Looking for more bugs 31st May

A great morning out with plenty of new species seen today and perhaps my personal favourite is Pammene rhediella found flitting about on Malus. A warm sunny day and even the on shore wind couldn't do much to change the summery feel to the day. On the bird front 2 Grey Plover were in the bay picked up on call as the tide rolled in but overhead there was no visible migration.

Seioptera vibrans

Centrotus cornutus Treehopper

Gooden's Nomad Bee

Tenthredo sp

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle

Moth trapping on night of 29th May

It was slightly overcast and temperatures were up to 13 degrees by nightfall so I set out for a couple of hours moth trapping. Quite a few interesting insects came to the trap but the Noctuid numbers were still very low for the time of year. Highlights were the migrant Diamond-backed Moth, Purple Bar, Small-waved Umber, Light Brocade, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Sandy Carpet, Yellow-barred Brindle, Orange Footman. Insects included Potato Leafhopper, Liophloeus tessulatus Weevil and Short-tailed Ichneumon Wasp.

Potato Leafhopper

Yellow Ophion Ichneumon Wasp

Liophloeus tessulatus

Fungus finds 29th May

I've got round to ID'ing some fungus from recent days. One was Brittle Cinder on some dead wood washed up on the shoreline and  the other Fairies Bonnets found under a tree line along the north edge of the car park.

Brittle Cinder Kretzschmaria deusta

Fairies Bonnets Coprinellus disseminates

Migration day 29th May

At Sand Point this morning there was plenty of migration overhead mainly from House Martins. Swallows and Swifts were also in attendance in smaller numbers. I also heard a Tree Pipit over and 3 female Wheatears were in the bay. What was interesting to see was two Silver Y moths which looked to have come over with the birds. Pyrausta ostrinalis was new for the year and with a Yellow-tail larva made three new additions for the year list.

Pyrausta ostrinalis

Rhagio scolopaceus

Wet and rainy 28th May

Dull and overcast with light drizzle throughout the morning. I took the opportunity to attempt a clear up on all the slug species but only managed to find a few that I think I've seen already. A small number of diptera were on the wing and this was made apparent by low aerial feeding House Martins, Swallows and Swifts over Sand Point which were the only migrants seen today. Of the diptera seen the ones below were the only recorded and identified:

Chironomus dilutus

Nephrotoma appendiculata

Diptera ID's

Been having a go at identifying flies recently after receiving "The European Families of the Diptera" book. Initially it looks quite a daunting task with so many families and species within those families. Here are some of the tentative ID's

Unidentified

Graphomya maculata

Syntornum sp

Another sunny day with a brisk breeze but still quite warm in sheltered areas. Nothing too impressive found today but still some good additions to the year list. Here's a selection of some of the highlights of the day.

22-spot Ladybird

Nigma puella

Lecidella elaeochroma

26th May

Clear skies and a wind swing to a more westerly direction. This meant that the warm southern slope of Sand Point was now exposed to a cold breeze which certainly showed by the drop in insect numbers. Not so many good finds today but I did record new plants and insects. The most notable was Bramble Sawfly which gave an all too brief view. Two new hoverflies seen today: Riponennsia splendens and Syritta pipens. New plants found were Pink Sorrel and White Dead-nettle.

Bramble Sawfly Arge Cyanocrocea

Syritta pipens

Burnet Companion and Wasp Beetle 25th May

Yet another cold morning with temperatures again around 7 degrees. I did a quick sea watch from Anchor Head until 7am that  yielded 2 Greylag Geese and 3 Gannets heading up river. After breakfast under a clear sky, lighter winds and warmer temperatures it was back to Sand Point for some Botany. New plants for the year were Common Mouse-ear and Red Campion.
Whilst looking for Glanville Fritillary I disturbed a moth that to my surprise turned out to be a Burnet Companion. This is the first site record of this species and a new moth for me. Also whilst on the slope Glyphipterix simpliciella was found on Oxeye Daisy and Common Carpet was also disturbed from the footpath.
In Sand Bay I found my first Wasp Beetle, a species I have never seen before. Back home it didn't take long to find out what it was on the internet.

Burnet Companion

Wasp Beetle

Moth trap results from Sand Point 20th May

Conditions remained good into the night so I ran a 125W MV for an hour following dusk. The prolonged cold spell earlier this year seems to be still having an effect as only one underground pupating species came to the light; a Flame Shoulder. The rest consisted of mainly Geometers. The full list after an hours trapping:

Incurvaria masculella
Short-cloaked Moth
Red Twin-spot Carpet
Green Carpet
V Pug
Brimstone
Clouded Border
Phoenix
Waved Umber
White-pinion Spotted
Netted Pug
Flame Shoulder
Oak-tree Pug
Double-striped Pug

Netted Pug

20th May

Bird migration was slow today with just 2 Swallows through. The wind started as a light NNW swinging and picking up slightly to a westerly. Cloudbase ranging from 500M to 600M 8/8 giving a slightly muggy feel to the day ideal for looking for day flying moths. Recorded today were: Many Nettle-tap along the coast road, Elachista rufocinerea, Incurvaria masculella, Stigmella aurella, Aspylapterix tringipennella, Dichrorampha acuminatana and Red Twin-spot Carpet. Larvae found were Scarlet Tiger on Nettle and Oak Eggar on Rosa rugosa.

Stigmella aurella