27th March

Red Sword-grass caught by the Clevedon Moth-ers last night.

Brean Down: 1 male Black Redstart, 1 male Ring Ouzel, 1 House Martin, 2 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 10 Wheatear, 12 Siskin, 2 Redpoll, 200 Meadow Pipit, 10 alba wagtail, 30 Woodpigeon, 50 Goldfinch, 20 Linnet. At least 42 larval web of Brown-tail

26th March

Eriocrania sangii

Ring Ouzel

Brean Down: 8mph northerly wind with visibility down to 2 miles. Combined reports with P.Gay and myself: 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Firecrest, 6 Common Scoter past, 17 Redpoll, 10 Sand Martin, 3 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 11 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 300 Meadow Pipit, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Golden Plover over NW, 1 Little Owl, 30 Woodpigeon N, 5 Siskin, 2 Brambling and a Harbour Porpoise.

Sand Point: Per P.Gregory and N.Workman: 1 Swallow, 9 Wheatear, c10 Chiffs, Merlin, Sparrowhawk north, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Stonechats, steady passage of Meadow Pipits.

Weston Airfield: 3 Wheatear and a handful of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and Eriocrania sangii

Garden moth trap: Highlights were Oak Nycteoline, Powdered Quaker, Twin-spotted Quaker, 2 Small Quaker

Weston Woods moth trap: Streamer, Brindled Beauty, Chestnut, Zelleria hepariella, Engrailed, March Moth, V-Pug, Hebrew Character, Dotted Border, Ypsolopha ustella

25th March

Phyllonorycter blancardella

Powdered Quaker

Acrolepiopsis assectella

Garden moth trap: 5 new for the year and 2 NFG: Brindled Beauty, Powdered Quaker, Phyllonorycter blancardella (NFG), Acrolepiopsis assectella, Alucita hexadactyla, Small Quaker

24th March

Epermenia Chaerophyllella

Diurnea fagella

Fortunately the birding remains fairly quiet whilst I have no transport. Hopefully I can provide some bird news on the weekend. Fortunately there is plenty of moth news in the mean time.

Garden moth trap: 2 more new species to add to the garden list bringing the total to 337. I was hoping to reach 350 this year and look to be well on target with 9 NFG's so far. Highlights of last nights catch were Epermenia chaerophyllella, Chestnut, Bright-line Brown-eye, Diurnea fagella and a slightly early Knot Grass.

Weston Airfield: Orange Underwing at lunch time flying at the tops of Birch/Sallow.

23rd March

Zelleria hepariella

Twin-spotted Quaker

Garden moth trap: Last nights catch again producing 2 more new species for the garden Zelleria hepariella and Twin-spotted Quaker.

22nd March

Mompha bradleyi

Dotted Chestnut

Oil Beetle

Garden moth trap: My 5th NFG of the year a Dotted Chestnut. Also recorded a Mompha bradleyi found by my wife in the house.

21st March

Small Eggar

Lyonetia clerkella (dark form)

Agonopterix alstromeriana

Garden moth trap: The Small Eggar I have been rearing emerged yesterday. In the upper trap 2 interesting micros caught; Agonopterix alstromeriana and Lyonetia clerkella.

20th March

Orange Underwing nr Burtle

Yellowhammer

Brean Down: Another quiet day with a light southerly wind and clear sky. 2 Wheatear at the fort, 1 Yellowhammer at the fort and 3 Chiffchaff on the down.

Later I went to the Somerset Levels to look for Orange Underwing and found at least 6 on a line of mixed Sallow and Birch. They are quite a small moth with a sometimes hovery burnet like flight.

19th March

Peregrine

Brean Down: High pressure sitting over the patch this morning giving virtually no wind and clear skies. Fog early morning wasn't enough to bring any birds down. Singles of Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Blackcap present on the down. Vismig was virtually non-existent with a Redpoll being the highlight.

18th March

Satellite

Garden moth trap: Another successful overnight trapping with another NFG a Satellite. The rest consisted of 2 Early Grey, 5 Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and Clouded Drab.

17th March

Oak Nycteoline

Garden moth trap: Oak Nycteoline (NFG), 2 Double-striped Pug, 3 Common Quaker, Early Grey, Hebrew Character.

16th March

Middle Hope: 12mph NE wind, 100% cloud cover and poor visibility. 300 Meadow Pipit N, 10 alba wag N, 1 Golden Plover N. Grounded 80 Fieldfare, 3 Chiffchaff

15th March

Pied Wagtail

Brean Down: 10mph NE wind with visibility down to a couple of miles. 10 Alba wagtail (7 of which were definitely Pied), 50 Meadow Pipit grounded, 3 Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail N, Skylark N, 14 Siskin N, 1 Redpoll heard, and 90 Oystercatcher in/off the sea landing in Weston Bay.

Garden moth trap: Early Grey and Dark Chestnut.

Weston: 3 Sand Martins north over St Georges this evening (P.Gregory)

13th March

Pine Beauty trapped by the Clevedon Moth-ers last night.

Brean Down: Light to moderate NW wind. Less passerine vismig than yesterday. Gulls on the move seemingly liking NW winds as much as W. 1,000 gulls flew NW past the fort in a 15 minute sample count. 2,000+ Herring Gull, 600+ LBBG, 3 Common Gull, 8 BHG. A Bar-tailed Godwit also flew NW whilst counting the gulls. On the down 6 Stonechat and 4 Chiffchaff.

12th March

Wheatear

Chiffchaff

Sand Martin

Brean Down: 10mph SSE wind. A mini fall recorded today with northerly vismig and summer migrants arriving after 9am. 2 Wheatear, 4 chiffchaff, 4 sand martin, 12 stonechat (9 males), 2 golden plover, 25 Alba wagtail, 2 grey wagtail, 3 skylark, 5 siskin, 50 goldfinch.

Sand Bay: 2 Wheatear (P.Gregory)

Weston: Red Kite Junc 21 after mid-day (S.Matthews)

Garden moth trap: 4 common quaker and a worn depressaria daucella.

11th March

Middle Hope: 12 SW wind. Vismig over the hope 90 Woodpigeon, 1 Stock Dove, 40 Meadow Pipit, 15 Alba wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Siskin. Also a light passage of Herring, LBBG and Shelduck.

10th March

Grey Shoulder-knot

Anchor Hd: 17mph westerly wind. Sea watching between 8:10 and 9:40 produced 217 Kittiwake (flocks of 2,90,125) up channel, 6 Gannet (1 down 5 up channel), 5 Fulmar (2 down 3 up), 4 BHG up, 1 Common Gull down, 100 Herring Gull west, 90 LBBG west.

Garden moth trap: 1 Grey Shoulder-knot NFG (new for garden).

9th March

As high pressure drifted towards central Europe, light southerly winds produced ideal conditions for some bird movements yesterday. The Netherlands had some impressive movements with 6,200 Cranes at De Groote Peel and 19,000 Lapwing at Noordkaap.

Brean Down: 13mph westerly wind. All heading west 1,000 Herring Gull, 400 LBBG, 8 Meadow Pipit, 6 Alba wagtail and 5 Stock Dove. The gulls were still streaming through when I left.

Weston woods moths: A Satellite and 5 Small Quaker were new for the year.

6th February

Hebrew Character

Cormorant

Cormorant

Cormorant

Brean Down: Moderate ENE wind. The 2 Stonechat from yesterday appear to have gone and a Siskin over.

Sand Bay: This evening 27 Grey Plover, 200 Dunlin and 3 Knot. Also several Curlew heading up river.

Weston woods moths: 6 Dotted Border, 2 March Moth, 1 Pale Brindled Beauty, 1 Hebrew Character

Garden Moth trap: 1 Hebrew Character

5th March

Goldfinch

Brean Down: 10mph ENE wind. 2 male Stonechats on the down now and a trickle of Herring and LBBG in/off from the WSW heading E. About 5 Fieldfare on Wick Road.

Violets

Sweet Violets

Quiet times on the birding front whilst high pressure sits over the top of us. The violets were found in Ashcombe Park and as far as I can tell they are Sweet Violets.

Red Kite migration

Red Kite Milvus milvus

Red Kites over the last three years have become an increasingly regular passage migrant. Already this year there have been multiple records. Usually they start cropping up in February with sightings into double figures in March, April and May throughout the county. Birds can be seen at any time of day and are more likely to be passing through during wind assisted days with headwinds or tailwinds crossing the English Channel.

First day of Spring

Snake's-head Iris

Wild Daffodil

For me and many others this is the first day of spring. With no birds of note it's been a good time to concentrate on the flora.