Bits

First up, for what it's worth, here's the garden trapping list for last night. Mild with cloud cover should've been good, but there was a strong persistent breeze which pretty much killed it. 72 of 17sp. with the only real highlight as such being the first Blair's Shoulder-knot of the year.

0873 Blastobasis adustella 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1138 Epinotia nisella 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 3
1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) 1
2087 Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum) 1
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 21
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 28
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 5
2134 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1
2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 1
2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) 1
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1
2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 3


This afternoon on the way home from work, I decided to have a quick nose into the Soar Valley South Patch. As usual I've ignored it through the summer - I seriously doubt I missed anything, and in any case I generally drop out of even lame birding in the summer. I'm probably too early to see anything of interest on there even now!

A quick look at Grove Park produced, well, nothing. The only remotely interesting birds were all on the balancing pond.

When I say interesting, don't get too excited - they were a female Pochard and a pair of Little Grebes. There was this teneral male Common Blue Damselfly knocking about (thanks Andy). - I presume a teneral but no idea which species.

I then headed into Jubilee Park. Again the pool provided most of the interest with 3 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 5 Tufted Ducks and 3 Little Grebes keeping the usual Coots, Moorhens, Mallards and Canada Geese company.

Best bird though was a Reed Warbler skulking about in the vegetation and grasses along the River Soar. I tried to make it into something rare but my brain and conscience prevented any stringing. Aside from a Great Spotted Woodpecker and more Wrens than you can shake a stick at, it was quiet.

I spotted this thing on a dead willow - in fact there were two on opposite sides of the trunk. Anyone got any ideas?