Swallowcam

 

Autumn's well on the way, as indicated by the first Bordered Gothic of the year

 

 

and this beautifully well-marked Silver Y was nice to see

 

A late Angle Shades, or was it a dead leaf?

 

This Old Lady escaped from the trap as I was sorting the catch and rested by the window all day - the name is said to derive from the appearance of a crinoline frock

 

This one got me going for a few moments as I leafed through my moth guide and got to the very rare Many Lined before I reached the common Fern, which Tony kindly confirmed for me. Well, the wind had been Easterly, and it comes from that part of Europe when it does come, but not this time!

 

Also in the trap was this suprise, more so when it flew out of the shed to land in the yard - we don't always associate them with flight. I believe this one is an  Oak Bush Cricket, but I could be wrong, see above!

 

Lots of chattering and twittering next door in the garage, the young Swallows growing fast and easy to watch (and photograph) through a little hole in the wall, they will be flying in a day or two

 

Back to the moths, a Treble Lines

 

a Lesser Cream Wave, about the size of a bob - sorry, a fivepence piece

 

and so's this Small Fan Fotted Wave - see the fan feet? Good, give it a wave then

 

New Moths

 

I was pleased to find 2 "new" moth species in the trap this morning, firstly this Oak Hook-tip, apparently a long way from home in an oak wood, altho' the book says the caterpillars will feed on Birch

 

next up, and I'm by no means confident of this, is a Square Spotted Clay, so far as I can determine

 

this one isn't "new", but just one each in July 2008 and 2010 makes it a garden rarity - a Broad Barred White

 

Yes, I know this isn't a moth, and I might even be correct in identifying it as a female Common Blue. Whatever that's what it's gone down as in the BBS transect I walked this afternoon (just, I started it at 12:05), the third this year and again relatively productive for arable fields, unlike the disaster of last year 

 

Bits and Pieces

 

The holiday, and the Garden Safari over (some £7400 raised, well done everybody, especially Linda and Geoff) , there is a bit of time to relax in the garden and, among other things, enjoy the clouds (Gavin Praetor-Pinney eat your heart out!)

 



 

and Grandchildren playing on the lawn 

 

it was pleasant too, to introduce them to my new best friend, a Toad who has taken up resience in a newly potted rose just outside the greenhouse

 

 from here he, or she, emerges from it's nest in the compost to sally forth in search of woodlice, slugs and other garden pests

 

 

there also seems to have been an increase in the Conehead population here, another creature which eats garden pests - welcome friend!

 

While out recently I found this Wall Brown on - a wall!

 

 

Wednesday last found us in France with friends for a meal and shopping, the former taken at "La Sirene" bang on the beach at Cap Gris Nez, what an outlook

 

and desserts to die for

 

Back home the Swallows busy with their second brood, in a brand new nest under the eaves of the garage - presume they eschewed the first one due to parasites. That's my theory anyway. 4 strapping young well on the way to fledging

 

 

 

While walking in the village today, we were much taken with the numbers of Blue butterflies on the wing in the breeze, both Common and Chalkhill Blues, 'though Wellsy, with his usual brilliance, didnt remember to photograph the latter. On the chalk grassland in the South Foreland Valley they were present in tens, a stunning sight

 

Work goes on, and tidying up after the Barley and Oilseed Rape harvests occupies time before the Wheat is ready, so Michael is busy cultivating

 

the while Steve is drilling next seasons Rape, and boy, didn't the freshly tilled soil smell wonderful

 

and on the corner into Bockhill farmyard, there were several Southern Hawkers, well, hawking!

 

2 for the price of one here

a few minutes later, round on the Leas there was a single female Clouded Yellow, but try as I might I couldnt get a photo of it, sorry

Strewth - I'll go to the foot of our stairs



Today been a day full of suprises, starting this morning with this strange bird  in the hedge, that is until it moved a bit and turned into a juvenile Starling!

 

 



the while this Woodpigeon looked on, why do they always appear to look thick?

 

 

then it was out to the moth trap wherein lurked this Swallow Prominent, an unusual one for my garden

 

also in the trap was this handsome shield bug

 

and an unusual view of a Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing, whoever named it didn't have to write it very often, I reckon

 

this worn Swallowtail looked like a piece of tissue paper

 

and a Buff Arches, one of my favourites

 

 

this white spotted pug a new one for me, tiny blighter isn't it?

 

the highlight of today was an afternoon fishing trip to Cottington with young Mathew

 

first a little Roach

 

then a reasonable Carp

 

and then..... blimey what's that up in the sky??

 

 

 Coo-er, yes it is, no doubt at all, what's it doing over here??

don't think I've ever seen a Black Stork in the UK

 

 

Well well well