Money Saving Clearwing

Some of you may remember (how could you not?) that last year I bought a set of moth pheromones tailored specifically to attract the secretive, retiring family of moths known as Clearwings.

They worked to great success when I tried them in the garden during what can only be described as a very 'different' June, weatherwise. Clearwing lures work best on warm, sunny, breezy, with a slight breeze to carry the scent. I can think of many ways to describe the weather so far this summer, and those three words don't feature.

The other weekend saw a slight break in the clouds, producing just enough of a weather window to string the lures up in the garden, and encourage a few moths onto the wing.

Orange-tailed Clearwing- 4 of which turned up within the first 15 minutes...

Orange-tailed Clearwing (right) posing with a worn Yellow-legged Clearwing, the latter of which has probably colonised an Oak tree across the road from our garden...

This Red-tipped Clearwing showed up completely out of the blue later in the evening. It actually has its own lure specifically tailored for it, and shouldn't be respond to the 'VES' lure that I use. I'm definitely not complaining though, as it saves me a good tenner that would have been spent on buying the proper lure for it later in the year!

Did Someone Say Summer?

Thanks to Garry Prescott for allowing me to completely ruin his excellent photo of a less than happy Hobby. See more of his work on his flickr page.

Literally, I've seen so much wildlife over the past month that I just haven't had time to share it all with you. A weeks ago, it rained, and a Blue tit flew into the garden. Then, like at the same time, a Pigeon flew over! Then, it rained again, and I saw a Frog. Yesterday, you won't believe this, but I saw a butterfly on a flower. It was truly amazing.

Seriously though, its been the worst start to a summer weather-wise that I can remember, and this, of course, has had an adverse effect on basically everything, including my motivation to do anything that vaguely involves prancing around meadows chasing butterflies, or squinting at distant Stonechats perched on dead bracken in the extremely wild, untouched landscape that is Bushy Park.

It's annoying, 'cos I had plans to go out and photograph early season insects, specifically the engimatic Glanville Fritillary, confined to the Isle of Wight, and extreme south coast of England. No doubt the bad weather has capped their flight period, along with many other butterflies. It isn't even worth talking about moth trapping this year. On the rare occasion that a suitable night has arisen, the moth trap has either been plagued with those bloody Cockchafers (there's a reason they're called that), or has produced numbers less than I'd expect on the coldest nights in February.

Saying that, I did get out into the garden yesterday with the Clearwing pheromones from last year, to great success. Photos of them to follow.

This is usually the point where I'd say something along the lines of 'it can only get better', or 'lets hope things pick up', but you don't need to be a meteorologist to know that's probably not going to happen. Just a typical British summer.

Time For Another Chat

A few more birds from Bushy Park and Richmond Park, the only places I've had time to get out to in the past few weeks...

Stonechats have completely avoided me this year in Bushy Park, and I haven't found a single pair in the usual haunts. I took a trip to Richmond Park especially to catch up with the spring males yesterday, and without much trouble, found a very vocal pair, actively collecting caterpillars in the gorse above Pen Ponds to feed a fresh brood...

An early visit to Bushy Park midweek yielded some reward, with a showy Heron on the canal. As the Park gets busier during the day, the birds tend to retreat to the grassland, where they sit it out until the evening...

Spring Migrants in the Park

After a three week birding drought, I spent this afternoon in Bushy Park searching for spring migrants. The search were more successful than first imagined, with a very smart female Whinchat proving the undoubted highlight alongside a double-figure count of Wheatear amongst the anthills, and a pair of Hobbies circling over the Woodland Gardens, accompanied by countless Swifts.  

Along with Ring Ouzel, Whinchat is another one of those species which, rather embarrassingly, I have never seen before; so to catch up with one out on the patch was an added bonus...

Unlike the Wheatears, this Chat refused to come close, and with no cover out in the grassland apart from old anthills, there was little chance of getting the frame filling shots I would have really liked.

The supporting cast, however, were a bit more showy, including this male Wheatear- one of thirteen counted...

It was a drizzly, gloomy afternoon, and whilst the Skylarks would usually be singing their arses off high in the sky, most were lying low, giving the odd burst of sub-song every now and again...

Wrens were extremely vocal amongst the dead bracken, this one perching briefly for a photo...

Not to be overlooked amongst the anthills, the ever shy Green Woodpecker...

Over by Heron Pond, and another surprise in the form of a Little Egret, which flew over the car park, and landed in a silage ditch briefly, before a dog sent it on its way towards the Thames.

See you in another three weeks!

Two for One

Whilst out searching for migrants in Richmond Park yesterday, I managed to catch up with some very photogenic thrushes, which were feeding out in the grassland.

It appeared that a pair of Song Thrush had hatched young early, and were constantly flying back and forth with beakfuls of caterpillars and worms collected from the soil...

A pair of Mistle Thush were also foraging nearby, and provided a rare opportunity to photograph the two species at close range, within metres of each other...

Redstarts and Wheatears

I was straight back out on the hunt for more migrants this morning, with reports of a Common Redstart in Richmond Park. Like the Ring Ouzel, these birds travel through the south during April, on their way to breeding grounds further North. From what I heard, this particular bird appeared to be ranging quite widely throughout the northern side of the Park, no doubt on a quick pit stop before continuing through London, and hopes were not high for it still being present the next morning.

I arrived this morning, with no idea where to start looking. After a few hours of searching, even flushing a Red-legged Partridge at one point, it became apparent that the Redstart had moved on, and attention turned to the residents...

My first ever photograph of a Stock Dove...

Large numbers of Greenfinch were nesting in the gorse by Holly Lodge...

More often heard than seen, this territorial Wren popped up for a brief moment, before seeing me and dropping back into the ferns...

A brilliant male Wheatear was present in the paddocks, and gave great views when it perched on the wooden fence in between feeding...

The paler bird was soon joined by a much duller, darker male, which left me scratching my head. I've got absolutely no experience on seperating the various subspecies of Northern Wheatear, but I'm fairly sure these two males are of two different races. I took this record shot of the pair together for comparison... any Wheatear fanatics care to share the identity of these two fellas?

Pleased with the shots, I headed back to the car park, completely oblivious to the fact that I'd missed out on the very bird I came to the Park to see.

By now you've probably guessed what happens next, but the odds of it happening seemed smaller than the chance of the Red-legged Partridge that I flushed earlier, turning up in the garden Pear tree when I got home.

I decided to head back the long way through Pembroke Lodge, which often produces some photogenic Robins and Blackbirds, used to the leftovers of family picnics and parties. I stopped off by some blossoming trees to pack away the camera, with on coming storm clouds, but changed my mind when this popped up further down the slope...

... the Redstart! Albeit a distant Redstart. The bird was extremely skittish, and like yesterday's sighting, it didn't like to stay still, ranging along the slope. I eventually managed to track it down to a small clump of brambles towards the west of the hill, where it finally showed its true colours, literally...

Out of all the places it could have been at that moment in time, such as half way to Wales, or even on the other side of the Park, the male Redstart just happened to be along the path that I happened to be taking on the way back to the car. Coincidence? Luck? Or fate? ... most probably the first two.

Urban Ouzel

Made the short but hectic journey around Staines this morning, after giving in to the report of a male Ring Ouzel kicking about at Staines Moor for its fourth day running; no doubt on a quick fuel stop before continuing its migration further north.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by a break in the clouds, and it wasn't long before a 'funny looking Blackbird' flew across the path into a hawthorn bush, hopping down to feed on worms amongst the many anthills.

As far as Ring Ouzels go, this was a pretty confiding bird, and showed very well at times in the presence of Linnets and Meadow Pipits, with the scenic backdrop of the M25, and the calming sound of jumbo jets overhead. I'm starting to feel the effect of lugging 3.5 kg of camera equipment around the moor for 3 hours, so I'm going to shut up now, but the photos haven't come out too badly...

Crouching low to the ground, as a pair of Buzzards circled above...

And hopping back down to feed again...

There was a nice supporting cast, including a distant Red Kite, and my first Sand Martins of the year.

This Chiffchaff was sporting a silver ring on its right leg-- pat on the back for whoever can read the code...

Grey Wagtail...

A soggy Linnet...

Sand Martin, fresh in from Africa...