Sunday October 2 - Morton Bagot tick (but its not a bird)

 A sunny and rather mild morning signalled another visit to my patch. It seemed as though summer was reluctant to let go today. I accumulated a solid six Blackcaps, three Chiffchaffs, five Swallows, and at least seven House Martins with other hirundines visible but not identifiable high in the sky towards Studley.

Blackcap, typically hard to see let alone photograph

With blue skies above, it was hard to keep a track of any visible migration. The usual Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, and Chaffinches made themselves known, plus single Redpoll and Siskin, both of which were only heard.

Meadow Pipit

The pool field is much the same, but I did count at least six Stonechats as might be expected at this time of year.

Stonechat

At the flash field the only new arrival was a juvenile Cormorant standing on the edge of the furthest flash, the only one with any water in it. I counted eight Teal, two Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, and 15 Lapwings. 

I should mention that Tony was ringing again, focusing on Meadow Pipits. He ringed 66 birds of 12 species as follows:

Blue Tit 7

Great Tit 4

Long-tailed Tit 10

Chiffchaff 3

Blackcap 9

Goldcrest 2

Wren 1

Robin 1

Dunnock 2

Meadow Pipit 24

Lesser Redpoll 1

Reed Bunting 2

The stand out birds are the good count of Blackcaps which were probably additional to my six, and the Lesser Redpoll which was his first of the season.

Lesser Redpoll - Tony K

At this point it was getting quite warm and I resumed my search for the Willow Emerald Damselfly seen by Sam two weeks ago. To my complete surprise I found it. Morton Bagot tick! It popped up onto a branch of a dead tree which had been daubed in blue paint presumably because it's scheduled for the chop (talk about X marks the spot). I had a couple of seconds to admire its long narrow dark abdomen, its large white pterostigma (the cell on the tips of the wings), and its clear wings spread delta shaped away from its body. It would make a great shot. I glanced down at my camera to check it was on, looked up and...it had gone. I spent the next hour fruitlessly trying to relocate it.

Other dragonflies were available; Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Common Darters, but no sign of the damselfly. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

A consolation Southern Hawker

Red Admiral

The moth trap went out and although the temperature fell to 6 degrees C overnight I caught 21 moths of 10 species. More importantly one was new for the garden (and me) Large Wainscot, and three were new for the year; Barred Sallow, Red-green Carpet, and Beaded Chestnut. 

Large Wainscot

Beaded Chestnut (2nd for garden)

It's great to still be getting new garden macro-moths. The Large Wainscot is described as local and uncommon in Larger Moths of Warwickshire.