Saturday 2nd October 2021.
Feathered Ranunculus. A common species at this time of year especially down here in East Prawle.
Well, last night or should I say the early hours of this morning didn’t start as expected as our Scruffy simply could not settle and so we ended up kipping in the front room instead at 3am! I had stayed up until 11pm last night after enjoying a few beers and Fish & Chips in the Pigs Nose Pub and couldn't resist a check of the moth box before retiring to bed. A Common Marbled Carpet, Feathered Ranunculus and an odd brown job were present of which the last two I quickly potted to take a better photograph the following day. Also present was a Bronze beetle and a Caddis Fly, which also took a liking for the bright light.
Photos from top to bottom: Twenty-plume Moth, Bronze Beetle and a Common Marbled Carpet.
I awoke on the settee this morning at just after 7am and noticed rain tapping on the window and not only tired, I really did not fancy checking the moth box in the rain; so I got up and dragged my sorry soul outside while Scruff relieved himself. Bloody dog! Though nothing really present to set the heart racing, there were a few moths present as well as numerous Crane Flies, which were literally everywhere. As I was checking the moths, something caught my eye and it was a Robin flying to my moth box and picking off the moths that I had placed on the rain guard! More than likely, it had been doing this before I got to the moth box; so I might try a different place tomorrow to place the moth box.
The following moths were present last night / this morning:
- 3 Feathered Ranunculus
- 3 Lunar Underwing
- 3 Common Marbled Carpet
- 1 Square-spot Rustic
- 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
- 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
- 1 Twenty-plume Moth (in the cottage)
This Robin surprised me as I was checking the moth box. How many did he pinch before I got to look at the moths?
Once I was indoors, I made some hot drinks for both Becky and myself and then went downstairs to do some 'Vis Migging' (watching visible migration taking place overhead). It looks as though today is going to be a very wet day with very heavy rain forecast all day, but this didn't put me off checking what bird life was moving overhead.
Despite the consistent rain, this Robin was showy enough in the back garden to have a quick sing while searching for insects.
This male Blackbird was making the most of the berries in the back garden. Simply a good harvest here for both migrant and resident thrushes. Thanks goes to the owner of the Cottage for making it wildlife friendly
Though nothing unexpected happened during the hour and a half I was observing, there was a trickle of birds passing overhead, which included plenty of finches, Meadow Pipits and Hirundines; while in the very large berry-laden garden, a Robin, male Blackbird, Wren and a few Blue Tits took a liking too. Armed with my binoculars and Camera, the following species and numbers were seen (with a time-out for breakfast in between):
- 16 House Martins
- 55 Swallow
- 5 Chaffinch
- 15 Greenfinch
- 26 Linnet
- 38 Goldfinch
This was one of three Lunar Underwing moths by my moth trap this morning.
I did check Birdguides this morning via the App on my mobile phone and a few days ago, there was a good movement of Balearic Shearwaters off Prawle Point. Should the weather improve tomorrow morning, I shall get down there nice and early and try my luck. It should be good for good views of Cirl Buntings, but you never know what else one could find at this superb place.
Swallows passing through heading south over the Village this morning. They will be gathering in good numbers here over the coming weeks. I hope to check them out very carefully in case of something much rarer amongst them.
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