Tuesday September 28 - A change of plan brings a change of luck

 Originally, Wednesday looked like the obvious day to go birding. The only calm day of the week. But this was also the best day to get my Mum over, so I changed to Tuesday, reasoning that the wet weather wasn't due until the afternoon.

So this morning I was out in reasonably fine weather, the wind a steadily strengthening south-westerly. Up to 10 Swallows were around, and there was a trickle of Meadow Pipits heading south. As far as the photography went it was proving to be another frustrating day. I had managed half a Jay (the other four and a half having evaded the lens entirely), and a bush that had held a Whitethroat until just before I pressed the shutter. 

The late Whitethroat looked like being the bird of the day until I arrived at the flash field. A quick scan of the nearest flash revealed a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit vigorously preening itself. So vigorously that my first three long distance record shots revealed it contorting into various shapes, mostly hiding its bill. Then it took off. Oh no. Fuzzy flight shots at least ruled out any other godwit species, and my only acceptable record shot came as it flew towards me before landing again on the flash.

Black-tailed Godwit

I reasoned that I should get a better view from beneath the trees at the other viewing spot, so I hurried there. On arrival I saw that the bird was still present, at the back edge...and then it wasn't. I have always suspected that this viewing point was not as well screened as it needed to be, and the jittery Godwit must have noticed me and taken flight. I heard it call, and that was that. It left. So all I have of it on the ground are three original efforts (all poor). This is the best of them.

Black-tailed Godwit

Everything else was completely relaxed. The 37 Lapwings, seven Snipe, two Green Sandpipers, and 20 Teal all ignored me completely. Perhaps the godwit would have gone anyway.

The return journey added four Blackcaps, six Chiffchaffs, 50 Goldfinches, and at least four (possibly six) Stonechats. 

Yet another Stonechat shot

At least Stonechats understand how to pose for an old duffer with a camera.

Sunday September 26

Dave was back from his holiday in the south-west, and for the first hour of our circuit of the patch I was entertained with stories of Wrynecks found and Shrikes etc seen in Cornwall and Scilly. This may not have helped us find anything at Morton Bagot and it was probably a case of back to earth with a bump for him.

Nevertheless the birding conditions were OK, cloudy with a light south-westerly, brightening later, and we managed to halt the conversation long enough to record a steady passage of Meadow Pipits, and Swallows heading south.

The first time the camera came out was for a beetle. A fairly common species called Devil's Coach-Horse was crawling across the access road, no doubt hunting for something to kill and eat. I can't remember seeing one here before so it got more attention than it probably warranted.

We eventually reached the weedy field which contained a couple of Stonechats and Tony, who was having a successful morning catching Meadow Pipits. About 30 or so were landing in and around a cage trap, at least one perching on it, but apparently quite a number of the pipits would walk into the trap and be unable to exit until they were extracted and ringed. At least four Skylarks were also in the field, but he hadn't caught any by the time we arrived. 

The totals ringed today were Meadow Pipit 19, Blackcap 6, and Chiffchaff 1.

One of the Meadow Pipits which hadn't been caught.

We left him to it, and tried our luck at the flash field. Here we counted 37 Lapwings, three Green Sandpipers, 14 Snipe, and 32 Teal. In other words, the same old stuff that's been there for the last fortnight.

On quiet visits like this I'm glad that I'm also into moths. Friday night was pretty mild for the time of year, and my garden trap again caught 40 moths. This time however, they included two species I had not seen before.

The first was a reasonably common macro moth called Brown-spot Pinion. It amazes me that after three years I'm still recording new moths which aren't even all that rare.

Brown-spot Pinion

My Moths of Warwickshire book implies that Brown-spot Pinions were declining in the county (in 2004), so perhaps that's why its taken me three years to catch one.

The second moth was a lot trickier. The micro Acleris schalleriana is very similar to a number of other Acleris moths and after photographing it I came up with several possible names before submitting one to an on-line expert. Eventually it got the thumbs up, although it sounds like many examples would need a specimen to be examined before they could be confirmed.

Acleris schalleriana

Like most micros the "common name" is not published in most moth guides. But in this case its on-line name, Viburnum Button, would have been a big hint to its identity as my trap sits on a table right next to an ornamental Viburnum we planted a dozen years ago. Anyway, once identified it was set free to no doubt wreak havoc in the garden.

The full list was;

Ruddy Streak 1,    Caloptilia semifascia 1,    Acleris schalleriana 1 (nfg),    Light Brown Apple Moth 1,    Garden Carpet 1,    Common Marbled Carpet 1,    Red-green Carpet 1,    Brimstone Moth 1,    Light Emerald 1,    Copper Underwing 2,    Barred Sallow 1 (nfy),    Brown-spot Pinion 1 (nfg),    Lunar Underwing 13,    Vine's Rustic 1,    Pale Mottled Willow 1,    Lesser Yellow Underwing 2,    Large Yellow Underwing 8,    Square-spot Rustic 2.

Thursday September 23 - Autumn

 A couple of days ago the weatherman announced it was now meteorological autumn, and this morning it certainly felt that way. A cold front was making its way in from the north-west and the cloud was heavy enough to produce some light drizzle and even a half-hearted rainbow as the front started to clear.

In terms of birds it was a little bit quiet. The vibrancy of the hedgerows in my last visit had gone, as had many of the migrants. Nevertheless, the cast list was similar, just in diminished quantity. I counted 12 Chiffchaffs, five Blackcaps, and four Stonechats before a fly-over Yellowhammer put in a bid for bird of the day. Also largely absent were the hirundines, I saw just two House Martins and two Swallows.

Stonechat (unringed)

The one place which did look good was the flash field. A substantial muddy edge looks perfect for waders, it's just that its come a month too late. Not that the 53 Teal, three Green Sandpipers, and 14 Snipe were complaining.

Common Snipe

It's a shame there is no such thing as a Red-breasted Snipe, because the nearest bird shown above might have been a strong candidate. It just shows how much individual variation there is in their colour tones. I was willing one of them to be a Dowitcher, or for a Ruff or a Pec Sand to wander into view, but it was not to be.

There is a little bit of ringing news. Tony attempted to catch Meadow Pipits again on Tuesday, and succeeded in ringing 17 of them. He also caught two Long-tailed Tits,  a Blue Tit, and a Wren. 

This morning the Meadow Pipit passage was very weak, and I only saw 19 in total all morning.

In another three weeks the Redwings will be arriving, and proper autumn will be starting.

Sunday September 19 - Enjoying the commonplace

I had no great expectations of this morning's visit to the patch. I arrived as a band of rain slipped away to the east, leaving an increasingly warm and sunny morning.

At Netherstead I quickly became captivated by the sheer numbers of passerines feeding after the rain had passed. Was this a fall? Many of the birds were just the local Tits, Robins etc, but a lot were warblers. I estimated/counted 23 Chiffchaffs, and 12 Blackcaps in the first hour of loitering.

Chiffchaff

Blackcap

Other warblers seen included three Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, and a Reed Warbler, but there was so much activity it was hard to keep up. This little video clip (poorly focused as it is) gives some idea of what it was like.

Eventually I moved on, thinking if only the ringers were here. 

It turned out that they were, but had chosen to concentrate on the weedy field and pool area where they were targeting the 70 or so Meadow Pipits occupying the field. When I strolled up they were in the middle of processing a first winter male Stonechat.

Stonechat

They mentioned having caught a Sedge Warbler to add to my warbler list for the day. Their full results were: 23 Meadow Pipits, the Stonechat, a Chiffchaff, and a Sedge Warbler.

Sedge Warbler - per Tony and Leigh Kelly

Eventually I headed for the flash field which contained just the usual Lapwings (38), Teal (26+), Green Sandpiper, and Snipe (four or five). However, the hedgerow separating me from the field contained a flowering ivy which was absolutely bursting with insects. Most were wasps and flies, but among the bees I locating several Ivy Bees.

Ivy Bee

This species had a largely south coast distribution just ten years ago, having colonised mainland Britain in 2001. Since then they have been spreading north and I have been checking the Ivy each year in the hope of finding some.

Also present was a black and yellow banded wasp (I think), which I will probably not be able to identify. My research has led to a group of digger wasps which may not be safely distinguished from photos. However, I have come up with a name which could be correct. Submitted to irecord.com, and I await feedback. 

Either Ectemnius cavifrons or E cephalotes

Thanks to Des Jennings for suggesting another name for the wasp. It sounds as though I needed to see its face for a better shot at an identification. At least I got the right genus.

Going briefly back to birds, there was a single flock of at least 31 hirundines heading south-east which I considered to be House Martins, and I also noticed an influx of alba wagtails, with at least seven aound Netherstead. These were probably all Pied Wagtails, but at least one may have been the nominate race. With them were two Grey Wagtails.

I'll end with insects again, specifically my moth trapping attempt on Friday night. The temperature dropped to 11 degrees, and the catch was modest.

Here is the full list:

Ruddy Streak 2,    White-shouldered House Moth 1,    Red-green Carpet 1 (nfy),    Common Marbled Carpet 4,    Brimstone Moth 1,    Dusky Thorn 1,    Light Emerald 2,    Snout 1 (nfy),    Angle Shades 1,    Vine's Rustic 3,    Common Wainscot 1,    Copper Underwing ag 2,    Lunar Underwing 4 (nfy),    Lesser Yellow Underwing 1, Large Yellow Underwing 10,    Square-spot Rustic 1,    Setaceous Hebrew Character 3.

Wednesday September 15 - birding cure

I've had a bad back lately and it has the potential to cramp my style. But this morning I decided the best cure would be to get out birding. So far so good, but this does require me to haul a pile of equipment; binoculars, telescope, camera, tripod over the uneven terrain of Morton Bagot. On the other hand, they do say keep moving.

It was pretty cloudy to begin with, and surprisingly crowded with other birders. After meeting Dennis and Marion as they were about to head for the flash field, I got distracted by a large party of Blue Tits, plus 14 Chiffchaffs and seven Blackcaps in a hedge bordering the ridge field, so I didn't see them again until I reached the flash.

My main desire was to prove to myself that other warblers were still around. To my delight this hope was confirmed by the presence of a Sedge Warbler and two Whitethroats in the hedge bordering the old pool. As I waited in the futile hope they would reappear, Martin ambled up and we headed to the flash.

So all four of us found ourselves standing at the watchpoint seeing not very much. Three Green Sandpipers, a couple of Snipe, 32 Lapwing, and 45 Teal. Marion mentioned that they had seen a Whinchat, which I guessed had been in the old pool field. So that's where I headed next.

This was where the action was. First, three Stonechats appeared in the back hedge, eventually coming close enough for a record shot.

Stonechat

I then discovered that there were also two Whinchats, another Whitethroat, and a Lesser Whitethroat feeding in the northern hedge. 

Whinchat

Whitethroat

I had texted Martin, and we were able to watch the activity together. I should also mention that there was a constant procession of Meadow Pipits and Swallows heading south all morning. It really was very entertaining, and exactly what I needed (plus paracetamols) to allow me to forget the backache.

Normally this would be the end of the story, but the day was to take an extraordinary turn. 

I had just turned out of the Netherstead access road and was starting to drive home when I went passed a dark brownish lump at the side of the road. My guess was that one of the Moorhens which sometimes stray from a nearby pool had got itself run over, but as I drew level and glanced down and saw a duck shaped bill. I stopped, and reversed back to see what it was.

When did you last find a dead Tufted Duck? I'm guessing never, and certainly I hadn't, particularly not as a road casualty. But that's what it was, the poor thing.

Tufted Duck - deceased

I tried to remember whether I had seen it on the drive in. Possibly it had been there, dismissed as a dead mammal. The last Tufted Ducks here were back in the early part of the year. Usually a pair settles to breed, but this year I hadn't seen evidence of this. However, there are several private garden pools I can't get access to, so maybe it had come from one of those. How it managed to be hit by a car on a fairly quiet country road though is anybodies guess.

Sunday September 12 - Moths to the rescue

It has to be said that birding at Morton Bagot can be a little predictable. This morning the conditions were excellent, bright with high cloud and hardly a breath of wind. The first few Meadow Pipits of autumn were making their way south, mostly only heard. The majority of the warblers have now departed, leaving only Chiffchaffs (14 of them), and the odd Blackcap.

Also still around are at least two Whinchats, and several local House Martins and Swallows, while an excited party of 21 of the latter headed determinedly south, the youngsters twittering constantly.

Whinchat at Netherstead

The flash field was remarkably quiet; just 10 Teal, nine Snipe, two Green Sandpipers, and a Grey Heron. Perhaps a raptor had caused a clear out. The only ones I saw were a couple of Sparrowhawks bothering the local Long-tailed Tits along the Morton Brook.

Southern Hawker

A few dragonflies and butterflies were on the wing, but just usual residents. My most unexpected find was in a field corner where soil had been dumped, which now sported a crop of extraordinary tall flowering plants.

Great Mullein ?

Not being a botanist, my identification is based on a trawl through my various books.

Fortunately, moths are a lot harder to predict, and the last few days have been very entertaining.

Since Friday, I have added five species to my garden/life list. These have ranged from the very common (how have I not had one before?), to the scarce (possibly a fourth for Warwickshire). Most were micros, and the first was very small indeed. On Friday morning, my only trap being an open bathroom window, I noticed a speck on the wall as I cleaned my teeth. Further investigation revealed that it was a tiny moth.

Gracillaria syringella

The photo gives no idea of scale, so to assist with this I ask you to bear in mind that the plastic lid it is resting in is approximately the diameter of a one pence coin, and the moth hardly fills it. Without the aid of the camera or a hand lens the colours and pattern are impossible to see. As usual I consulted my reference books and was a little disappointed to find the moth described as widespread and very common. Having said that, two moth-ers I shared the photo with on Twitter both said they hadn't seen one either.

With the overnight temperature on Friday night set to drop no lower than 15 degrees I put the trap out and awaited developments. I awoke to find about 70 moths inside, and soon came across a good one.

Antler Moth

The Antler Moth is a medium sized macro moth which is not infrequent in the county. Apparently it prefers upland grassland (not an obvious habitat around here), but will obviously make do with lowland grass. I couldn't see any records for the Redditch area, so its not too surprising that I haven't caught one before.

Also in the trap was a pyralid called Nephopterix angustella. This was the rare one. Don't imagine I knew instantly what it was. My best guess on catching it, was that it might be a late example of Phycita roborella, many of which I've caught this year. Fortunately I soon realised it was something else, and actually it was quite distinctive.

Nephopterix angustella

The key feature is the little line of raised scales about half way along the moth. The moth itself is about 10 millimetres long which is fairly large for a micro. My book described it as very local and possibly spreading, while the 2016 Warwickshire moth report refers to two in the county that year as being the second and third for Warwickshire. I couldn't find any further mention of the species in subsequent reports.

Several other moths in the trap were year-ticks, the best being my first Spruce Carpet since 2018. However, you never quite know when you're finished. Late on Saturday afternoon I stepped outside and disturbed a small moth onto the brickwork of the house. I suspected this was Eudonia angustea because of its narrow body shape, but as it was part of the tricky crambid group I asked for online confirmation from @UkMothid. 

Eudonia angustea

The expert quickly agreed. This is a common and widespread moth which typically appears in September. It is quite small, the rock-face it appears to be clinging to is actually a magnified house brick. Common and widespread it might be, but a first is a first.

Still I wasn't finished. I always check the trap indoors, and inevitably a few moths sneak out and disappear into the house. So when I turned on the light in the utility room on Saturday evening several moths were fluttering about. Among them was an attractive micro from the enormous family tortricidae. On closer examination I found that, at long last, I had caught a Garden Rose Tortrix. As the name suggests, every garden should have one. In fact our garden, with its several roses, should be knee deep in them. But it's not.

Garden Rose Tortrix

This species' main feature is its ability to appear in a wide variety of forms and colours. The one I caught is apparently the most common form. 

I also grabbed a very tiny moth which at present can only be identified as Bryotropha ag. It may well turn out to be another good one, but I'll need the recorder to determine the species in due course.

The full list was:

Yponomeuta ag 2,    Ruddy Streak 1,    Bryotropha ag 1,    White-shouldered House Moth 1,    Brown House Moth 1,    Garden Rose Tortrix 1 (nfg),    Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix 1,    Nephopterix angustella 1 (nfg),    Eudonia angustea 1 (nfg),    Garden Carpet 1,    Spruce Carpet 1 (nfy),        Common Marbled Carpet 1,    Green Carpet 1 (nfy),    Double-striped Pug 2,    Brimstone Moth 2,      Light Emerald 4,    Dusky Thorn 4,    Angle Shades 1 (nfy),    Flounced Rustic 1,    Common Wainscot 1,    Copper Underwing ag 2,    Vine's Rustic 4,    Antler Moth 1 (nfg),    Pale Mottled Willow 1,    Large Yellow Underwing 33,    Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1,    Lesser Yellow Underwing 4,    Square-spot Rustic 3,    Setaceous Hebrew Character 5 (nfy).

Wednesday September 8 - That morning after feeling

 OK, strictly speaking this was not the morning after the alldayer, but it was my next visit. I arrived earlier than normal to try to avoid the forecast heat. It was certainly sunny with a light easterly.

I always find myself slipping into big day mode to start with. Walking slowly, sun at my back, feeling quite sharp and optimistic. Determined not to miss a thing. The hedgerows around Netherstead are still decent, Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat, seven Blackcaps, and three Whitethroats briefly appear and disappear. There are fewer hirundines over the copse, but that could just be the sunny weather causing them to disperse more widely.

Eventually I hear and see a species we missed on Saturday, a Greenfinch. There are normally dozens of them in early September. The sunny weather does permit some photography, but most birds are too quick for me. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was more obliging.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Eventually I found a Whinchat, and maybe two more, but by now it was getting hotter and harder to get good views.  

At the flash field a flock of 48 Greylag Geese were present to remind me how ludicrous was their absence on Saturday. On the other hand the Lapwings had disappeared. I counted 82 Teal, but there was still no Garganey so it must have moved on, but four Shovelers, three Green Sandpipers, three Snipe, 11 Black-headed Gulls, and a Grey Heron were present.

My focus started to waver on the way back. 

In the corner of the Kingfisher Pool there is dead tree ringed by fungi. As far as the species is concerned I have no idea, but a bit of internet research came up with the Scalycap group, and possibly Golden Scalycap. 

Golden Scalycap ?

By now it was getting seriously hot, and my route took me into the sun. So walking head down with few stops my only chance of finding anything would come if I stepped on it.

Perhaps fortunately, I didn't.