Autumn Light

Posted on September 29, 2020 by robertc2011

We seem to have gone through a very rapid transition from summer to autumn in the last few days, certainly in terms of temperature, I have gone from short sleeves to extra layers.

The moths had seen it coming though and the autumn species have been flying for a few weeks now. It has been my impression that many were flying earlier than usual, perhaps because their development had been accelerated by the warm summer. A lot of the autumn species feature yellow or orange tones, presumably as camouflage amongst autumn leaves.

At this time I usually catch one or two Clifden nonpareil also known as blue underwing and they seem to have been having a good year, or at least they do everywhere else, so far I have not seen one! The Clifden nonpareil is one of our largest moths, but interest comes in all sizes, the other day I caught the attractive micro-moth Oncocera semirubella a species that seems to be increasing in recent years, but which remains largely a southern speciality.

Comings and Goings

Posted on October 1, 2018 by robertc2011

It finally seems as though the grey phalarope has left us, I am surprised that it has not gone before now, the nights have been fine and apparently idea for flying. The wood sandpiper remains though and turns up fairly regularly in front of the Tern hide giving very good views. They are one of the most attractive of all waders and this one has proved very popular with our photographers.

wood sandpiper, juvenile in front of Tern hide this afternoon

The phalarope may have left but Ibsley Water was playing host to a new scarcity today, perhaps not entirely unexpected but still good to see, the drake ferruginous duck has returned. At least it seems safe to assume that it is the same bird that has been coming since October 2010. It usually arrives in late September and is often on Ibsley Water for a day or two before going to the, difficult to see, Kingfisher Lake. I have no idea why it does not go straight to Kingfisher Lake or why it stays there so determinedly once it does get there.

In other news today the, or perhaps a, bittern was photographed flying across Ivy Lake again, I assume the same as in early September but who knows. As I was talking to a contractor outside the Education Centre I thought I heard the call of a white-fronted goose, I discounted this as a mishearing but then saw a small long-winged goose fly over, so I am pretty sure it was actually a white-fronted goose, but where it had come from or where it was going in anybody’s guess.

The moth trap is still attracting a fair few species, although nothing out of the ordinary, today’s catch included: large wainscot, black rustic, white-point, lunar underwing, large yellow underwing, sallow, barred sallow, pink-barred sallow, brimstone, snout, straw dot and lesser treble-bar. A lot of autumn species are yellow, no doubt helping them to hide amongst autumn leaves.

yellow moths: brimstone, sallow, pink-barred sallow and barred sallow

I also managed to record a moth as I was locking the gate this evening, or rather the caterpillar of a moth, as there was a grey dagger larva on the main gate catch. The adult moths are difficult to identify with certainty as they are very similar to the dark dagger, however the caterpillars are quiet different.

grey dagger caterpillar

We’ve Got the Blues, Again

Posted on September 19, 2017 by robertc2011

Tomorrow I have a moth event at Blashford, we will be opening two moth traps and looking through at the catch, identifying and photographing them. Over the last few days we have caught three Clifden nonpareil moths, also known as the blue underwing, this is a spectacular species and probably the UK moth with the largest wing area. In fact there was one yesterday and another today, obviously it would be great if there was one tomorrow, but things being what they are I suspect there won’t be! It is also still quite rare nationally, having only recently recolonized the UK, luckily for us the New Forest area is probably their stronghold.

Clifden nonpareil, or blue underwing.

The caterpillars feed on aspen and probably other poplar species, as it happens we have a number of aspen at Blashford Lakes, which is probably why they seem to be established on the reserve. Aspen is an interesting tree as is has quiet a lot of insect species associated with it. It is a tree that can grow very tall, but also produces lots of suckers, so there can be niches for species that prefer the canopy and shrub layer provided for by a single tree. It is very prone to being browsed and the suckers are often eaten off, increasing numbers of deer are probably one reason that aspen is in decline in many areas.

We may not see a Clifden nonpareil, but I hope we will see a good few moths and one thing that I am fairly sure about is that a number of them will be yellow or orange, autumn is the season for yellow moths, probably because it is the time for yellow leaves.

pink-barred sallow and sallow

Although autumn is well underway now there at still quite a lot of insects about when the sun comes out, southern hawker, migrant hawker and common darter dragonflies are still around in fair numbers and butterflies include red admiral, comma and a lot of speckled wood. As I was eating lunch yesterday I noticed a fly on the picnic table next to me and realised it was one of the snail-killing flies.

Elgiva cucuaria a snail-killing fly.

It is the larvae that kill the snails, in the case of this species , aquatic snails, which is probably why it was close to the Education Centre pond.

Wider Views and New Surfaces

Posted on September 8, 2016 by robertc2011

It seems to have been a week with a lot going on, the phalarope’s three day stay has pleased the birders, although it has now left us. Meanwhile we have been clearing fallen trees from near Ivy North which should please everyone who uses the hide as it should be possible to see quite a lot more. Further and perhaps even more widely welcomed, will be the news that the main track to the Centre and path to Ivy North and Woodland hides have been improved with a newly rolled surface.

The view from Ivy North was:

View from Ivy North before

It is now:

View from Ivy North after clearance of fallen trees.

The path surface is now as good as new.

Resurfaced path to Ivy North

Although the phalarope has gone and I managed to miss the reported osprey, garganey and common swift, my day was not entirely without wildlife. We had lunch accompanied by our regular, and now very smart looking robin.

Freshly moulted and now very smart

There was also a fine southern hawker flying about us and it briefly landed, allowing a quick shot.

southern hawker

The last few nights have been very warm and numbers of moths have picked up, although the range of species has not been that large. A few autumn species are starting to show up, with rosy rustic and pink-barred sallow a sure sign of the moving seasons.

A Touch of Frost

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Steve

With three millimetres of rain and overnight temperature a low single figure, it certainly feels more like autumn now.

The final butterfly transects, we have been monitoring them now since early April, were completed this week. The surveyors haven’t been bothered by huge numbers of butterflies, although understand we still have quite a few speckled wood butterflies,

speckled wood

37 were seen on the north transect, plus a good number of comma (16) and five red admiral on the south section.

Other signs of autumn are the burgeoning numbers of fungi, like this troop, of I believe lycoperdon sp.(?), I saw beside the path.

lycoperdon species?

Whilst bird numbers aren’t particularly spectacular yet, the range of species is increasing slowly. One lucky couple saw what they are sure was a honey buzzard in the Ibsley Water area. More prosaically I only managed a few of the more common species, like this lapwing