My wife and I spent our Christmas in North Norfolk. A few days away was just the tonic we both needed, and some good birds to finish off 2023. A detour was in order, via RSPB Frampton, for the very obliging Lesser Yellowlegs that seems to be over wintering at the site, and also gradually
A friend paid me a visit on 16th December to drop off Christmas Cards, just before he left, he picked up a Waxwing perched on a high Conifer tree at the bottom of our road. The bird spent the rest of the late morning feeding in a neighbours secluded garden. My neighbours kindly allowed me
On 13th December 2023 I made one of my regular visits to Foremark Reservoir, and whilst scanning through the Great Crested Grebes, I found a diver. At first I thought it might be a Black-throated Diver, but it was along way off and I couldn’t at this stage rule out Red-throated Diver. I put out
Staunton Harold Reservoir, my local patch, in south Derbyshire, has had regular Great White Egrets since I found the first one for the site back on 7th August 2020. On 21st November 2023 I encountered an unprecedented 6 Great White Egrets, along with a minimum of 15 Little Egrets. I met up with a good
I ran a garden moth trap over night on the 22nd October 2023. Just 4 moths of 4 species, a Juniper Carpet, a Red-green Carpet, a Light-brown Apple Moth and a November Moth agg outside the trap and one that got away. Totals – 4/4
I ran a garden moth trap overnight on 9th October 2023. Highlight was a Clifden Nonpareil, a new moth species for me and obviously a new one for the garden. It’s been a good year for this species in Derbyshire. Other notables were a Green Brindled Crescent, a Yellow-lined Quaker, 14 Box Tree Moth, 3
I ran a garden moth trap overnight on 14th September 2023. The main highlights were a Northern Deep Brown Dart agg, which was new for the garden, along with my second Brindled Green. Other notables were Black Rustic (7); Beaded Chestnut (1); Large Wainscot (1); Burnished Brass (1); Vine’s Rustic (4); Box Tree Moth (9):
I ran a garden moth trap overnight on 10th September. Several new species for the garden were Box Tree Moth and White-point, also my second garden record of Orange Sallow. Totals were 123 moths of 36 species. Other notables were Silver Y (3); Dusky Thorn (2); Centre-barred Sallow (2); Vine’s Rustic (4); Lesser Wax Moth
