Moths from near and far!

Everyone agrees that moth trapping so far this year has been pretty dire, but we're all hoping that the numbers and species start to pick up over the next few weeks. On the other hand, it's actually been a pretty exciting few weeks for some of the migrants making their way across the Channel in suitable winds.

Bordered Straws have been turning up in good numbers. One person in the Ventnor area has had 40 or so separate individuals in his trap over the past month or so. I finally caught up with 3 on the West Wight whilst trapping at Tennyson Down a week or so ago. Since then a number have been spotted on the cliff edge around Compton Bay.

A species we're still hoping to come across on the West Wight is the impressive and aptly-named Striped Hawkmoth.

They have turned up in several places in the UK over the past few weeks but this one - caught on Luccombe Down a few days ago - is the first one to be found on the Isle of Wight so far this year. Let's hope it's the first of many!

The Clearwings are really special little moths. Having seen a photo of one on a friend's page, I grabbed my Currant Clearwing pheromone out of the freezer and set off down the road to Freshwater allotments. Having gained permission from one of the allotmenteers (?) I stood upwind and attached the net bag containing the pheromone (an impregnated little rubber bung) to a handy cane. Several minutes later the first of 3 males arrived - that's pretty impressive. I've got a whole set of pheromones so I'm hoping to record more species over the next few weeks during their flying season.

Frustration!

Just as the sun is starting to shine and the cold wind of the last few weeks is diminishing I've been frustrated by 2 things:
a) A badly infected knee which has meant that I have spent too much time sitting on the settee at home with my foot up, and....
b) My video camera having given up the ghost. John Lewis have discontinued the model so I've got to search the internet and try to find something that will do what I want without breaking the bank!

But one thing I have been able to do is to take the camera down to Sett C to look in on what the Badgers are up to. It won't be too long before the cubs start appearing above ground!


I was really pleased with the footage - 5 Badgers at one point is a good number for this sett, and there are various bits of family life on show including scent-marking and establishing dominance. As always, self-grooming give the 'ah' factor! When it goes quiet a Red Fox turns up. It looks in good shape until it turns sideways and we can see the mangled remains of the tail. Basil Brush was proud of the subject of his surname, but this one looks a bit sorry for itself! The footage finishes with a Brown Rat that turns up when everything else has moved on.

...and Spring continues to march on!

I've had so little time to blog in recent days  but Spring continues to march on. Today Swallows were seen at Carisbrooke Pond & Bembridge - maybe we will get our first ones for the West Wight this weekend, though the weather forecast is not good. I remember my first Swallow of 2014, suddenly sweeping over my head close to the Freshwater Causeway!

Paul Swain photographed this flock of Shelduck this week - there has been a constant presence on the Western Yar over the last few months but they'll soon be gone. Over the next few weeks anything can turn up on the Estuary. An Osprey was spotted flying over just a few days ago, and there have been Sand Martins feeding on the flies over the Yarmouth Pools. Over the next few weeks I shall be looking out for the first Sandwich Terns and listening out for the first Cuckoo! I was also thrilled to come across two resplendent male Yellowhammers belting out their '...little bit of bread and no cheese' song in the early morning sunshine at Headon Warren a few days ago.

Badger & Fox cubs may very well start appearing this month...watch this space for the first Trailcam footage!

And, of course, I shall be out looking for insects, especially hoverflies. This is the impressive-looking Criorhina ranunculi, which I caught at Afton Marsh a week or so ago. There are more spectacular creatures on the way! Butterflies are increasing with Brimstones, Red Admirals, Commas & Small Tortoiseshells all flying around whenever the sun comes out! This year I will also be focusing on getting my head around the various species of solitary bee that make their home on the West Wight.

Spring in the air!

Spring is in the air, and the first Bee-fly of the year always puts a spring in my step! This individual was spotted yesterday at Afton Marsh. It may very well be the freshly-emerged individual that I found in exactly the same place in Afton Marsh back on the 12th March. It looks like it could be used as a dart, but any precision-guidance actually relates to the rear end rather than the head because the female flicks her eggs at the nesting holes of solitary bees and other insects, which is pretty nifty!

A few days ago I did a lesson for a Reception Class at Yarmouth School looking at Bugs & Flowers. I took in some Hazel catkins to show the children.

They were fascinated by the catkins - the male part of the plant, and also enjoyed searching for the delicate 'female' flowers which are seldom noticed!

Further afield, there are some beautiful Wild Daffodils flowering at Firestone Copse at the moment.

Narrow-leaved Lungwort tends to be confined to Dorset/Hampshire and the Isle of Wight - this flowering clump was the first time that I have come across this species.

West Wight Birds

First thing yesterday morning I opened the back door and a stunning male Black Redstart hopped up onto the fence from where it had been feeding below. I had been wondering what my 100th West Wight bird species of the year would turn out to be and it turned out to be a real beauty. Here is the list:

1)      Black-headed Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

2)      Blackbird (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

3)      Shoveler (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

4)      Mallard (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

5)      Pintail (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

6)      Carrion Crow (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

7)      Blue Tit (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

8)      House Sparrow (1^st January – Yarmouth Station Pools and area).

9)      Wigeon (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

10)  Gadwall (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

11)  Oystercatcher (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

12)  Mediterranean Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

13)  Black-tailed Godwit (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

14)  Teal (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

15)  Redshank (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

16)  Rook (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

17)  Great Black-backed Gull (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

18)  Cormorant (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

19)  Brent Goose (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

20)  Shelduck (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

21)  Little Grebe (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

22)  Lapwing (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

23)  Golden Plover (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

24)  Dunlin (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

25)  Little Egret (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary).

26)  Coot (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

27)  Greenshank (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

28)  Grey Heron (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

29)  Kingfisher (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

30)  Wren (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

31)  Curlew (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

32)  Pheasant (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

33)  Magpie (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

34)  Moorhen (1^st January – Mill Copse Pool).

35)  Grey Plover (1^st January – Western Yar Estuary)

36)  Wood Pigeon (1^st January – Mill Copse)

37)  Robin (1^st January – Mill Copse parallel hedgerow)

38)  Stock Dove (1^st January – Mill Copse).

39)  Mute Swan (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

40)  Kestrel (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Meadow).

41)  Jackdaw (1^st January – Yarmouth Green).

42)  Herring Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Green).

43)  Pied Wagtail (1^st January – Fort Vic).

44)  Goldfinch (1^st January – Fort Vic).

45)  Feral Pigeon (1^st January – Fort Vic).

46)  Great Tit (1^st January – Bungalow feeder/Fort Vic).

47)  Starling (1^st January – Golden Ridge, Freshwater).

48)  Barn Owl (1^st January – Heathfield Road box).

49)  Ringed Plover (1^st January – Norton Spit).

50)  Turnstone (1^st January – Norton Spit).

51)  Rock Pipit (1^st January – Norton Spit).

52)  Common Gull (1^st January – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

53)  Buzzard (1^st January – Mill Copse).

54)  Red-breasted Merganser (1^st January – Bouldner Forest).

55)  Canada Goose (1^st January - ?? Field).

56)  Knot (1^st January – Freshwater Causeway).

57)  Jay (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

58)  Sparrowhawk (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

59)  Goldcrest (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

60)  Firecrest (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

61)  Dunnock (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

62)  Redwing (1^st January – All Saints Churchyard).

63)  Stonechat (2^nd January – Freshwater Bay cliffs).

64)  Meadow Pipit (2^nd January – Freshwater Bay cliffs).

65)  Fulmar (2^nd January – Freshwater Bay).

66)  Chiffchaff (2^nd January – Causeway field hedgerow).

67)  Green Woodpecker (2^nd January – calling by Afton Marsh).

68)  Chaffinch (2^nd January – Yarmouth Mill Stream garden).

69)  Song Thrush (2^nd January – Yarmouth Mill Stream garden).

70)  Greenfinch (2^nd January – Mill Copse).

71)  Common Snipe (3^rd January – Rofford Marsh).

72)  Linnet (4^th January – Tennyson Down).

73)  Gannet (5^th January – Freshwater Bay).

74)  Guillemot (5^th January – Fort Vic)

75)  Great Crested Grebe (5^th January – Fort Vic).

76)  Greylag Goose (8^th January – Mill Copse Pool)

77)  Reed Bunting (8^th January – Western Yar Estuary).

78)  Goldeneye (8^th January – Western Yar Estuary).

79)  Peregrine Falcon (8^th January – Western Yar Estuary).

80)  Long-tailed Tit (10^th January – Freshwater Causeway).

81)  Grey Partridge (10^th January – Western Yar East fields).

82)  Shag (6^th January – Freshwater Bay).

83)  Tufted Duck (11^th January – Yarmouth Station Pools).

84)  Water Rail (13^th January – Freshwater Causeway).

85)  Great-spotted Woodpecker (16^th January – Western Yar).

86)  Collared Dove (16^th January – Western Yar).

87)  Bullfinch (16^th January – Western Yar).

88)  Skylark (17^th January – King’s Manor Farm)

89)  Green Sandpiper (29^th January – Freshwater Causeway).

90)  Red-legged Partridge (3^rd February – Causeway Field).

91)  Yellowhammer (3^rd February – Lee Farm, Thorley).

92)  Long-eared Owl (6^th February – Western Yar).

93)  Raven (7^th February – Golden Hill CP).

94)  Eider (8^th February – Fort Vic).

95)  Lesser Black-backed Gull (25^th February – Yarmouth Mill Pool).

96)  Cetti’s Warbler (4^th March – Rofford Marsh).

97)  Woodcock (5^th March – Afton Marsh).

98)  Mistle Thrush (7^th March – Fields off Wilmingham Lane).

99)  Coal Tit (12^th March – Afton Marsh).

100)                      Black Redstart (14^th March – 7 Golden Ridge).

I've done very little sea-watching this year, so the list is lacking any of the Divers, plus Razorbill and Common Scoter, which I would have expected to come across without too much trouble. It's also meant that I've not seen any Kittiwakes yet after seeing so many last winter. Other big surprises are the lack of Treecreeper, Fieldfare and Little Owl. The big disappointment is missing the 4 Spoonbills that spent a bit of time circling over Yarmouth a few days ago - it's still a bird that I'm yet to encounter in the UK. Although much of my time over the coming months will be taken up pursuing 6-legged fare, I'll still be on the lookout for new bird species, particularly as the migrants begin to arrive!