Moths, Shieldbug, Fungi and Black-Headed Gull

I put out the moth trap every night last week due to the mild overnight temperatures and dry weather. I trapped several new species for the year - Lunar Underwing, Blair's Shoulder Knot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Garden Carpet, Copper Underwing, Black Rustic, Beaded Chestnut, Snout and Treble-bar. The last two are also completely new species for the garden.

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Lunar Underwing

Willow Beauty

Blair's Shoulder Knot - a recent colonist - 1st recorded on the Isle of Wight in 1951 and the species has spread rapidly northwards

Copper Underwing - you might just be able to make out a glimpse of this species beautiful coppery "underskirt". Very late arriving in my garden this year.

Treble-bar - Larvae feed on St John's Wort - it would be nice to think the mass of St John's Wort plants in the mini wildflower meadow has paid dividends!!

Snout

Garden Carpet (hopefully, I'm very good at getting this species confused with Spruce Carpet!!)

Black Rustic

Near the trap one morning I found this rather beautifully marked Shieldbug - not 100% sure of its id - could it be Red-legged Shield Bug? (it seems a bit early for Green Shieldbug in its Winter colouration??)

I spotted these fungi growing near a community centre in Bentley Heath. I've had a quick look at my id guides but haven't a clue. My fungi id skills are woeful. In fact, the only species I can identify with any degree are confidence are Fly Agaric, Shaggy Inkcap, Puffball and Turkeytail! Wild mushrooms will never be on the menu in our household!

Edit - Many thanks to Stewart (please see comments). Fungi are one of the Bolete species. Should also have mentioned that diameter of largest was 4/5 inches approximately!

I stopped off briefly at the lake at Brueton Park last week - a few photos of a Black-headed Gull

I've put the moth summaries at the end of the post as I am sure most people won't wish to wade through them all!!




Saturday, 21st September

Minimum Temperature 13.9 degrees centigrade

15w Actinic Skinner Trap (used for all moth trappings - to save me typing it again!!!)



2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 12

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 6

2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) x 3 NFY

1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) x 1

0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) x 2



Sunday, 22nd September

Min Temp 11.1 degrees centigrade


2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 24

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 5

2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) x 14

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) x 1

0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) x 1

2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) x 2 NFY

2240 Blair's Shoulder Knot Lithophane Leautieri x 1 NFY

2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) x 2 NFY

1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) x 1 NFY


Monday 23rd September

Min Temp 14.2

2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) x 26

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 21

2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) x 1

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 8

2232 Black Rustic (Aprorophyla nigra) x 2 NFY

2267 Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) x 1 NFY

2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) x 3

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribataodes rhomboidaria) x 2



Tuesday, 24th September

Min Temp 11.6 degrees centigrade

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 31

2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) x 16

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 5

2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) x 1

2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) x 1

2441 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) x 1

2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) x 1


Wednesday, 25th September

Min Temp 11.9

2270 Lunar Underwing (Ompahloscelis lunosa) x 23

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 18

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 3

2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) x 2

2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) x 2

0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) x 1

2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) x 3

1728 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) x 1

2477 Snout (Hypena probosciclalis) x 1 NFY NFG

1867 Treble-bar (Aplocera plagiata) x 1 NFY NFG



Thursday, 26th September

Min Temp 8.9

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 17

2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) x 16

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 1

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) x 1

2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) x 3

1867 Treble-bar (Aplocera plagiata) x 1 (Not a retrap as previous night's still in fridge!)


Friday, 27th September

Min Temp 8.7

2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphalosclelis lunosa) x 29

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) x 15

2232 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) x 1

1738 Garden Carpet (Xabtgirgie fluctuata) x 1

1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chorloclysta truncata) x 1

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) x 1

2297 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea) x 1

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) x 1



Sadly, no sign of Merveille du Jour a species never trapped but one I hope for every year at this time!!!

A Brilliant Discovery

For many years I've been trying to find a good local Nature Reserve that has a good range of habitats and species and is close enough to home for me just to be able to pop along for a couple of hours. Brandon Marsh will always be my favourite Nature Reserve but it takes about 45 minutes travelling time just to get there. Middleton Lakes a fairly new RSPB Reserve in the Tame Valley takes as long and there is a long walk to reach the reserve from the car park. There a couple of other reserves closer to home I sometimes visit with Brian but to be honest for various reasons I have never been that keen on going to them on my own.

I've known about Marsh Lane Nature Reserve for many years and it is by far the closest to home but its fairly expensive to become a member for a year and to take out a day permit you have to leave a £50 deposit for the key collected from a Fisheries close to the reserve. Its just been one of those things I've never got round to. Yesterday, feeling rather fed up that I hadn't had time to visit Brandon Marshes for ages and, having a couple of hours to spare, I decided to go and fetch a day permit and have a look round Marsh Lane as every birder I chat too is full of praise for the site.

The reserve is located at Berkswell, between Solihull and Coventry and lies adjacent to the River Blythe and within its flood plan. RMC Aggregates extracted sand and gravel from the area from 1995 to 1999. Since quarrying ceased the land has been reinstated by the quarrying company and the site's owner - Packington Estates and it opened as a reserve to permit holders in 2001.

There is a good range of habitats - 3 pools (2 with islands), reedbeds, woodland, grassland, agricultural land, wet grassland with scrapes, lots of hedgerows, and a 5 acre field set aside to provide food for finches and buntings. There are five hides, a couple of feedings stations and several locked car parks. Up to March 2013 the bird site list stands at 195.

The photos aren't very good but will give you a flavour of the Reserve

Grey Heron

Greylag Geese

If you enlarge this photo you might be able to see a Bar-headed Goose - a bird from Asia and no doubt an escapee! Yesterday when I hadn't got my camera with me I spotted a Black Australian Swan.

This is the set-aside field adjacent to the car park. In fact the Car Park Hide is only about 50-100 metres from the car park - so a good place to go if its raining!!

The hedgerows were full of berries - rowan, sloes, elderberries and several apple trees full of fruit too.

I was really impressed with the reserve and have decided to join so I can hopefully make regular visits. I just wish I had checked it out years ago. It was one of those places that you occasionally visit that seem immediately familiar as if you have been visiting all your life!!! It reminded me very much of a smaller Brandon Marsh.



I will do a moth post in a few days. I have been trapping every night during this warm, humid, dry weather and have been trapping a lot of species new for the year and even some (when id confirmed) completely new for the garden. Am still in the process of identifying a few from photos and listing all the species seen each night.

A Glimpse into the World of Harry Potter - Part 2

Returning to the World of Harry Potter. Following the first part of the Tour you emerge into The Backlot - during film production this area was used as home to some of the exterior shots.

The Backlot

The Riddle Family Gravestone

The Potter's Cottage - Godric Hollow

The Knight Bus

Hogwart's Bridge

Privet Drive

The Chess Pieces

No tour would be complete without a glass of "Butterbeer"! Emily paid the highest price and got to keep the mug! It was very refreshing with a taste of honey.

The Tour then returned indoors to the Creature's Shop

Fawkes

Mandrake

Aragog

Diagon Alley - for me this was the best part of the Tour

The Tour ends with a superb model of Hogwart's which has an incredible amount of detail. Its hard to get an idea of scale from the photos but its fairly large! The model was made for the first film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Nearby it appeared another film was being made as you could just see the tips of what looked like pirate ships - well hidden away from view by embankments and fencing!

Despite being quite expensive it was a great family day out and a wonderful place for children of all ages who have read the books and seen the films. It took us about 4 hours to walk round the Tour but you could easily spend a lot longer as there is so much to see and take in. Despite timed tickets there was still a wait (of about 35 minutes) before you started the Tour and even though it was a Friday in term-time it was packed with people. Having said that I would certainly go again!

Next post - back to Moths!