2006 – tonydavisonphotography.com

Long-billed Murrelet in Devon – 12th November 2006

2006, Birds, Birds of 2006, Year No Responses »

Nov 122006

A first record for Britain, what a bird.I doubt if anyone would have predicted this species as a potential addition to the British List?

Photographs of this bird were originally posted to the internet as a Little Auk, on Tuesday 7th November. The bird was subsequently identified from the photos and when the news finally came out, that a Long-billed Murrelet had beens seen off the coast of Devon, 4 days previously, albeit hearts sank! Unbelievably, the bird was relocated on Saturday 11th November and on Sunday 12th November, I witnessed the largest “twitch” for many years. Golden-winged Warbler springs to mind.

Long-billed Murrelet – Brachyramphus perdix – Dawlish Warren, Devon – 12th November 2004

The species originates from the Pacific Coast of Siberia. Very little is known of this species and precious little is known of it’s breeding biology. Very few nests have ever been found, despite the fact that they occur in thousands on the sea.

They lay a single egg on a bare branch or on the ground and the nest site is usually located some twenty miles inland. Murrelets seem to have a small life span only living for 2-3 years. Note the distinctive head shape and length of bill compared to other Murrelet species that

show white scapular patches. The bird is in first year/winter plumage. As an adult nonbreeding plumaged bird, it would show an all black nape and would lack the mottling on the lower neck and flanks.The bird shows a distinctive split orbital eye-ring and lacks any sign of a white collar. Long and slender wings, which were fluttered and held sharply back prior to diving. The bird would drift far out to sea, sometimes so far out that it was lost to view. It would then fly close inshore to feed and during this time gave stunning views but was very active and constantly diving. It made digi-scoping very difficult.

Moth Trapping on St. Agnes 2006 – 14th – 21st Oct 2006

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Oct 212006

The Isles of Scilly are recognised as one of the best places in Great Britain for recording migrant moths and in 2006 it was one of the best years on record. A permanent Moth Recording Station has been located at the Longstones Cafe now for a number of years and Mick Scott is trapping almost continuously during the year. Many new species to the islands and to Britain have been caught here over the years.

Near perfect conditions prevailed throughout the week. we have southerly to south easterly winds, light rain and very warm air temperatures for the time of year. We trapped on 6 nights with the catches deteriorating towards the end of the week due to strong winds. A blended Mercury Vapour Light & Skinner Trap was used on the evenings of 14th – 19th October at Troy Town Farm on St. Agnes.

During the week on St. Mary’s a potential First for Britain was trapped by Mick Scott at Longstones. A full report is posted on on this Archive under “A new moth species for Britain” 19th October 2006.

The species was eventually confirmed as Palpita testalis on 11th Jan 2007, a first record for Britain. Also Crimson Speckled / Dark Mottled Willow / The Mallow, a first for Scilly, were trapped at Longstones. At Troy Town we had a Merveille du Jour, a first record for the Isles of Scilly / Antigastra catalaunalis / Convolvulus Hawkmoth / Cosmopolitan / Palpita vitrealis/ Scarce Bordered Straw / Small Mottled Willow/ Gem/ Vestal (The pink form indicating a sub-tropical migrant) Dark Sword-grass and the usual Delicates & White-specks. Also on St.Agnes at Lower Town Barn – Blair’s Mocha / Hymenia recurvalis / Old Worm Webworm completed the weeks rarities.

Highlights of the week were –

1 of Palpita testalis – ist record from Britain – Mick Scott – Longstones

2 of Hellula undalis (Old World Webworm- Rare migrant)

1 of Antigastra catalaunalis ( Rare vagrant from tropics)

1 of Palpita vitrealis (Status scarce migrant)

1 of Hymenia recurvalis (2nd record for St. Agnes- rare vagrant from tropics)

1 of Crimson Speckled – (Rare vagrant from southern europe)

1 of Merveille du Jour (first record for Isles of Scilly – St.Agnes, Troytown 15th Oct)

1 of Dark Mottled Willow (2nd for Scilly – Rare Vagrant)

1 of The Mallow – (First record for Scilly, Longstones)

1 of Blair’s Mocha – (Rare & irregular migrant)

1 of Cosmopolitan (Status scarce migrant)

3 of Convolvulus Hawkmoth 9 (Regular migrant to the islands)

11 of The Gem (Status scarce migrant

2 of Small Mottled Willow (Common migrant)

6 of Scarce Bordered Straw (Common migrant)

3 of The Vestal (good numbers of this regular migrant, including 1 Pink Form)

72 of White Speck (good numbers of this common migrant)

16 of Delicate (good numbers of this common migrant)

Selected images below are:-

1) LEFT – 1) Palpita testalis; 2) Crimson Speckled; 3) Hymenia recurvalis; 4) Merveille du Jour 5)Vestal (Pink Form) ; 6) Convolvulus Hawmoth; 7) Delicate

2) RIGHT – 1) Antigastra catalaunalis; 2) Dark Mottled Willow; 3) Hymenia recurvalis; 4) Mallow; 5) Blair’s Mocha; 6) Dark Sword-grass; 7) Old World Webworm

A new moth species for Britain – Trapped – St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly – October 18th 2006

2006, Moth Traps General, Year No Responses »

Oct 182006

Mick Scott trapped a Pyralid species at Longstone’s, St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly on 18th October 2006. He initially thought that it was a Grass Webworm species – possibly Herpetogramma centrostrigalis or licarsisalis (1406, 1406a), however the group are notoriously difficult to identify and therefore caution was required as to a positive ID. The species licarsisalis had been recorded in Britain before in 1998 on Tresco, Isles of Scilly (12.10.01) & on the Lizard, Cornwall in October 2004.

The specimen arrived at a time of high migrant moth activity across the islands. I was fortunate to photograph the moth during the day of 19th October 2006. Mick Scott decided to send the specimen off to the Natural History museum for identification due to the doubts on what it was.

On 28th October 2006, I received an email from Dave Grundy, advising that discussions had moved on about the ID of the pyralid sp. Photos were compared with those of the Tresco individual in April 2002 issue of Atropos and also the related species in Goater (British Pyralid Moths) and there was doubts about this specimen being a Grass Webworm. Dave was not happy that the St. Mary’s moth was either of the species and having checked out www.leps.it, there was a photo of Palpita testalis, which look far more promising. Although we were all very cautious, this species did look more likely and so it was now a game of patience, awaiting a confirmation from the British Museum.

On 11th January 2007, I received an email from Mick Scott & a further one from Dave Grundy, confirming that Martin Honey & Mike Shaffer were both happy that the specimen was in fact Palpita testalis (or Hodebertia testalis, depending on which authority is right about the generic name), a FIRST record for Britain of this species.

My thanks go to Mick Scott for trapping the moth and for the opportunity to see & photograph it and also to Dave Grundy for his meticulous analysis of the photos and his advice on his interpretation of this species being testalis before it was positively confirmed. It was very

interesting to be party to the identification process of this individual.

Glossy Ibis – First in Derbyshire since 1923 – 18th September 2006

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Sep 182006

An ibis species was flushed from Nadin’s flash on the morning of 17th September 2006 by a local birder. However it was unfortunately not confidently identified and was put out on the Pager Network as a possible Glossy Ibis. (Puna Ibis had not been eliminated).

The bird flew off strongly to the North and was not seen again during the day. The finder visited the site at dusk and watched the bird return to roost. On the morning of the 18th, 3 local birders and myself visited the site at 07:45hrs and at 07:50 we had relocated the bird and confirmed the ID as a Glossy Ibis.

The bird was found feeding on the edge of the small flash and very quickly took flight and circled around for several minuted before landing and dropping out of sight onto private land. The bird went missing for the next half an hour or so, despite intensive searching. At around 09:30 the Glossy Ibis was relocated back on the flash and the news was again put out on

the pager networks. The bird eventually departed high to the north at 11am and was seen flying over Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire at 11:20am.

The main ID features were – The whole foot and part of the leg protruded beyond the tail. In Puna Ibis only the toes project beyond the tail as the legs are shorter on Puna Ibis. Our bird showed a long slender neck and a dark eye. Puna Ibis shows a shorter neck and a red eye, particularly during the breeding season. The Glossy Ibis had very iridescent plumage, often showing green & purplish brown in the sunlight. This was the first modern day record in Derbyshire since 1923.

Laughing Gull – Porthmadog, Gwynedd – 5th Mar 2006

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Mar 052006

Laughing Gull – Larus atricilla Adult winter – Porthmadod, Gwynedd – March 5th 2006

This North American Larus is one of a number that turned up in the UK during the gales in November 2005. This particular bird had been in the Porthmadog area since that time and was a very confiding individual. About 60 Laughing Gulls were recorded during this remarkable influx, giving many modern day birders ideal opportunities to study this superb gull.