Dave and I teamed up on Sunday at Morton Bagot, and thanks to Dave's suggestion that we incorporate Bannam's Wood on our walk we hit the jackpot. The hope was that we might see the family party of Spotted Flycatchers seen the day before. As far as that went we were unsuccessful, but as we paused to search the trees a juvenile Goshawk flew towards us under the canopy and perched in close proximity. Where was my camera? In my bag! As I slowly withdrew it, the bird decided it had teased us enough and flew over our heads and away into the wood.
Anything else would be an anticlimax, and sure enough we'd peaked early. A Sand Martin over the village was the best of the rest, while the flash pool could muster only two Teal, a few Lapwings, 90+ Greylag Geese, and three or four Green Sandpipers.
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| Long-tailed Tit |
We also saw another Clouded Yellow.
Last night was the latest I could afford to keep my GMS obligation on track. The trap went out and I caught just over 100 moths. As it was warm, there were a lot of micros and my two garden ticks, and two that weren't new, demonstrates the randomness of garden recording.
The new ones were Hawthorn Moth (a tiny micro), and Ringed China-mark (a big micro). The books say they are both reasonably common.
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| Hawthorn Moth |
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| Ringed China-mark |
Among the rest were two species which were respectively scarce, and non-existent in Warwickshire until this year. Thus my tally of Small Mottled Willows for the year now stands at 20, while lasts week's "first" was joined by a second Cydia amplana, this one looking more like the books say it should look.
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| Rusty Acorn Piercer Cydia amplana |
I surely can't be the only Midland moth botherer catching these this year.
The full list of additions is on the appropriate page as usual.
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