New garden moth

After two weeks away and missing all this great mothing weather, I was itching to get the traps out when I returned home. First up was the 160w MVB which brought me a 50+ species, 400+ individual insect catch, followed on Saturday night with the 15w actinic which produced the expected much lower numbers, but did manage a first for the garden - The Miller.

The Miller, Farcet Fen, 5 July 09. Attracted to light (15w actinic). New for the garden.

Birds Wing, Farcet Fen, 4 July 09. Attracted to light (160w MVB).

Pale Prominent, Farcet Fen, 4 July 09. Attracted to light (160w MVB).

White Satin Moth, Farcet Fen, 5 July 09. Attracted to light (15w actinic).

Yellow-tail, Farcet Fen, 5 July 09. Attracted to light (15w actinic).

Buff-tip, Farcet Fen, 4 July 09. Attracted to light (160w MVB).

A couple of days in the Highlands

After leading my group around Shetland & Orkney, it was great to spend a couple of days with Liz in the Highlands. Strath Connon and Strath Dearn were out chosen places. Great weather, great landscapes, great wildlife inc. butterflies, Azure Hawker, Northern Emerald, Golden-ringed Draongfly, etc, etc.

Strath Dearn

Juvenile Northern Wheatear, Strath Connon

Dark Green Fritiallry, Strath Connon

Golden-ringed Dragonfly burn, Strath Connon

Lady Poole of Loch Eye House

When you book into a B&B you never imagine that you'll be staying in the house of the aristocracy! Liz booked a couple of nights at Loch Eye House. I left it all to her. I saw the small photo in the Sawday's guide and read the blurb, but it didn't say much and I was focussed on preapring for my trip to Shetland and Orkney.

Loch Eye House - for sale!

So, image my surprise when we arrive at Loch Eye House and are greeted by Lady Poole! And it doesn't end there. No, she announces she was so looking forward to our coming as she wanted to know if we were related! Errr? It turns out that Lady Poole was formerly Lucinda Dudley and has a full heraldic family tree in the downstairs look going back to the 15th centuary and includes none other than Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester attendant to Queen Liz the first! Wow!

Well, there was no one on the family tree which I recognised (other than a few famous historical figures) so if we are relatedm then it must be another branch. To her releif no doubt!

Our room with a view across the lawn and loch

Lucinda showed us our room - and what a view! - before inviting us to join her for a drink outside. We sipped wine (or in my case homemade elderflower cordial - made by the Lady of the house) and helped Lucionda shell fresh peas for our dinner before being joined by Michael Loch, friend of Lucinda's from up the road.

At first glance Lady Poole comes across as your typical aristo. Stiff, clipped voice, jaunty laugh, etc. But looks can be deceptive. No, Lucinda isn't one of those aristos that lets everyone run around after her. Definately not. OK, there was the odd mention of the great and the good during conversation (dear friend Michael Portillo for instance), her daily (who was holoday aso unable to help with us), her charity work for Marie Curie Cancer Research and we got to meet Ronnie her gardener-come-handyman, - but no, you definately got the impression that here was one plucky lady who turned her hand to most things. We caught her still recovering from a brain operation (!) but she still saw to our needs, cooked us a superb dinner and breakfasted with us each morning, up and down to make our toast, my boiled egg (done to perfection), making a new loaf of bread - she didn't stop! And her recounting of the day she was told about her brain condition would make a memorable comedy sketch! I now know where the likes of Messers Higson and Whitehouse get their inspiration from (e.g. Rowley Birkin QC).

The fabulous fabric-covered walls of the dining room

Lucinda knew the house and loch as a girl (she skated on the loch in winter) and when she marreid Lord Poole became Lady of the house and estate. But in these hard times, turning her hand to B&B was hope to save the house, but times are hard and she has had to put the house up for sale for a snip at £1.5 million (I wonder how much it would be if it was in Surrey!).

A homage to Lady Poole's beloved wee dog, Beetle

The house's grounds aren't bad either - Spotted Flycatcher, Woodcock, Buzzard. A memorable B&B indeed!

Lucinda was real fun to spend time with and partly blew away some of my pre-conceptions of aristos (only some!) and her wee dog, Beetle, was equally free-thinking and did as she pleased!

Shetland & Orkney, 21 - 30 June 09

Primula Scotica, Orkney, June 09 © Steve Dudley

I'm just back from an excellent trip leading a group around the northern isles. Birds, wildlife and Neolithic archaeology were all on the agenda, but the star of the show for me was finding Primula scotica in full flower. A carpet of them between the two main flowering periods. The best show I've ever seen!

For full report and lists see here.

Another new footman!

No, we dont have staff, but a new moth for the garden.

Four-dotted Footman. Caught at light (160w MVB).

When I put the MV out last night it was lovely and cloudy, warm and humid, but I was very disappointed when at midnight I popped out and found clear skies and dropping temps. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a new moth for me and my garden in the form of a Four-dotted Footman - according to Barry Dickerson's uber Hunts stats spreadsheet, this is the first in my square since 1878!

© Steve Dudley / Panasonic Lumix FZ-30

Hawkmoths and Fan-foot

A good moth catch overnight with 180+ insects, the pick being -

One of my favourite moths, Eyed Hawkmoth, and only the third year I have caught them here (2004, 2007).

All pink moths are smart! Elephant Hawkmoth. The fourth consecutive year I've caught this species.

Fan-foot - not regular here by any means.

Hummer in the house!

Many of us enjoy seeing Hummingbird Hawkmoths in our gardens in summer, but this evening whilst having dinner, I was amazed to find a Hummer roosting above us on one of the kitchen velux roof windows!

Craptic!

Well, one of the lighter moments of today's BOU Records Committee (BOURC) meeting was a discussion on species diagnosibility. This included the term 'cryptic' in the sense that some species might not be identifiable to the ear or eye without the use of technology (sound recording, UV light, etc).

So if these unidentifiable species how should we refer to the 'subtlely different' species which we can just identify from one another. 'Craptic' (or maybe that should be craptick!) got blurted out. Like it!

Well, craptic, I know we've all had a few!

For the official definition of craptic, pleae see the BOURC's very own taxonomic and all things meaningful guru, Doc Martin.

Ladies and cheeky chaps

Anyone with even a smidgin of wildlife interest wont have failed to either notice or hear about the recent butterfly 'invasion' . Well, what probably amounts to millions of Painted Lady butterflies were seen moving north through Britain over the last week or so. They originate from North Africa and Butterfly Conservation want your records. Well, I saw a few thousand go through the garden and over the last few days they've stopped moving through and are now hanging around in good numbers. Apparently there's also been good numbers of Hummingbird Hawkmoths, but I aint seen any yet, but we do record them annually in the garden.

One of the other notable things in the garden are our Tree Sparrows. These cheeky chappies nest around the gardens here and the first fledglings are now begging for food in the garden. This one likes to sit on the phone wire outside on of my office windows and chirp his little head off!

Recent garden moths

I ran the 15 actinic treap a few tims in recent weeks but caught nothing. I dusted off the Robinson MVB trap and bingo!

Purple Thorn, Farcet Fen, 5 Apr 09. Caught at light (160w MVB).

Hebrew Character, Farcet Fen, 5 Apr 09. Caught at light (160w MVB).


The Herald, Farcet Fen, 5 Apr 09. Caught at light (160w MVB).

Powdered Quaker, Farcet Fen, 15 Apr 09. Caught at light (160w MVB).

Dotted Border, Farcet Fen, 15 Apr 09. A new species for the garden and last caught in TL29SW in 1992! Caught at light (160w MVB).

Unfortunately my first Streamer eluded me whilst trying to pot it!

Common Cranes! House tick no. 128!

Well, its been some time coming but I knew they would fall in the end. We've had cranes pretty much in residence in the area for at least a year. Two in particular are not infrequently reported from the Nene Washes and Woodwalton Fen. Our house lies pretty much slap between these two large areas and I've been banging on for ages about how they must be flying over the house! Well, at last I've caught them! I was just nipping out to the bins when I saw two shapes in the sky. Immediately recognising they were moving far too slowly for Cormorants, they then banked and even at distance I knew immediately what they were. I dashed in to the kitchen (nearest pair of bins) and once I realised they were heading straight for me, back in to the house, upstairs to the office, grab the camera and hanging out of the bathroom window got a couple of record shots. Grand stuff!