Friday 30 September 2016

Setaceous Hebrew Character & Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Agrius convolvuli
I returned to Arundel WWT on Thursday and watched Kingfishers zooming around in front of the scrape hide and catching fish. Last night a Setaceous Hebrew Character moth landed on our balcony, a first. Probably a migrant having a rest after its channel crossing.
 Today I checked out some fields in north Sussex for metal detecting possibilities but only found early 20thC pennies. A bonus was a Small Copper, a juvenile slow-worm under a mat and swallows rushing around. Then I stopped at Arundel WWT where Terry showed me a Convolvulus Hawk-moth by the Sand Martin hide. Goldfinches and a Long-tailed Tit were in their usual place by the nearby feeders.
Arnudel WWT, September 29:
Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis



in flight with fish
Littlehampton:
Missing Sector Spider, Zygiella x-notata
Rush Veneer, Nomophila noctuella
Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum
Setaceous Hebrew Character
north Sussex:
Slow-worm, Anguis fragilis
Arundel WWT, 30 September:
Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Agrius convolvuli
Convolvulus Hawk-moth
Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis
Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus
Mallard ♀, Anas platyrhynchos
Robin, Erithacus rubecula
Trumpeter cygnet, Cygnus buccinator

Trumpeter Swan
White Water Lily, Nymphaea alba

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Osprey, Buzzard and Grey Wagtail

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
to view a gallery with more photos, click here
I visited Arundel WWT again today and saw the Osprey above the Sand Martin hide where it was joined by a Buzzard. A Kingfisher zoomed around the thatched hut by the boating area. A Grey Wagtail strutted back and forth in front of the hide many times. An early instar Ruby Tiger moth larva was found on the ledge of the Scrape hide.
  Last night a Lesser Yellow Underwing and Silver Y landed by our balcony light.
Buzzard, Buteo buteo
Gadwall ♀, Anas strepera
Gadwall ♀
Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea


Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
Ruby Tiger early instar larva, Phragmatobia fuliginosa
Shoveler, Anas clypeata
Lesser Yellow Underwing, Noctua comes
Silver Y, Autographa gamma

Tuesday 27 September 2016

Kingfishers and Herons

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis
Last night two moths were attracted to our balcony light - the first Lesser Yellow Underwing of the year (last year's appeared on October 5th) and a Rush Veneer.
  Yesterday afternoon we visited Arundel WWT again. The Scrape Hide provided some action with 2 Grey Herons and 2 Kingfishers. The Kingfishers spent some time touring the lake, appearing at different places so that there was a suspicion that there were 2 individuals. This was confirmed at 5:15pm when 2 birds flew past, one trailing the other by about 2 feet. They did another flypast 5 minutes later.
 One heron fished in the reed bed to the left of the hide. Later, another flew to the far side of the lake. This one later decided to land in the area where number one was fishing. It was coming in to 'land' and saw number one, then changed its mind and flew off.
  Gadwall and Teal paddled around and a few Snipe flew in.
Lesser Yellow Underwing, Noctua comes
Rush Veneer, Nomophila noctuella
Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago
Common Snipe
female Gadwall, Anas strepera
male Gadwall
Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea













Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis





Teal female, Anas crecca