 19

Hebrew Character 4

March Moth 1

Early Grey 1

Engrailed

Purple Thorn

Nut-tree Tussock

Sallow Kitten

Pebble Prominent

Wednesday

Not much from The Track this morning, Starling 60 east (presumably off-roost) and Lesser black-backed Gull 6 east also.
Had the moth trap on last night til around 11, a couple of familiar year ticks were nice to see after the recent cold nights.


Common Quaker 2
Clouded Drab 2
Small Quaker 1
Red Chestnut 1 MYL 10
Early Grey 1 MYL 11


Early Grey




Common Quaker


Small Quaker


Red Chestnut

Moth

Ran the trap for a short while last night with temperature at 6 degrees and a westly breeze. Another new one for the year included in the handfull taken:

March Moth 5

Common Quaker 1

Hebrew Character 1 MYL 7

Hebrew Character

From the track this morning the only birds of note were a pair of Canada Geese on the old Beet field along with circa 20 Lapwing and a male Bullfinch flew south.

As I was coming home from work late this afternoon I could clearly see a tractor on the previously mentioned field... ploughing it up! Bang goes my chance of a drop in Woodlark, or a crouching Stone Curlew... just have to wait for the Wheatears!

Tuesday evening

With a glorious spring day here in North Norfolk, I was inspired enough to put the moth trap out for a couple of hours last evening , though as darkness fell so did the temperatures, rapidly. Nothing out standing but a new one for the year

Pale-brindled Beauty 3

March Moth 2

Dotted Border 2 (MYL 6)

Dotted Border

Wednesday

The light went off around 11 o'clock last night, not as many moths as was hoped for but anything is better than nowt.

Pale-brindled Beauty 3

March Moth 3 MYL 5

Common Quaker 1

Chestnut

March Moth

Back to today and during work I bumped into a Marsh Harrier moving west over Sheringham Town, and managing to get home for lunch there were no fewer than 4 Common Buzzard soaring directly over the garden before moving off towards Rounces Covert

Meadow Pipit along the track

Tuesday evening

Tonight- mild, dark and damp, is perfect for mothing. A great excuse not to endure Eastenders, a check just now produced 2 Pale-brindled Beauty, a Chestnut and a March Moth.

Chestnut

March Moth

Moth

Ran the moth trap for a couple of hours last night, though hardly balmy, six degrees was the mildest its been at night of late, so it was no shock that there wasn't a great deal in the box

Pale-brindled Beauty 2
Spring Usher 2



Just as I was packing up another moth flew in and was duly potted, this time a Common Quaker, much earlier than last year (March 29th) so was a pleasant surprise. The light when I arrived home late this afternoon was rubbish so I just managed a record shot.





4 Common Quaker

Moth

Had the moth trap on last night for a few hours, the temperature wasn't too bad but it was far too clear and the moon too bright, was hoping for a bit of cloud cover.

Pale-brindled Beauty
3 Spring Usher

Spring Usher (not the greatest photo!)