Yorkshire Coast

Three New Kittens

2011-12-18T22:11:00.000Z

Bella

Cassie

Maddie

The house was way too quiet without a cat, so we decided to look for some kittens to re-home. The first place we rang (last Saturday) only had one kitten left and we were really after a pair - but they sent us a photo of Cassie and we couldn't resist, jumped in the car and went to pick her up. The next day, we set about finding a friend for Cassie and rang somewhere that had two kittens from different litters that were being mothered by the same cat and mostly living outdoors. As expected, we ended up bringing both of them home - Bella and Maddie moved in. All were around eight weeks old.

Betsy cat - R.I.P.

2011-12-05T22:35:00.001Z

Betsy

The last of our cats passed away this morning. We got Betsy as a kitten more than twelve years ago - she was much loved and we already miss her lots. The above photo isn't the best I ever took of her, but it is one of the most recent, taken last month.

Castle Hill - Red Admiral

2011-10-14T22:50:00.000+01:00

Red Admiral

Small Tortoiseshell

A lunchtime walk produced sightings of a single Small Tortoiseshell in the grounds of St Mary's church and two Red Admirals on castle hill.

Moth Trap - November Moth

2011-10-10T15:10:00.001+01:00

November Moth (agg)

Merveille du Jour

A warm night, minimum temperature of fourteen degress, but lots of rain and quite windy. Two November Moth (agg) were our first this year, and the Merveille du Jour sat still for photos this time. Also in the trap were Large Wainscot, Chestnut, Blair's Shoulder-knot and Green Carpet.

Moth Trap - Feathered Thorn

2011-10-08T12:22:00.003+01:00

Feathered Thorn

Definitely feeling autumnal now (minimum temperature was seven degrees last night) but with no sign of the migrants that are making the news down south. Still, nice to see our first Feathered Thorn of the year and a couple of Large Wainscots in the trap.

Moth Trap - Merveille du Jour

2011-10-03T19:12:00.000+01:00

Had our first Merveille du Jour of the year in the trap this morning - it flew away before I could get a photo though ...

Moth Trap - Canary-shouldered Thorn

2011-10-02T15:52:00.001+01:00

Canary-shouldered Thorn

Another warm, sunny day followed by a warm night (fourteen degrees minimum temperature), but the moth trap was still fairly quiet. The Canary-shouldered Thorn was the first one in our trap his year though.

Moth Trap - Satellite

2011-10-01T17:15:00.001+01:00

Satellite

Another warm night (twelve degrees minimum) and another new species for the year, this time a Satellite. There were also several Blair's Shoulder-knots in the trap and the number of wasps is finally starting to drop off.

Castle Hill - Comma

2011-09-29T20:15:00.002+01:00

Comma

It has been really warm and sunny all week, so I've been hoping to find good numbers of butterflies on Scarborough's castle hill. Unfortunately, it hasn't turned out that way - over the week so far I've seen a single Painted Lady, a couple of Red Admirals, a few Speckled Woods, a Small Tortoiseshell, a Comma, a few Whites and a single Silver Y moth.

There is a fairly strong breeze, although it is a warm one, and not too many flowering plants about, so maybe that explains the low numbers on the site. There are reports of migrants coming in down South, so I live in hope.

Moth Trap - Green-brindled Crescent

2011-09-29T20:06:00.000+01:00

Green-brindled Crescent

Red-line Quaker

Another couple of Autumnal moths turned up in the trap this morning for the first time this season, Green-brindled Crescent and Red-line Quaker. They were joined by a Blood-vein, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Green Carpet, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Sallow and Pink-barred Sallow among others. Still lots of wasps in the trap too, but our best moth catch for a while.

Moth Trap - Yellow-line Quaker

2011-09-28T18:46:00.000+01:00

Yellow-line Quaker

Beaded Chestnut

Yellow-line Quaker and Beaded Chestnut were joined by Blair's Shoulder-knot in the trap overnight, all were new for the season.

Moth Trap - Large Wainscot

2011-09-25T11:00:00.000+01:00

Large Wainscot

Brown-spot Pinion

More moths and a few less wasps in the moth trap this morning. Large Wainscot and Brown-spot Pinion were both new for the year, also good numbers of Green Carpet.

Sea Cut - Brimstone butterfly

2011-09-24T11:59:00.001+01:00

Brimstone butterfly

Dragonfly

A quick stroll along the Sea Cut on a warm and sunny day produced sightings of four butterflies - two Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral and a Brimstone. Also spotted a single Dragonfly on the walk back home.

Moth Trap - Pink-barred Sallow

2011-09-24T09:12:00.000+01:00

Pink-barred Sallow

Lunar Underwing

A fairly warm night with a minimum temperature of ten degrees, but the trap looked to be mostly full of wasps at first glance. Things did improve as we emptied the egg boxes though, with Pink-barred Sallow and Lunar Underwing both being new for the year. Also in the trap were Angle Shades, Silver Y and Red-green Carpet.

Moth Trap - Centre-barred Sallow

2011-09-03T15:51:00.000+01:00

Centre-barred Sallow

Frosted Orange

We haven't seen many moths lately and haven't run the trap for a week, but it turned out to be a decent night for trapping (with a twelve degree minimum temperature) and there were a reasonable number of moths caught. It definitely looks as though the Summer peaks are well behind us now though and the two moths that were new for year, Centre-barred Sallow and Frosted Orange (along with our first Sallow which Jax caught back on 26 August), mark the arrival of Autumn.

The rest of the catch included a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Green Carpet, Flame Carpet, Garden Carpet, Rosy Rustic and lots of Wasps.

Moth Trap - Lime-speck Pug

2011-08-21T10:42:00.002+01:00

Lime-speck Pug

Flounced Rustic

Lots of wasps in the trap this year, managed to get myself stung on the wrist this morning. Lime-speck Pug and Flounced Rustic were both new for the year.

Moth Trap - Purple Thorn

2011-08-21T10:36:00.005+01:00

Purple Thorn

Scalloped Hook-tip

A quick catch-up blog from yesterday. Purple Thorn, Scalloped Hook-tip and Orange Swift were all new for the year. Twin-spot Carpet was new for the garden.

Moth Trap - Six-striped Rustic

2011-08-04T18:40:00.002+01:00

Six-striped Rustic (photo by Jax)

Ruby Tiger (photo by Jax)

Jax emptied the trap on her own this morning, so the above photos were taken by her. Six-striped Rustic and Ruby Tiger were both new for the year.

Moth Trap - Small Blood-vein

2011-08-02T18:49:00.004+01:00

Small Blood-vein

Marbled Beauty

A very busy trap this morning, with Small Blood-vein being new for the year. Not sure if Marbled Beauty is new for year, but it is the first one I've managed to get a photo of.

Also today, a walk round Scarborough's castle hill hunting for butterflies gave sightings of Small Copper, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown and Large White.

Moth Trap - Rosy Minor

2011-08-01T18:47:00.003+01:00

Rosy Minor

A busier trap this morning, with Rosy Minor and Pinion-streaked Snout both being new for the year.

Moth Trap - Copper Underwing

2011-07-31T12:12:00.003+01:00

One of the Copper Underwing sp.

Very quiet in the trap overnight after a minimum temperature of six degrees. The Copper Underwing, whether a Svensson's or not, was our first this year though.

Moth Trap - Large Emerald

2011-07-30T13:44:00.003+01:00

Large Emerald

The moth trap doesn't seem very busy for the time of year, but it has been a pretty rubbish month weather-wise. Luckily, this Large Emerald was in the trap - a first for our garden and a beautiful moth.

Moth Trap - Double Lobed

2011-07-25T19:09:00.002+01:00

Double Lobed

Dotted Clay

A catch-up post from trapping over the weekend. Not very Summery weather and a cold wind meant that there weren't many moths in the trap for the time of year, but Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing was new for the year on 23 July. The next night, 24 July, we caught Double Lobed and Dotted Clay - also both new for the year.

Also over the weekend, our best Badger count of the year increased to seven in the garden at the same time.

Moth Trap - Magpie

2011-07-16T18:21:00.003+01:00

Magpie

Phoenix

A rainy but warm night, with a fairly busy trap. Magpie, Phoenix, Buff Footman and Dingy Footman were all new for the year.

Moth Trap - Varied Coronet

2011-07-13T11:00:00.003+01:00

Varied Coronet

Sandy Carpet

Three species in the trap were new for the year - Varied Coronet, Sandy Carpet and V-Pug.

Crossgates Quarry - Shaded Broad-bar

2011-07-12T11:08:00.003+01:00

Shaded Broad-bar

July Highflyer

Our first ever trip to Crossgates Quarry yesterday (11th July) started sunny, but soon clouded over and started drizzling. We did manage to see Shaded Broad-bar and Six-spot Burnet moths, and butterfly sightings included Common Blue, Small Skipper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

In the moth trap this morning, only July Highflyer was new for the year.

Moth Trap - Ghost Moth

2011-07-09T17:39:00.001+01:00

Ghost Moth

Thunder, lightning, torrential rain and a power-cut (for a couple of minutes) meant that trapping conditions were not ideal, but Ghost Moth and Slender Brindle were both new for the year.

Moth Trap - Drinker

2011-07-08T10:38:00.003+01:00

Drinker

Silver Y

Another busy night in the moth trap - Drinker, Silver Y and Scalloped Oak were all new for year. Good numbers of Common Footman too.

Moth Trap - Shark

2011-07-07T14:51:00.001+01:00

Shark

Just one new species in the trap overnight, a Shark - new for our garden.

Moth Trap - Burnished Brass

2011-07-06T22:33:00.002+01:00

Burnished Brass

True Lover's Knot

A busy night in the trap, despite lots of heavy rain. Burnished Brass, True Lover's Knot, Common Lutestring and Engrailed were all new for the year.

Sea Cut - Small Skipper

2011-07-04T15:55:00.003+01:00

Small Skipper

Ringlet

On a pleasant walk down the Sea Cut this afternoon, I saw my first Small Skipper of the year. Other sightings included Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Ringlet and Meadow Brown. Chimney Sweeper moths and a Beautiful Demoiselle were also out and about.

Moth Trap - Yellow Shell

2011-07-04T09:13:00.001+01:00

Yellow Shell

Just one species that was new for the year overnight, the Yellow Shell.

Moth Trap - Grey Arches

2011-07-04T00:19:00.002+01:00

Grey Arches

Dun-bar

Swallow-tailed Moth

On Sunday morning (3rd July), we had three species which were new for the year - Grey Arches, Dun-bar and Swallow-tailed Moth.

Moth Trap - Gothic

2011-07-02T09:06:00.001+01:00

Gothic

Another quieter night in the trap, with only a single Gothic being new for the year.

Castle Hill - Hummingbird Hawkmoth

2011-07-01T18:16:00.003+01:00

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

It was nice and warm again on castle hill today, but not many butterflies to be seen - a few Meadow Browns, a couple of Small Tortoiseshells and a Ringlet. Luckily, the walk did give me my first sighting of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth this year, although only briefly, and I managed to get a photo.

Moth Trap - Map-winged Swift

2011-07-01T18:13:00.002+01:00

Map-winged Swift

Not much variety in the trap overnight, but Map-winged Swift was new for the year.

Moth Trap - Plain Golden Y

2011-06-30T19:32:00.002+01:00

Plain Golden Y

A quieter night in the trap, with the minimum temperature going down to eight degrees. Plain Golden Y was new for the year and we also caught Garden Tiger, Poplar Hawkmoth, Light Emerald and Dot Moth along with all the usual suspects.

Moth Trap - Tawny-barred Angle

2011-06-28T21:40:00.002+01:00

Tawny-barred Angle

Common Emerald

Miller

Another busy night in the trap, despite some heavy overnight rain. The following species were amongst those that were new for the year - Tawny-barred Angle, Common Emerald, Miller, Poplar Grey, Barred Straw and Common Footman.

Moth Trap - Sallow Kitten

2011-06-27T21:26:00.003+01:00

Sallow Kitten

Dot Moth

Buff Arches

A very busy night in the trap with a minimum temperature of 16 degrees. All of the following were new for the year - Sallow Kitten, Dot Moth, Buff Arches, Double-striped Pug, Grey/Dark Dagger, Large Twin-spot Carpet and Small Fan-footed Wave.

On castle hill at lunchtime, I saw my first Ringlets of the year along with Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Large Skipper and Red Admiral. Moths included Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet and Chimney Sweeper.

Moth Trap - Green Arches

2011-06-26T12:14:00.002+01:00

Green Arches

Light Arches

A busy night in the moth trap, with a minimum overnight temperature of fourteen degrees. Well over 200 Heart And Darts were the most noticeable result, but Green Arches and Light Arches were both new for the year.

Moth Trap - Garden Tiger

2011-06-25T12:56:00.003+01:00

Garden Tiger

Shoulder-striped Wainscot

Two species which were new for the year in the trap this morning - Garden Tiger (always a favourite) and Shoulder-striped Wainscot.

Moth Trap - Brown Rustic

2011-06-22T19:13:00.003+01:00

Brown Rustic

Peach Blossom

Coxcomb Prominent

Heart and Club (possibly)

Snout

A bit of a catch-up blog posting this one, of moths caught a few days back.

Starting with those in the trap on the morning of the 17th June, when Coxcomb Prominent and Single-dotted Wave were new for the year.

On the morning of 18th June, we found a moth in the trap which was new for our garden - a Brown Rustic. We also caught our first Peach Blossom of the year.

On the morning of 20th June, we caught our first Snout of the year and what could potentially be our first Heart And Club of the year - there's a photo above, but I'm not too sure on the ID for this one.

Moth Trap - Bordered White

2011-06-17T00:03:00.003+01:00

Bordered White

A busy night in the trap - Bordered White, Straw Dot, Willow Beauty and Clouded Border were all new for the year.

Moth Trap - Middle-barred Minor

2011-06-15T18:16:00.002+01:00

Middle-barred Minor

A busy trap this morning resulted in a few species that were new for the year. Middle-barred Minor was the only one that sat still long enough for his photo taking, but there was also a Light Emerald and a Fan-foot.

Moth Trap - Barred Red

2011-06-15T00:03:00.003+01:00

Barred Red

The only 'new for year' species in the trap on Tuesday morning (14th June) was a Barred Red.

Moth Trap - Large Yellow Underwing

2011-06-12T10:38:00.003+01:00

Large Yellow Underwing

Our first Large Yellow Underwing of the year was in the trap this morning. It'll probably be joined by hundreds/thousands more over the course of the year.

Moth Trap - Mottled Beauty

2011-06-11T17:38:00.003+01:00

Mottled Beauty

The Flame

Two species were new for the year in last nights catch - Mottled Beauty and The Flame.

Moth Trap - Small Magpie

2011-06-09T18:13:00.002+01:00

Small Magpie

Quite a few moths in the trap this morning, mostly Heart And Dart with Buff Ermines, but Small Magpie was new for the year.

Garden - Fox

2011-06-07T18:16:00.002+01:00

Fox

First of all, last night turned into the best Badger feeding session so far this year. It ended up with five Badgers all in a little group with one just a couple of feet away from my own feet and the rest within six feet of me. It was great to be outdoors with them all.

Then first thing this morning, as I went into the lounge to open the curtains, the young Fox was wandering around the garden. He spent several minutes under the bird feeders, eating peanuts that had fallen out, and I managed to grab a few photos through the window. None of the pics came out too well, but thought I'd post a couple anyway. The paler colour in the top photo is closest to the true colouring, the second one has made him look a bit too red.

Finally, to complete a good run on the wildlife front, as we were driving along Burniston Road into town this morning a Stoat ran (safely) over the road in front of us.

Castle Hill - Large Skipper

2011-06-02T18:12:00.002+01:00

Large Skipper

A lovely warm, sunny day with hardly any breeze, but very few butterflies seen. Large Skipper was the first I've seen this year, other than that there was a single Small Copper and a couple of Speckled Wood.

Moth Trap - Ingrailed Clay

2011-06-01T19:49:00.002+01:00

Ingrailed Clay

A fairly quiet night in the trap, but Ingrailed Clay and Brown Silver-line were new for year. Eyed and Poplar Hawkmoths put in an appearance too.

Moth Trap - Figure of Eighty

2011-05-30T17:45:00.002+01:00

Figure of Eighty

Elephant Hawkmoth

It rained virtually all day today, so we didn't get to empty the trap until after 4pm. It was worth waiting for though, with Figure of Eighty, Elephant Hawkmoth, Green Pug, Blood-vein and Small Phoenix all new for the year.

Moth Trap - Small Angle Shades

2011-05-29T14:08:00.002+01:00

Small Angle Shades

Only a single Small Angle Shades was new for the year, but there were reasonable numbers of Heart and Darts along with several Carpets in the trap too.

Moth Trap - Treble Lines

2011-05-28T12:14:00.001+01:00

Treble Lines

A few Carpets and several Heart and Darts made up the bulk of last nights catch, but a single Treble Lines was new for the year.

Moth Trap - Eyed Hawkmoth

2011-05-27T21:03:00.002+01:00

Eyed Hawkmoth

Not many moths in the trap overnight, but our first Eyed Hawkmoth of the year looked beautiful.

Moth Trap - Riband Wave

2011-05-26T18:27:00.003+01:00

Riband Wave

Common Swift

One of the busiest nights of the year so far produced several species that were new for the year, including Riband Wave, Common Swift, Beautiful Golden Y, Double Square-spot, Dark Arches and Mottled Rustic. Green Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Heart and Dart, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Pale Tussock and several Pugs were in there too.

Castle Road - Red Admiral

2011-05-25T20:46:00.003+01:00

Red Admiral

While I was on the way to castle hill, I saw this Red Admiral taking a break from battling against the wind and settling on the ground beside a wall on Castle Road (near St Mary's church). It is the first Red Admiral I've seen this year and was also the only butterfly that I saw today.

Moth Trap - Shears

2011-05-25T20:42:00.002+01:00

Shears

A surprisingly cold night, down to two degrees, meant that there weren't many moths in the trap this morning. One of them looked different to our usuals though and I'm pretty sure that it is a Shears - new for our garden (subject to confirmation).

Moth Trap - Spectacle

2011-05-22T10:09:00.003+01:00

Spectacle

Peppered Moth

A warm but windy night produced several firsts for the year, including Spectacle, Peppered Moth, Clouded Silver, White Ermine and Dark Marbled Carpet.

Castle Hill - Wall

2011-05-19T21:40:00.003+01:00

Wall

A terrible photo, but this was the first Wall butterfly I've seen on castle hill this year. Holly Blue, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Large and Green-veined White were there too.

The kiddies playground was being dug up by JCBs (with that section fenced off), and the grass strip had been cut (removing the wonderful crop of Dandelions).

Moth Trap - Lychnis

2011-05-16T19:42:00.001+01:00

Lychnis

A warm night (eleven degrees minimum), but wet and windy. Three species were new for the year - Lychnis, Small Square-spot and Marbled Minor (agg).

Moth Trap - Cinnabar

2011-05-11T19:04:00.000+01:00

Cinnabar

Another pretty good night for moths, with Cinnabar being the star of the show and new for the year. It is a common moth, but one that very rarely turns up in our trap - I see them more often during the day while I'm out walking. A couple of Pine Beauties were in there too, another moth that we don't catch very often.

Moth Trap - Chinese Character

2011-05-09T17:42:00.002+01:00

Chinese Character

Small Fan-foot

The moth trap looks as though it might be starting to get a bit busier again. Chinese Character, Small Fan-foot, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Mottled Pug and White-spotted Pug were all new for the year. Scalloped Hazel, Least Black Arches and Waved Umber also joined the hordes of Cockchafers that were in there.

Bad timing on my trip to castle hill meant that the first half of the expedition was rained on. During the second half, with the sun out again, I saw a couple of Brown Argus and a couple of Speckled Wood.

Moth Trap - Broom Moth

2011-05-07T11:01:00.003+01:00

Broom Moth

Heart and Dart

May Highflyer

An increased number of moths in the trap this morning after a warmer night - minimum temperature was eleven degrees. Broom Moth, Heart and Dart, and May Highflyer were new for the year. Also in the trap were Scalloped Hazel, Waved Umber and over twenty Cockchafers (aka May Bugs).

Moth Trap - Iron Prominent

2011-05-07T10:30:00.002+01:00

Iron Prominent

Pale Tussock

Buff Ermine

These are the moths from yesterday morning (6th May), blogged a day late. Not many moths in the trap, but Iron Prominent, Pale Tussock (minus the rear edges of his wings) and Buff Ermine were all new for the year.

Castle Hill - Small Copper

2011-05-05T21:49:00.002+01:00

Small Copper

On castle hill yesterday (4th May), I got to see my first Small Copper of the year (photo from camera phone). Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Small White were there too, as was a Silver-ground Carpet (my first castle hill moth of any kind this year).

Moth Trap - Shuttle-shaped Dart

2011-04-30T11:37:00.002+01:00

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Garden Carpet

Poplar Hawkmoth

Not many moths again, but three were new for the year - Shuttle-shaped Dart, Garden Carpet and Poplar Hawkmoth. Muslin and Hebrew Character were in there too.

Moth Trap - Cockchafer

2011-04-30T02:07:00.001+01:00

Cockchafer

No new moths in the trap on Friday morning (29th), but we did find our first Cockchafer of the year in there.

Castle Hill - Orange-tip

2011-04-28T22:39:00.003+01:00

Orange-tip

Holly Blue

A bit cooler on castle hill today, but still sunny. I don't often see Orange-tips on the hill, but there were at least two today (a male and a female) and the male sat still long enough for me to get a photo. Also, it isn't the first Holly Blue I've seen there this year but it is the first time I've managed to get a decent photo.

Other butterflies seen today included Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White and Green-veined White.

Moth Trap - Cabbage Moth

2011-04-28T22:37:00.003+01:00

Cabbage Moth

Golden-rod Pug

Another morning with few moths in the trap, but both Cabbage Moth and Golden-rod Pug were new for the year.

Castle Hill - Brown Argus

2011-04-27T18:39:00.003+01:00

Brown Argus

It was nice and warm on Castle Hill today, and there were several species of butterflies on the wing. The butterfly in the two pictures above has been confirmed as a Brown Argus by experts, even though it doesn't fit the book ID details exactly. Female Common Blue was a possibility, but that has now been ruled out. It is the first time I've seen Brown Argus on castle hill.

Also flying today were Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Large White and Green-veined White. The downside was the large number of flies that were everywhere.

Moth Trap - Nut-tree Tussock

2011-04-26T19:07:00.002+01:00

Nut-tree Tussock

Nut-tree Tussock (different view, same moth)

Another night with not many moths in the trap, but still managed a couple of interesting ones. The Nut-tree Tussock was new for the garden, while a Red Twin-spot Carpet was new for the year.

Moth Trap - Puss Moth

2011-04-25T11:39:00.002+01:00

Puss Moth

Another quiet night in the trap, with a minimum temperature of two degrees, but a single Puss Moth was our first of the year and very nice to see. It's not a species that we see very often.

Moth Trap - Waved Umber

2011-04-24T15:12:00.002+01:00

Waved Umber

Least Black Arches

Large Red Damselfly

A warm night (eleven degrees minimum), but still not many moths in the trap. The good news was that there were some interesting ones - Waved Umber (a personal favourite), Least Black Arches and Flame Carpet were all new for the year. The Bats were in the garden last night too.

Unusually for us, we found our first Large Red Damselfly of the year sunning itself in our garden this morning.

Sea Cut - Bluebells

2011-04-23T19:57:00.003+01:00

Bluebell

Comma

A nice warm and sunny walk along the Sea Cut started with Speckled Wood and Orange-tip butterflies seen in the garden, followed by more Orange-tips, Small Tortoiseshell, Green-veined White and Comma butterflies along the Cut. We saw Bluebells in flower for the first time this year and there is a good crop of Primrose.

Last night, there were three Badgers in the garden at the same time, which is the most we've seen so far this year. Not many moths in the trap, just a few Hebrew Characters.

Moth Trap - Muslin Moth

2011-04-22T10:02:00.002+01:00

Muslin Moth

Another quiet night in the moth trap - the rest of the country may be baking in tropical temperatures, but Scarborough is much cooler due to the sea fret. On the plus side, we did catch our first Muslin Moth of the year.

Moth Trap - Scalloped Hazel

2011-04-18T20:41:00.001+01:00

Scalloped Hazel

Only three moths in the trap this morning, but at least one of them was a Scalloped Hazel - new for the year. The other two were Hebrew Characters.

Moth Trap - Bright-line Brown-eye

2011-04-17T13:39:00.003+01:00

Bright-line Brown-eye

Only two moths in the trap last night, but one of them was a Bright-line Brown-eye which is new for this year (the other was a Hebrew Character).

In other garden news, we had our first Speckled Wood butterfly on Friday 15th and he is back again today along with an unidentified White. No sign of any Bramblings this weekend, but the Goldfinches are making regular visits and a pair of Bullfinch were on the same feeder yesterday. We had two Badgers in the garden at the same time last night as well.

Moth Trap - Streamer

2011-04-09T08:54:00.002+01:00

Streamer

We caught our first Streamer of the year last night, as well as our first Pug (probably a Brindled, but needs a closer look). Twenty-plume Moths, Early Thorn and Shoulder Stripes settled on windows, while Small Quaker and Hebrew Character were in the trap in reasonable numbers.

Moth Trap - Early Tooth-striped

2011-04-08T19:38:00.004+01:00

Early Tooth-striped

Red Chestnut

From the moth trap, an Early Tooth-striped was our first for the garden while the Red Chestnut was our first this year. We also saw our first Twenty-plume moth of the year last night, when it settled on a window.

On castle hill today I saw five Small Tortoiseshells and three Peacocks, while a blue butterfly that went by could only be a Holly Blue at this time of year. I also saw my first White butterfly, but it flew past too quickly to decide which type. Chiffchaffs had arrived too, Blackthorn was in flower and there were good numbers of 7-spot Ladybirds.

Moth Trap - Pine Beauty

2011-04-07T15:22:00.003+01:00

Another warmish night (nine degrees minimum temperature), but spoiled slightly by the wind again. Pine Beauty was new for the year and was joined in the trap by Early Thorn, Early Grey, Chestnut, Hebrew Character, Clouded Drab and Common Quaker.

In the garden today, we still have a couple of Bramblings hanging around and we saw our first garden butterfly of the year - a Small Tortoiseshell.

Moth Trap - Water Carpet

2011-04-04T22:40:00.002+01:00

Water Carpet

A warm start to the night, but the minimum temperature ended up being two degrees. Water Carpet was new for the year and we also had Shoulder Stripe, Early Grey, Small Quaker, Common Quaker and Hebrew Character in the trap.

Garden - Cowslip

2011-04-02T11:48:00.002+01:00

Cowslip

Our one (and possibly only) Cowslip has come into flower in the garden.

We were late putting the moth trap on last night, so weren't sure what to expect with an 11pm start. There wasn't anything new but Early Thorn, Common Quaker and Hebrew Character were all there this morning.

Garden - Chiffchaff

2011-03-27T15:26:00.002+01:00

Not actually in the garden, but heard my first Chiffchaff of the year from our garden this morning. The Bramblings are still here and we've had visits from Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

In other signs of Spring, all the Daffodils are in flower as are Violets and Lesser Celandine, the tree has blossom and is being visited by Bumblebees.

Moth Trap - Twin-spotted Quaker

2011-03-26T12:12:00.003Z

Twin-spotted Quaker

Another reasonable catch with Twin-spotted Quaker being new for the year. Lots of Hebrew Characters along with Clouded Drab, Common Quaker and Early Grey.

Moth Trap - Shoulder Stripe

2011-03-25T18:49:00.001Z

Shoulder Stripe

A single Shoulder Stripe was new for the year and there was another March Moth and a Dotted Border along with our more common/numerous visitors.

Moth Trap - Mottled Grey

2011-03-24T18:57:00.002Z

Mottled Grey

March Moth

Another decent catch last night, with Clouded Drabs doing particularly well. Highlights were Mottled Grey (new for garden) and March Moth (new for year).

Moth Trap - Early Thorn

2011-03-23T19:08:00.002Z

Early Thorn

Good numbers of moths in the trap again this morning, but Early Thorn was our only new macro. Castle hill was a little bit cooler than yesterday, but I still counted fourteen Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock.

Castle Hill - Comma

2011-03-22T18:43:00.002Z

Comma

Castle hill was sunny again today and even warmer than yesterday. A single Comma was my first this year. I also saw a Peacock and twenty one Small Tortoiseshells.

Moth Trap - Pale Brindled Beauty

2011-03-22T18:40:00.002Z

Pale Brindled Beauty

Pale Pinion

The biggest catch of the year so far gave us three species that were new for the year - Pale Brindled Beauty, Pale Pinion and Small Quaker. Singles of Early Grey and Clouded Drab were joined by good numbers of Common Quaker and Hebrew Character.

Castle Hill - Peacock

2011-03-21T19:59:00.002Z

Peacock

Lovely sunny day in Scarborough today, so I had a walk up to castle hill at lunchtime. Two Peacock butterflies were my first this year, and there were several Small Tortoiseshells on the wing too.

Moth Trap - Early Grey

2011-03-20T19:47:00.003Z

Early Grey

Friday night's conditions of clear skies, with a bright moon and a minimum temperature of zero degrees resulted, not surprisingly, in an empty trap. The forecast for Saturday night was a little better, so we tried again and caught our first Early Grey of the year and a few Hebrew Characters.

Also on Friday, I made a lunchtime visit to castle hill and found four Small Tortoiseshell butterflies enjoying the sunshine.

Moth Trap - Common Quaker

2011-03-12T23:23:00.003Z

Common Quaker

Just one moth in the trap overnight - a Common Quaker. Birds in the garden included Bramblings, Bullfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch and Jackdaws.

Moth Trap - Common Quaker

2011-03-05T12:20:00.002Z

Common Quaker

Clouded Drab

It was the first night of the Garden Moth Scheme last night (not too late to start if you want to join in), so the moth trap was on despite the forecast minimum temperature of four degrees. It turned out to be well worth doing, with both Common Quaker and Clouded Drab being new for the year, and a Chestnut.

Moth Trap - Dotted Border

2011-02-26T21:25:00.002Z

Dotted Border

Hebrew Character

Finally managed to run the moth trap a couple of times. On Thursday night we caught a single Common Quaker, then Friday night produced a Dotted Border and a Hebrew Character - it feels like we've started now.

The Bramblings are still in the garden and in the last couple of days we have seen a male and a female Siskin (though not together). Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Nuthatch, Goldfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker have all been visiting.

Garden - Goldfinch

2011-02-20T22:53:00.002Z

Nothing exciting to report, but a lone Goldfinch put in an appearance today and the Bramblings are still around. A couple of Jackdaws dropped in on Saturday, and Long-tailed Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Starling have all been visiting. We also saw a Badger late on Saturday night.

Castle Hill - Small Tortoiseshell

2011-02-08T20:19:00.003Z

Small Tortoiseshell

Not a particularly warm day, but nice and sunny with no clouds so I went for a quick walk around castle hill. I wasn't really expecting to see anything, but I did find a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly making the most of it. Seen in a couple of locations, which were not too far apart, it is possible that there were two individuals or maybe I just saw the same one twice.

The photo was taken from a bit of a distance, using my mobile phone - not brilliant, but good enough to see my first butterfly of the year.

Garden - Early Moth

2011-02-07T22:44:00.004Z

Early Moth (photo by Jax)

Still haven't run the trap due to a combination of freezing cold, gale force winds and torrential rain, but a couple of moths came to our lighted windows last night. Star of the show was an Early Moth, with the other being a micro - Agonopterix heracliana.

Garden - Big Garden Birdwatch

2011-01-31T18:34:00.002Z

It was the Big Garden Birdwatch over the weekend and we managed to see all the birds we were hoping for. Bramblings, Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit and Sparrowhawk all turned up to be counted along with the regulars.

Of those that we might possibly have seen (but weren't really expecting), Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Song Thrush, Collared Dove, Starling, Crow and Jackdaw all stayed away.

Garden - Brambling

2011-01-23T12:02:00.002Z

Nothing exciting to report, so just a quick mention of some of the birds seen in the garden over the last week or so. Bramblings are still around, along with male and female Bullfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Long-tailed Tits, a Goldfinch and the Sparrowhawk.

Something is eating the peanuts overnight, but we haven't seen a Badger or a Fox lately. Scuttling noises below one of the peanut feeders first thing on a morning (when it is still dark) suggest that the Woodmice are around too - we have seen them climb onto the feeder before now.