Veneers

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer - Agriphila geniculea

 

Better numbers of moths in the trap this morning. Immigrant species were represented by 1 Rusty-dot Pearl, 1 Silver Y, 2 Diamond-back Moths and a Rush Veneer. Also a few Jersey Tigers, 4 species of 'Thorn' - Canary-shouldered, Early, September and Dusky, Dun-bar and Swallow Prominent among other common species. Despite the presence of some bigger and 'flashier' species I was distracted by some of the Grass Veneer species in the trap. Variation within each species seems limitless and there are plenty of gaps on my list to fill so each one is scrutinised. As well as some of this morning's moths I've included some of my archive photos to illustrate just some of the other species that are out there.

Bird-wise - a single Knot and 2 Kingfishers off the Imperial were the highlights from a brief look this morning and my first returning Wigeon of the autumn was with 100+ Mallard off Mudbank this afternoon, along with 5 Whimbrel, 3+ Mediterranean Gulls and a Ringed Plover.

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer

 

 

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer

Pearl Veneer - Agriphila straminella

 

Common Grass-veneer - Agriphila tristella

Common Grass-veneer

Common Grass Veneer

Pale-streak Grass-veneer - Agriphila selasella (.... I think - note the smooth textured wings, broad white streak and pointed termen)

Pale-streak Grass-veneer?

Pale-streak Grass Veneer?

Common Grass-veneer - A. tristella

Common Grass-veneer

The following photos are all old ones:

Bulrush Veneer - Calamotropha paludella

Barred Grass-veneer - Agriphila inquinatella

Yellow Satin Veneer - Crambus perlella

Grass-veneer - Crambus pascuella

Euchromius superbellus (S. France).

Chequered Grass-veneer - Catoptria falsella

Garden Grass-veneer - Chrystoteuchia culmella

Waste Grass-veneer - Pediasia contaminella - S. France 2016

Pearl Grass-veneer - Catoptria pinella

YLG

There was a juvenile, moulting to first-winter, Yellow-legged Gull on the beach this morning. Offshore a single Razorbill and off the Imperial - 1 Redshank and 5 Ringed Plovers the only birds of note.

Moth numbers were very low last night with 1 Rusty-dot Pearl and 1 Diamond-back Moth the only immigrants. The micro moth above is Winter Groundling - Scobipalpa costella - a common 'Gelechid'.

Selasella?

I think this is Agriphila selasella but I've struggled with this and A. tristella (shown below) in the past. The features that I think make this A. selasella include the white streak with a thin black line along the lower side, that doesn't narrow at one third and the square-ended termen (wing tip). Additionally the streak ends in just two fairly obscure branches.

Cochylis atricapitana

Iron Prominent

Feathered Ranunculus

Micro sp

Acleris laterana?

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

Little Terns and Little Else

Wheatear - the only passerine migrant I could find on Orcombe yesterday - my first trip up of the autumn.

 

I've had a couple quick looks off the Seafront the last two mornings. The best birds on both occasions were 3 Little Terns - 2 juveniles being fed by a single adult, in with other terns resting on a sandbar. The rest of the flock comprised c150+ Sandwich Terns and Common Terns - 11+ yesterday and 10+ Today. Also yesterday morning - 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Sanderling, 1 Curlew and 1 Little Egret. This morning there were at least 21 Common Scoter distantly offshore.

Yesterday Mudbank produced 117 Mallard, 1 Kingfisher, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Common Gulls, 1 Grey Wagtail and 3+ Whimbrel. Two Greenshank were the only birds of note off there this morning.

Odds and Ends from France

Fritillary sp - possibly Heath, Meadow or Provencal? I haven't yet purchased a decent field guide that covers the European species. It has been on a 'to do' list for years. Edit - Knapweed Fritillary - big thank you to Tim for ID.

 

Our stay in Provence was very much a family holiday so I didn't spend a lot of time looking for wildlife. I didn't stray more than a few hundred metres from the campsite but there was so much to see that it was utterly absorbing and frustrating in equal measure because most of the insects I was looking at I couldn't put a name to! I've been to the area many times before but each visit throws up new discoveries and surprises.

Praying Mantis - I found loads of these whilst looking for butterflies and moths but all the others were bright green. Some were huge.

Geranium Bronze

Hoopoe with Mont Ventoux in the background. The wires that the Hoopoe is on regularly supported Bee-eaters and on one memorable morning, a flock of 30+ Bee-eaters was joined by 10+ Hoopoes and 2 Rollers that were all swooping down in to the vineyard below to catch insects.

Skipper sp, possibly Mallow?

Southern White Admiral

Bee-eater - one of a flock of 30+ that were regularly seen in the vineyards bordering the campsite.

Black Kite

Violet Carpenter Bee

Edit - Knapweed Fritillary

Black Redstarts - this nest was in the campsite bar. All 4 juveniles fledged at the end of the week but looked extremely vulnerable as they hopped around underneath the tables and chairs in the bar.

I think these are Vineyard Snails Cernuella virgata. There were masses of them covering all the low vegetation around the campsite. They are aestivating which means they are hibernating while the conditions are so hot and dry. This prevents them from drying out.

Chalkhill Blue or Provence Chalkhill Blue - Edit - this is Provence Chalkhill Blue - thanks again Tim.

Darter sp - I don't do dragonflies but this one posed and looked quite smart! Edit - Red-veined Darter - thank you Steve.