Tundra Bean Goose getting closer

 I've not been to Morton Bagot this weekend, but was lured away by the opportunity to see the Tundra Bean Goose as it has ventured into Warwickshire for the first time. It took a quick twitch to Earlswood on Saturday afternoon. The bird was asleep with the Greylag Geese on the brick island and was therefore very close and easy to see. 

The hope is that it will now stray to Morton Bagot so that I can add it, despite its dodgy credentials, to the patch list. 

A much rarer creature was at Earlswood that day, but unfortunately I didn't get to see it. I refer to an Oleander Hawk-moth, a quite stunning looking creature, which was sitting in a box in a local garden. This was the ninth record for Warwickshire, the last being in 1962.

Also not seen by me was a Ruff which had circled the Lakes early in the morning. I had to settle for a juvenile Common Sandpiper for my wader fix.

I suppose it was a hankering for waders which led me to join the ringers at Middle Spernal this morning. I had been very impressed by the state of the pool on my last visit, and could just imagine something good on it. 

As it turned out, the only wader there was a Green Sandpiper. The ringers had caught a Kingfisher this morning, but by the time I found them they were winding up and I didn't see very much at all.

Inspired by the Oleander Hawk-moth, I decided to put the garden moth trap out. Obviously there were no Hawk-moths of any kind, let alone mega rare ones, but I did count 61 moths of 28 species. None were new to the garden but there were four that were new for the year. The best of these were both garden seconds, and both previously appeared in 2020.

Cypress Pug

Small Square-spot

The Cypress Pug has most likely come from a Leylandii from a garden four doors down. They only colonised Warwickshire a few years before 2016, but have quickly spread. Meanwhile the Small Square-spot is going in the opposite direction; formerly very common they are now much reduced in numbers.