Another visit to RSPB Frampton Marsh on 30th August, produced a Pectoral Sandpiper, 5 Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, the usual common waders, 38 Spoonbill, c60 Little Egret, 5 Pintail, a Turtle Dove, and for me, a new species of Odonata, 2 Willow Emerald.
I discovered a Lesser Stag Beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus) whilst emptying my garden Moth Trap on the morning of 24th June 2020. A new species of beetle for me and obviously a new species for the garden.
Lesser Stag Beetle is fairly common in Derbyshire but I guess few are seen or recorded. It is slightly smaller than its cousin, but nevertheless a large beetle with large jaws.
13th June overnight I ran my first garden moth trap with my new skinner trap from ALS (Anglia Lepidopterist Supplies). A reasonable success with 36 species and 77 moths.
Elephant Hawk Moth 6; Large Yellow Underwing 2; Dark Arches 3; Heart and Dart 18; Marbled Minor 5; Scorched Wing 1; Common Pug 2; Uncertain 2; Small Dusty Wave 1; Willow beauty 3; Common Wainscot 2; Common Footman 1; Pale Mottled Willow 2; Peppered Moth 1; Marbled Beauty 1; Garden Carpet 1; Common Carpet 1; Common Marbled Carpet 1; Common White Wave 1; Cinnabar Moth 1; Brown Silver-line 1; Freyer’s Pug 2; Ingrailed Clay 1; Angleshades 1; Hawthorn Moth 1; Ephestia woodiella 2; Eucosmia cana 1; Celypha striana 1; Marbled Orchard Tortrix 1; Udea Olivsalis 1; Diamond-back Moth 1; Red-barred Tortrix 1; Chrysoteuchia culmella 4; Light-brown Apple Moth 2; Bee Moth 1; unidentified 1:
Only my second moth trap of the year – A modest catch with a few rare species – Foxglove Pug; Elephant Hawk-moth; Pine Hawk-moth; Maiden’s Blush; Green Pug; Heart & Dart (17); Common Pug (5); Fan-foot; Common Wainscot (2) Garden Carpet (2); Willow Beauty; Pale Mottled Willow; Gold Spot; Treble Lines; Spruce Carpet; MICROS –Small Magpie (2); Light-brown Apple Moth (4); Bee Moth (4); Hedya nubiferana (Marbled Orchard Tortrix); Epinotia demarniana
Spent the past weekend in Dorset, searching the coastal fields for some of the first flowering orchids. In particular the Early Spider Orchid, which was a new species for me.
We had 6 species of orchid altogether, 3 rosettes (Autumn Lady’s-tresses; Pyramidal and Bee) and 3 in flower Early Purple, Green-winged and Early Spider.
A few Swallows were coming in off the sea, my first Sandwich Tern of the year and managed to catch up with the 1st summer Lesser Yellowlegs at Lodmoor RSPB near Weymouth. Also had the drake Ring-necked Duck from the car at Radipole Lake. Not a bad weekend.
