I'm sure I'm not the only birding sole to find themsevles checking over their lists come the end of the year. Make sure everything is in order. Everything that should be ticked is ticked.
Mine was spurred on by my 140th local patch tick in the form of a Woodcock which Liz and I flushed from an open arable field margin on the fen this afternoon. Shame it wasn't my 122nd garden tick tho - that would count as both!
As one's lists get ever bigger, adding to them gets ever more difficult. I've been lucky tho this year as I have added to all my important local lists -
Garden List - six species added in 2006 - Siskin, Whimbrel, Black Tern, Egyptian Goose, American Golden Plover, Twite. End of year total = 121 - and keeps me in fourth place in the Cambs county garden list stakes! Only ten behind third place - maybe still a few years away tho.
Farcet Fen List - three species added in 2006 - the above garden goodies plus Honey-buzzard, American Golden Plover, Twite. End of year total = 140.
Peterborough Area List - four species added in 2006 - Honey-buzzard, Nightjar, American Golden Plover, Twite. End of year total of 227 puts me joint highest in the Peterborough area listers with the old boy Martin Coates.
Garden moth list - lots added, but the stars being the large influx of migrant moths including Convolvulus Hawkmoth (2), The Vestal (4), Great Brocade (3), Small Mottled Willow (13) and the stacks of Hummingbird Hawkmoths around this year, with a max coun of seven around the house.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Twelve birds of Christmas
My true love gave to me,
A Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the second day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the third day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the eight day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Nine Chaff Finches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Ten Tree Sparrows,
Nine Chaff Finches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eleven Green Finches,
Ten Tree Sparrows,
Nine Chaff Finches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Twelve Grey Partridges,
Eleven Green Finches,
Ten Tree Sparrows,
Nine Chaffinches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Christmas all wrapped up!
Christmas is sorted this year with Oxfam's fantastic Oxfam Unwrapped scheme. How does it work? Well, you choose how much you want to spend. Buy the gift. If you do it online Oxfam will post a card and fridge magnet depicting your gift to your family member/friend for xmas, if in store you take the card and magnet away and can write your own message. It’s so easy!
And just look what you can get for under £20! You can plant some trees. You can buy a school desk and chair. Text books. Mosquito nets for babies. Fishing nets' A whole market stall. A lama or a goat. An animal care kit. Wow! The list is endless.
And these gifts make a difference.
Trees help replenish diminishing habitat vital for wildlife and local communities. Trees provide food and shelter for wild birds and animals, man and beast alike. They also provide a sustainable fuel source for wood for cooking.
Any of the education gifts benefit not only the individual child, but in the longer term their family and community.
And health gifts save lives.
So - what are you waiting for? Get buying! This is the sort of consumerism I can live with!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Eco links
Here are some valuable eco links we have been finding useful in our switch to a more eco, ethical and sustainable way of life.
Construction Resources - planning some DIY or self-building? Here's a place for you. From eco paint to solar power (and the planned source of our own solar power needs to be installed in 2007!).
Ecotricity - green energy generator committed to increasing the amount of renewable energy generation in the UK.
Ecological Building Systems - a must-visit home eco improvement sites for insulating your home and creating a improved living atmosphere in the home.
The Ecologist - monthly eco-mag for the freer eco and ethical thinker and doer.
Ethical Man - BBC Newsnight's Justin Rowlatt's ethical living blog.
Green Building Store - another great site for the eco DIYer or self-builder. Don't buy without checking things out here first.
Nigel's Eco Store - environmentally friendly products fro sustainable living - eating, sleeping, drinking, bathing, lighting. laundry and much more - its all here!
Westfire Stoves - reduce your energy consumption by heating in your home with a sustainable fuel - wood!
Ajeer Reclamation - reclaimed building materials.
Penny Bricks & Timber - another site for reclaimed building materials.
Channel 4's Homes Eco Cleaning - some of the old remedies are still the best - for the environment at least!
Construction Resources - planning some DIY or self-building? Here's a place for you. From eco paint to solar power (and the planned source of our own solar power needs to be installed in 2007!).
Ecotricity - green energy generator committed to increasing the amount of renewable energy generation in the UK.
Ecological Building Systems - a must-visit home eco improvement sites for insulating your home and creating a improved living atmosphere in the home.
The Ecologist - monthly eco-mag for the freer eco and ethical thinker and doer.
Ethical Man - BBC Newsnight's Justin Rowlatt's ethical living blog.
Green Building Store - another great site for the eco DIYer or self-builder. Don't buy without checking things out here first.
Nigel's Eco Store - environmentally friendly products fro sustainable living - eating, sleeping, drinking, bathing, lighting. laundry and much more - its all here!
Westfire Stoves - reduce your energy consumption by heating in your home with a sustainable fuel - wood!
Ajeer Reclamation - reclaimed building materials.
Penny Bricks & Timber - another site for reclaimed building materials.
Channel 4's Homes Eco Cleaning - some of the old remedies are still the best - for the environment at least!
Switch - and then switch off!
What's this?
Well, its a green energy generator, and amidst the con that is green electricity generation, Ecotricity stands out from the eco-con crowd. Why? Well, just check out this aticle from the Ecologist.
Ecotricity is the only energy company that is committed to increasing renewable energy generation. How? They reinvest in building more green energy generators - see here.
So, having trudged through all the various electricity generators websites, we've just switched to ecotrocity and have also pledged to reduce our consumption. Just because you buy from a green source doesn't mean you can use as much as you want. Switch and switch off!
Ecotrocity say they won't cost you a penny more than your existing provider. Hell, I don't care if they do! Helping to save the planet has gotta be worth paying for anyway.
£ per customer each energy company invested in combsatting climate change 2004-2005
(source: The Ecologist 2005)
Ecotricity - £901.64Powergen - £8.33
Npower - £7.20
Scottish Power - £4.46
EDF Energy - £0.00
Good Energy - £0.00
Green Energy UK - £0.00
Scottish & Southern Energy - £0.00
Ecotricity's founder, Dale Vince, even makes the Top 100 Green List.
An eco and ethical way of life?
Wow ! What a topic to embark on eh?
Well, Liz and I have been doing a bit of naval gazing and have decided that we need to re-address our way of living.
Ahead of us are some major issues affecting some major issues of our lifestyle. Such as -
Christmas - try buying a present which hasn't come half way round the globe! And what far-flung countries should we continue to support? Some country's clearly need trade with western countries to maintain their economy and without which their people would be in even worse plight. But we MUST reduce the airmiles of much of what we buy - buy locally!
Energy - like all homes we guzzle on non-renewable energy. In our case electricity and LPG. All regular bulbs have already been replaced with low energy bulbs (John Lewis currently have 8w and 11w (60w and 100w equivalents) for only 99p!! see here - they make cracking stocking fillers for xmas!).
Building - having bought the cottage, we are about to embark on a major building project converting the two cottages into one home. And we want to do it eco-style! FSC timber, lime mortar, the works. But will we be able to afford it?
Holidays and travel - the big one! Just how often do we fly? We both fly occasionally for work, and to some extent we've kinda agreed that this is a necessary eveil of our respective livelihoods. However, can flying for pleasure, i.e. to simply go birding abroad, ever be justified? Well, until recently I thought not. But then someone laid the developing country argument on me. The main thrust is that apart from some countries needing tourism for their economy to survive, some countries also need eco-tourism for their environment to survive. Without eco-tourists some wild habitats of many countries will simply be destroyed as their will be no local value or need for them. Geeeze - what a lose-lose situation! We are buggered if we fly there and the place is buggered if no of us bother! So, perhaps we simply reduce the amount of air travel we do. Make fewer journeys and perhaps stay in each destination longer to make up for fewer holidays? At least it will be a compromise that will see us reducing our overall travel and carbon emissions.
Well, lets se how we get on!
Birding 'au naturale'
It's been an age since I last bothered posting anything. Why? Not been birding?
Far from it. I might not have been as active as usual as work and Cambs bird report have eaten into my spare time, but Farcet Fen is still alive and well.
No, apart from time, I guess the main reason is lack of photos. See, blogs, especially birding blogs, are in the main visual things. Anything too wordy and both me and reader soon gets bored. No. Pictures have been the driver of birding blogs (apart from the odd exceptional wordsmith birder-blogger such as the Georgey Bristow geezer and his secret freezer).
And why no pics? Well, you see I've gone all 'au naturale'. Yup. I've ditched the gear. I've long since dumped the scope from my Farcet Fen rounds. It went from Leica APO 77 to APO 62. Then the tripod went to a monopod. Then the scope went (and I couldn't see the point in carrying the monopod around on its own!). So, no scope means no digiscoping. No digiscoping means not birdy pics. Once the summer wained, I also ditched the Panasonic FZ-30. So its just me and my bins. I've switched back to my Leica Duovids (8x+12x) to partially compensate, but we'll see how for long, as I do miss a wide field and to that end, I may end up switching to my Ultravid 7x42s for the winter instead.
So, I'll have to get crafty with the words and apart form birds, think of some other topics to droll on about! At least you can't hear my wilting Lancashire drawl!
Far from it. I might not have been as active as usual as work and Cambs bird report have eaten into my spare time, but Farcet Fen is still alive and well.
No, apart from time, I guess the main reason is lack of photos. See, blogs, especially birding blogs, are in the main visual things. Anything too wordy and both me and reader soon gets bored. No. Pictures have been the driver of birding blogs (apart from the odd exceptional wordsmith birder-blogger such as the Georgey Bristow geezer and his secret freezer).
And why no pics? Well, you see I've gone all 'au naturale'. Yup. I've ditched the gear. I've long since dumped the scope from my Farcet Fen rounds. It went from Leica APO 77 to APO 62. Then the tripod went to a monopod. Then the scope went (and I couldn't see the point in carrying the monopod around on its own!). So, no scope means no digiscoping. No digiscoping means not birdy pics. Once the summer wained, I also ditched the Panasonic FZ-30. So its just me and my bins. I've switched back to my Leica Duovids (8x+12x) to partially compensate, but we'll see how for long, as I do miss a wide field and to that end, I may end up switching to my Ultravid 7x42s for the winter instead.
So, I'll have to get crafty with the words and apart form birds, think of some other topics to droll on about! At least you can't hear my wilting Lancashire drawl!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Two American Goldies!
American Golden Plover a moulting adult
with Lapwing and European Golden Pover (top bird)
Deeping High Bank © Mike Weedon
Today started pretty miserably. After last nights high of finding a first for the Peterborough area (and c.5th record for Cambs, not sure about Hunts), a juvvy American Golden Plover (and first juv seen in Cambs), there was no sign of it this morning for myself and the hardy soles helping me search the fen. Second only to finding a good bird is getting other folk to see it, so I always find it gutting when you end up as a a dreaded lone observer on such goodies.
With still no further sign of the AGP over lunch when I did a quick tour of my immediate fields, I headed up to Deeping St Nicholas for a meeting at Vine House Farm. Early on in the meeting my phone vibrated. Looking at the caller, Bowell the younger, I took the call hoping that Will had re-located the AGP having taken the day off cos it was his birthday. By the sound of it, Will had re-found it, but it was now near Crowland Water Tower along the Deeping High Bank, c.8 miles north of Peterborough (Farcet Fen is c.5miles SSW of Pboro). On leaving my meeting at 5pm I found a text from Mark Hawkes saying the Deeping bird was an adult! I was only a few minutes from Crowland Water Tower and was soon with Will, Mark and Trevor Williams looking at a moulting adult AGP (above pic - stolen from Mikey Wee as I didn't manage to get a shot of the juv last night in the semi-dark).
My attempt to depict last nights AGP here on Farcet Fen!
Now what chance is that? Two AGPs within 15 miles of each other in our area on consective days? (well stranger things have happened in Lincs, such as Tetney hosting both AGP and Pacific GP at the same time in the '80s).
So, having gone from elation last night to deflation this morning, it was elation thinking my bird had been refound, but deflation to find it hadn't and back to elation again that another had!
with Lapwing and European Golden Pover (top bird)
Deeping High Bank © Mike Weedon
Today started pretty miserably. After last nights high of finding a first for the Peterborough area (and c.5th record for Cambs, not sure about Hunts), a juvvy American Golden Plover (and first juv seen in Cambs), there was no sign of it this morning for myself and the hardy soles helping me search the fen. Second only to finding a good bird is getting other folk to see it, so I always find it gutting when you end up as a a dreaded lone observer on such goodies.
With still no further sign of the AGP over lunch when I did a quick tour of my immediate fields, I headed up to Deeping St Nicholas for a meeting at Vine House Farm. Early on in the meeting my phone vibrated. Looking at the caller, Bowell the younger, I took the call hoping that Will had re-located the AGP having taken the day off cos it was his birthday. By the sound of it, Will had re-found it, but it was now near Crowland Water Tower along the Deeping High Bank, c.8 miles north of Peterborough (Farcet Fen is c.5miles SSW of Pboro). On leaving my meeting at 5pm I found a text from Mark Hawkes saying the Deeping bird was an adult! I was only a few minutes from Crowland Water Tower and was soon with Will, Mark and Trevor Williams looking at a moulting adult AGP (above pic - stolen from Mikey Wee as I didn't manage to get a shot of the juv last night in the semi-dark).
My attempt to depict last nights AGP here on Farcet Fen!
Now what chance is that? Two AGPs within 15 miles of each other in our area on consective days? (well stranger things have happened in Lincs, such as Tetney hosting both AGP and Pacific GP at the same time in the '80s).
So, having gone from elation last night to deflation this morning, it was elation thinking my bird had been refound, but deflation to find it hadn't and back to elation again that another had!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Spadger-basher-bather
Our 'sombrero' is a firm favourite with the local bird community, but this is the first time we've seen a Sparrowhawk using it.
Ding Dong! The Birds are gonna sing . . .
23 September 2006
Liz and Steve tie the knot! And the wildlife connection? Well, at least we saw a Rose-coloured Starling on our honeymoon! Plus Red-backed Shrike, Richard's Pipit . . .
Liz and Steve tie the knot! And the wildlife connection? Well, at least we saw a Rose-coloured Starling on our honeymoon! Plus Red-backed Shrike, Richard's Pipit . . .
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Another Convolvulus Hawk-moth
Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Farcet Fen, 17 Sept 06
The second caught here this week (see below) and clearly a different individual (as well as markings it was smaller). Caught at 160w MV.
Liz admiring the big critter
What a boy!
Other migrants in the trap over night -
Pearly Underwing (1 - new for here), Vestal (2), Dark-sword Grass (1), Scarce Bordered Straw (1) and Diamond-back Moth (2).
More recent moth images caught in Cambs on Cambs Moth Gallery
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
The second caught here this week (see below) and clearly a different individual (as well as markings it was smaller). Caught at 160w MV.
Liz admiring the big critter
What a boy!
Other migrants in the trap over night -
Pearly Underwing (1 - new for here), Vestal (2), Dark-sword Grass (1), Scarce Bordered Straw (1) and Diamond-back Moth (2).
More recent moth images caught in Cambs on Cambs Moth Gallery
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
Friday, September 15, 2006
Scarce Bordered Straw
Scarce Bordered Straw, Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06
With Convolvulus Hawk-moth, The Vestal and Scarce Bordered Straw, the night of 14/15 Sept makes it the best night here for migrant moths I've ever had.
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
With Convolvulus Hawk-moth, The Vestal and Scarce Bordered Straw, the night of 14/15 Sept makes it the best night here for migrant moths I've ever had.
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
Convolvulus Hawk-moth
Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06
This is what greeted me when I opened my 15w actinic trap this morning!
Despite the other great migrant moths caught during the summer, there's nothing quite like a biggie is there?! It nearly filled my little 15w actinic trap.
The Vestal, Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06
My second of the week. Caught at 15w actinic.
Brown-spot Pinion, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
New for the garden.
Spruce Carpet, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
Another new species for the garden.
Frosted Orange, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
This is what greeted me when I opened my 15w actinic trap this morning!
Despite the other great migrant moths caught during the summer, there's nothing quite like a biggie is there?! It nearly filled my little 15w actinic trap.
The Vestal, Farcet Fen, 15 Sept 06
My second of the week. Caught at 15w actinic.
Brown-spot Pinion, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
New for the garden.
Spruce Carpet, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
Another new species for the garden.
Frosted Orange, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The Vestal and other migrant moths
The Vestal, Farcet Fen, 13 Sept 06
I found this moth feeding on buddleia at c.2200h. I suspected it was a Vestal but it was constantly on the move and I couldn't see its wing markings. A fumbled attempt to catch it saw it spiral over my head and upwards. An instinctive leap upwards and with outstretched hand, I took it cleanly. But the fun wasn't over yet. I raced inside and tried to put it in a pot. Never easy to do getting a moth out of your closed hand in to a tiny viewing pot. And o surprise then that it took flight! Luckily I had the foresight to close the back door and it headed straight for the light. My next fear was that it would get stuck in one of the many spiders' webs, but luckily it finally landed, and once at rest I could see immediately that my initial suspicion was correct and this was indeed a Vestal - the first for more, for here and the third in Cambs today!
Other migrants caught here overnight (MV light) included a single Diamond-back Moth and two Dark Sword-grass.
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
I found this moth feeding on buddleia at c.2200h. I suspected it was a Vestal but it was constantly on the move and I couldn't see its wing markings. A fumbled attempt to catch it saw it spiral over my head and upwards. An instinctive leap upwards and with outstretched hand, I took it cleanly. But the fun wasn't over yet. I raced inside and tried to put it in a pot. Never easy to do getting a moth out of your closed hand in to a tiny viewing pot. And o surprise then that it took flight! Luckily I had the foresight to close the back door and it headed straight for the light. My next fear was that it would get stuck in one of the many spiders' webs, but luckily it finally landed, and once at rest I could see immediately that my initial suspicion was correct and this was indeed a Vestal - the first for more, for here and the third in Cambs today!
Other migrants caught here overnight (MV light) included a single Diamond-back Moth and two Dark Sword-grass.
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Diamond-back Moth
Diamond-back Moth, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
I can't beleive how long I've had to wait for this little critter to turn up in the trap. And three turn up in two days. Hardly the easiest of things to photo either. I lost the other two before this one decided to play ball.
Pale Mottled Willow, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
Small Blood-vein, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
Blood-vein, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
Light Emerald, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
More Cambs moth on the Cambs Moth Gallery
I can't beleive how long I've had to wait for this little critter to turn up in the trap. And three turn up in two days. Hardly the easiest of things to photo either. I lost the other two before this one decided to play ball.
Pale Mottled Willow, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
Small Blood-vein, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
Blood-vein, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
Light Emerald, Farcet Fen, 11 Sept 06
More Cambs moth on the Cambs Moth Gallery
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Moth garden tick
Oak Hook-tip, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
Another garden, Farcet Fen and 5-km square first - and not an oak tree in sight of the house. There are a couple of oaks on the fen, with a few more a Holme Fen just a couple of miles away.
Large Wainscot, Farcet Fen, 05 Sept 06
Another garden first!
Dark Sword-grass, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
A few migrants still making it through.
Centre-barred Sallow, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
Orange Swift, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
Another garden, Farcet Fen and 5-km square first - and not an oak tree in sight of the house. There are a couple of oaks on the fen, with a few more a Holme Fen just a couple of miles away.
Large Wainscot, Farcet Fen, 05 Sept 06
Another garden first!Dark Sword-grass, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
A few migrants still making it through.
Centre-barred Sallow, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
Orange Swift, Farcet Fen, 03 Sept 06
© Steve Dudley | toadsnatcher.com
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Spadger-basher
This young female Sparrowhawk is one of at least four birds being seen regularly around the house at present. A young male hasn't quite worked it out yet, and spend long periods sat in one or other of the trees (unfortunately out of view of the camera) and wonders why no birds come back to the feeders! Guess he didn't too well in his GCSEs!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Something from the weekend
Leopard Slug - munching on melon with Great Black Slug and snail
Great Black Slug - orange form. Dig the tread!
Wee baby Common Lizard in the garden
Cryptic Red Underwing - one of these came in to the house today seeking shelter during an almighty rain and hail storm
Tangled kites
Clouds gathering around Woodwalton Fen
Kebba grilling a tit flock at Rutland Water
Comma at Rutland Water
All photos | Panasonic Lumix FZ-30
Great Black Slug - orange form. Dig the tread!
Wee baby Common Lizard in the garden
Cryptic Red Underwing - one of these came in to the house today seeking shelter during an almighty rain and hail storm
Tangled kites
Clouds gathering around Woodwalton Fen
Kebba grilling a tit flock at Rutland Water
Comma at Rutland Water
All photos | Panasonic Lumix FZ-30
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Kebba Sosseh - Gambian Bird Guide
Liz and I met Kebba Sosseh last year and have been good friends ever since.
Kebba is one of the growing number of bird guides in The Gambia - difference is, Kebba is good. Real good. He works with Solomon Jallow and his Habitat Africa guides and can be found leading for several UK wildlife/birding tour companies as well as freelance guiding from his base at the Senegambia Hotel.
Kebba has just set up his own blog - click here - of which he is rightly proud!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
More migrant moths
Part of last nights catch including Hummingbird Hawkmoth (middle right) and Poplar Hawkmoth (top left).
This Hummer was the first I have ever caught in a light trap (this one attracted to a 15w actinic). Presumably one of the three thats been hanging around the garden in recent days.
This was a different Hummer feeding in the garden whilst the 'trapped' moth was still roosting up on the kitchen wall.
This one of four Small Mottled Willows caught in the last two days, and my ninth for the year. Also another Dark Sword-grass caught yesterday. Click here for more migrant moths.
This Hummer was the first I have ever caught in a light trap (this one attracted to a 15w actinic). Presumably one of the three thats been hanging around the garden in recent days.
This was a different Hummer feeding in the garden whilst the 'trapped' moth was still roosting up on the kitchen wall.
This one of four Small Mottled Willows caught in the last two days, and my ninth for the year. Also another Dark Sword-grass caught yesterday. Click here for more migrant moths.
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