Thursday 23 June 2011

Thistle ermine reappears at last

Heysham Obs
Thistle Ermine has spread beyond its range as described in the excellent Goater Pyralid book, but a perusal of the VC60 MapMate database suggests, unless I'm missing some records, that there have been few records since a flurry in the early/mid 'naughties'...........until this year.  I was surprised to see that today's was the first record for here since 2000 and even more surprised to find an absence at the regular trap run from Hazel Morbay's residence at Sunderland Point until this year, presumably because recording started there in the downturn period about four years ago


Thistle Ermine HNR this morning (thanks Steve)
Described in recent days as a 'plague' at nearby Walney, the locally abundant White Satin also made its first of what are usually just a few annual records here

Please can we have some dragonfly weather, even if it does bring out the clegs!

Outfalls as viewed at long range from Ocean Edge
Arctic Tern - one adult briefly
Med Gull - Usual 3CY and a more distant view of what was probably an adult
A distant bird wheeling out of the bay was probably a Fulmar, but the heat haze was again problematic

Moths
See above, also Light Arches and three worn Shaded Pug - surely the end of the season for this local speciality.  We have been wondering where all the Shoulder-striped Wainscots were this year, usually our commonest wainscot species and the answer appears to be that they are emerging late with 20 this morning, many fresh