Friday March 17 - Chiffchaffs flood in (and some moth stuff)

 This morning started well. I was donning the wellies in a lay-by near Wootton Pool when I realised that a Chiffchaff was singing in the trees opposite. Although technically not counted as a summer migrant because of the small wintering population, there comes a day when they are suddenly everywhere. That day was today.

The first Chiffchaff of spring

I wasn't surprised. The weather has suddenly gone mild/warm with the wind still southerly after two days of gales and rain. I went on to see and hear at least another three by the pool.

Another thing that didn't surprise me was the refusal of permission to visit Eggwell Wood when I knocked on the nearest building's door. The lady was not the owner of the wood, but she assured me it was private (which I obviously knew) and that the actual owner (whose name she couldn't remember) would certainly not grant me access. I guess I won't be recording that heronry in my local breeding survey.

Wootton Pool contained no surprises, so I opted to go to Mappleborough Green Flash, as it can be done in an hour. I was pleased to see that the four Little Ringed Plovers were still there, and also another singing Chiffchaff, and a Little Egret. There were only 11 Teal this time, but I did gain a site-tick when I noticed three Stonechats perched on fence posts near the footpath.

Little Egret

Stonechat

Further evidence of spring were my first two butterflies of the year from the car-park of the Boot. Unfortunately neither lingered longer than a couple of seconds, and so went down as a probable Peacock and a probable Small Tortoiseshell.

From a moth-trapping point of view, the evening looked ideal. Very mild, not too windy, and a bit a drizzle.

The big news for me was that after five years of not catching any, I finally caught a "common" and spectacular species called Oak Beauty. In fact, rather like buses, you wait for ages and then three come along at once. Here is a picture of one of them.

Oak Beauty

I also caught an Oak Nycteoline, a species I missed last year, and a micro called Agonopterix alstromeriana which I had previously seen last autumn as it flew out of our shed. On that occasion I failed to photograph it, so this was a second chance.

Agonopterix alstromeriana

Also caught were my first Clouded Drab of the year, a March Moth, and several Common Quakers.

Oak Nycteoline