It may be dark, but still lots to see (Part 2)

After a good moth night there are always 'the odds and sods' to tidy up. As we, Doug Fairweather and myself (Doug is learning quicker than me), try to get to grips with the micro and pyrallid moths, it means we get double the enjoyment as we can add new species to the Lepidoptera list of Tophill Low NR.

The traps set overnight Friday, August 6th contained the following firsts for the site, photographed by Doug.

Trachycera advenella



Evergestis pallidata



Pammene aurita



One of the others, trapped many times before but still a rather smart insect, is Orthopygia glaucinalis

A Ryton surprise in the week

This rather impressive Puss Moth caterpiller was discovered during the trimming of a Willow tree in Ryton, North Yorkshire during the week. Certainly a huge meal for any passing bird, the larva looks as superb as the adult it grows into.



Puss Moth larva pictures by Doug Fairweather

Also in the same area, a Mint Moth spp was in a herb garden and a Magpie (the moth... obviously!!!) was in an adjacent hedgerow.

Back in East Yorkshire, Howden was pretty quite. Nothing much other than the odd Migrant and Southern Hawkers in the Ashes playing field area of the town.

Looking the worse for wear

Plenty of Emperor Dragonfly on the wing in the Canal Zone at Spurn. Despite all appearing to be suffering from the wear and tear of patrolling and engaging other males, it appeared to be business as usual for them in the sunshine. At least 13 males were on the wing with just a couple of females seen. Many of the males were hanging up providing photo opportunities.



A supporting cast involved 4 Common Blue Damselfly, 7 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 4 Common Darter and 6 Ruddy Darter.

A couple of hours at The Narrows was very quiet 15.30-18.00. Just a trickle of Gannets north... and ended up resorting to taking pictures of Common Gulls flying up and down the beach!



Obviously cursing now on reading the pager message 'Cory's Shearwater off The Warren after I left!!!'

It may be dark, but still lots to see

When trying to see anything in these conditions you might as well give up... darkness fell just after 4pm and this was the view from one of the hides at Tophill Low NR.

Even the 'Lone Wader' looked disappointed to be there - 'as did Doug Fairweather and myself'! Actually this, and another Greenshank popped in to avoid the weather. Another Greenshank was on the River Hull calling constantly near the car park and 3 Snipe were encountered during the day. I guess that makes 6 waders!



Showing well, a Greenshank in the dark

But the darkness is great... the lights were out on Friday night and lots of moths were attracted.

On working out on scarcity order, attracted to the light...

Straw Underwing - from records to hand, the first one since 1992.



Scalloped Hook-tip - this appears to be the first record since 2003.



Bordered Beauty - after the first record in 2006 two were found in the traps, perhaps the less than 10 records of this rather attractive species.



Another species not often trapped is the Gold Triangle



On the target trapping front, two Twin-spotted Wainscot were caught.



And as the season progresses, some of the more attractive moths are on the wing with both Purple Thorn...



and the amazing Canary-shouldered Thorn encountered.



Another sign of the autumn is the appearance of the Red Underwing, which are typically found on any building.



And least I forget, there was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the car park.

Perhaps showing an increase in number at the site is the Brown Argus. These two photographed when not many years ago seeing two was an event! They obviously still survive close by, albeit in small numbers and the ones encountered are the ones wanting to expand the range.



The weather ensured not many dragonflies could be seen. The count was rather unremarkable, apart from the Emerald Damselfly:- 25 Emerald Damselfy, 3 Southern Hawker, 2 Brown Hawker, 3 Migrant Hawker, 3 Common Darter and 30 Ruddy Darter.

And for the keen eyes... only one Longhorn... Ruptela maculata.

Sterna move south past The Narrows

Given that work offered me the chance of a four-day week, it would have been rather rude to say no. An extra day out in the field gladly taken - so what better way to spend Friday than at Spurn counting terns!

Arriving mid-afternoon and spending just short of 6 hours at The Narrows turned out rather worthwhile with plenty of birds (all south unless stated):- 115+ Gannet N, 1 Mute Swan Humber, 10 Little Egret Humber, 1600 Dunlin Humber + 24 south, 5000+ Knot Humber, 10 Sanderling, 1 Common Sandpiper, 5 Arctic Skua, 3217 Common Tern, 2 Arctic Tern, 124 Sandwich Tern

Not quite the numbers totalled at Spurn in the day but the evening seawatch is well worth the trip.

The weekly catch-up

Some of the recent photographs from Doug Fairweather. A few of the hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri were seen last weekend at Tophill Low NR, with many at Spurn the following day. Perhaps arriving as part of the influx of hoverflies in the last couple of weeks.

Another new addition to the Lepidoptera list for Tophill Low NR was this Batia lambdella which posed well on an eggbox.



Further afield in the Magnus Oilfield somewhere way north of Shetland, Neil Hart had a quiet time birding. Other than Gannets, the best he could manage was a Bonxie as he was rather preoccupied with other things.

Escaping the office in Howden, other than the odd Common Darter and Migrant Hawker at the Ashes playing fields it has been a very quiet week.

Moths, Dragons and Butterflies at the Narrows

Sunday afternoon saw me making another visit to The Narrows at Spurn. Just the seven dragonflies seen - 2 Migrant Hawkers (one above), 4 Common Darters (one below) and a Ruddy Darter around the watchpoint.



Lepidoptera was made up of 46+ Silver Y (below) in the area, a Common Rustic agg, and various Grass moths I really must get into looking at. A variety of butterflies to look at included Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Gatekeeper and Peacock and 37 Common Blues was more than I've seen anywhere else this summer.



Hardly a trickle of birds going through area 14.20-17.20. 50+ Swallows, a couple of Sand Martins moved through, the sea was deathly quiet, but there was brightness on the Humber in the shape of 7 Little Egrets along the shoreline from The Narrows to the Crown at Kilnsea.