Sunday 6 July 2014

Med check

Heysham Obs
The final National Moth Night night was a dreadful cold affair after a roller-coaster with the previous two nights - these two were brilliant providing you did exactly what you were asked to do and set a trap in sheltered woodland.  Even managed a bit of sheet and lighting near my house (one hour, 30 spp, including a local mega - Dingy Shell) on the Friday night until the rain started to seep through the dense canopy.  A real shame for any event organisation and therein lies the problem.  Do you put all your eggs in one basket and tie yourself to an event or do you (perhaps selfishly) stay flexible and therefore able to play the weather conditions as best possible?    I always remember a similarly freezing cold night in upper Roeburndale at the end of May which produced lots of enthusiastic kids and parents, who assumed a "nice day" would mean a good night for moths.  Result: a few early midges and Daddy Long Legs, one geometer flying past and NO other moths before boredom quickly set in.

The Heysham toilet trap held Wormwood Pug this morning which added a new species to the list for the three nights in this area. 

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 4 ads (including 2P96), one 3CY, 4 2CY and another birder reported a green-ringed bird which was additional