Wednesday 1 July 2009

Good dragonfly day after an impressive moth night!

Heysham Obs
Moths
Interesting captures in the trap included: Eyed Hawk-moth, Double Lobed, Small China Mark, True Lover's Knot (quite a few in traps away from the moors at present), Latticed heath, 9 Common Emerald, 5 Double Dart, a single Diamond-back Moth.........and just the one Large Yellow Underwing!

Dragonflies
A series of binocular sweeps revealed a minimum of 9 male Red-veined Darter over the water on the model boat pond plus a single sighting of an ovipositing female. Two of the male RVD were immature, one obviously so at close range. In addition, 2 male darter spp, presumed to be this species seen in the far corner but rather briefly.

14 Black-tailed Skimmer, mainly model boat pond

One male Broad-bodied Chaser on the fence pond was chased by an Emperor. c40 4-spotted Chaser & c8 Emperor on the fence/central marsh/new scrape areas

Heysham NR
The first Brown Hawker and Gatekeeper of the year

Birds Middleton IE
4 singing male Reed and 2 singing male Grasshopper Warbler [Middleton and two moth trap-emptying sites have produced a 'full-house' of northern singing warblers this am with 10 species]

Elsewhere
Nothing of interest yet in the area. [2 male Lesser Emperor at a central Lancashire site with no access as advised by the risk assessment]

work work work

Heysham Obs
There virtually all day staring at a computer screen with everyone else similarly busy.

Ocean Edge
Single 2CY Med Gull in late afternoon check

Moths
7 Double Dart was notable otherwise just a good catch of perhaps the usual suspects, apart from the second ever example, following the other day, of both the widespread Fan-foot species on the same night. Heart and Dart are in rather low numbers so far.

Elsewhere
7 Little Gull Leighton Moss