30+ Humming-bird Hawkmoths!

 

In a short walk from home, we saw over 30 Humming-bird Hawkmoth!  

 Late this morning and I joined Mick to check the two moth traps in his garden with good results, for me anyway. 3 Peppered Moth were the first that I've seen since two at home in Trench, Telford, in the garden together, 25 years ago! Herald Moth was the highlight and it was nice to see the first Peach Blossom of the year, one of my favorite moths. The highest total of Moths were 43 Heart and Dart and 34 Willow Beauty.

 

 

Peppered Moth 

Herald 

Shears 

 

Dark Sword Grass 

 

Foxglove Pug 

 

Peach Blossom  

 

Dark Spectacle (left) and Spectacle  

1  Monochroa cytisella    
1  Pandemis heperana
2  Epiphyas postvittana
1  Acleris variegana
17  Celypha lacunana
6  Epiblema uddmanniana
6  Eucosma cana
1  Pediasia contaminella
1  Eudonia mercurella
3  Pyrausta cespitalis
3  Small Magpie
1  Rusty Dot Pearl
2  Homoeosoma sinuella
1  Peach Blossom
3  Grass Emerald
7  Common Emerald
2  Single-dotted Wave
12  Riband Wave
3  Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
1  Garden Carpet
7  Common Marbled Carpet
5  Grey Pine Carpet
3  Rivulet
1  Foxglove Pug
5  Common Pug
13  Double-striped Pug
1  The Magpie
3  Brown Silver-lines
2  Brimstone Moth
4  Scalloped Hazel
1  Scalloped Oak
3  Peppered Moth
34  Willow Beauty
3  Barred Red
1  Red-necked Footman
1  Buff Footman
2  Garden Tiger
20  White Ermine
1  Buff Ermine
1  Ruby Tiger
1  Least Black Arches
43  Heart and Dart
4  Dark Sword-grass
21  Flame
3  Flame Shoulder
2  Large Yellow Underwing
6  Ingrailed Clay
1  Small Square-spot
1  Setaceous Hebrew Character
1  Double Square-spot
2  Nutmeg
1  Shears
3  Bright-line Brown-eye
1  Smoky Wainscot
2  Common Wainscot
1  L-album Wainscot
1  Shoulder-striped Wainscot
1  Knot Grass
2  Small Angle Shades
1  Angle Shades
4  Dark Arches
1  Dusky Brocade
97  Marbled Minor agg
7  Vine's Rustic
6  Mottled Rustic
1  Silver Y
6  Dark Spectacle
4  Spectacle
1  Herald
7  Straw Dot
4  Snout 
9  Pinion-streaked Snout 
1  The Fan-foot 
2  Small Fan-foot
1  unidentified geometrid?? 

  There was not a cloud in the sky and mid-afternoon, Tean and I had just watched 4 Humming-bird Hawkmoth feeding on the Buddleia in the garden and walked towards Content Farm, when the phone rang and I was told that a BLACK KITE had flown from Bryher and across the channel towards Tresco! When I put the phone down, there was another HB Hawkmoth just in front of us. On the two hour walk we saw a total of 30+HB Hawkmoth, including together 10 at Mcfarland's Down and 9 at Trenowth! It was obvious that there had been an influx and this was by far the most that I had ever seen in a single day! How many more arrived on Scilly in these SE winds is anyone's guess? What I do know is that the BEE-EATER that we heard at Pungi's Lane, first briefly at 16.44 and again two hours later, did not arrive on the same SE. This individual was on St Agnes for over a week and then two days ago, Martin heard it over work at Trenowth, two fields away from where it is now, and like me, didn't see it.
  We also got six species of Butterfly, including 2 each of Ringlet and Comma and 40+Meadow Brown. There were 100's of Red-necked Footman in the pines and at Trenowth there were 5 Swift.

 

While Tean was trying to catch a Ringlet with the net, this moth flew just above my head and with one swipe of the arm, it was trapped in my hand. Later it was identified as a Willow Ermine and was a new one for me

 

Soldier Beetle 

  

 

Comma Butterfly 

 

100's of Red-necked Footman 

   Robin and I looked over towards Tresco from Mcfarland's Down, hoping to connect with the kite, although Robin had already seen it while he was on Tresco. What he also observed that's rarer than the kite for this time of year, was 3 Wigeon on the Great Pool! I could hear a male Whitethroat in sub-song nearby and we both saw it well in the Gorse. No sign of the kite, but Robin picked up the female Marsh Harrier over Samson. We later checked Porth Hellick and were surprised to see a male White Wagtail on the far side of the pool. Also the Greenshank was in the bay and there were 20+Swallow, including juveniles and 10 House Martin.

 

Male White Wagtail at Porth Hellick 

 

Here's a shot of the BLACK KITE that Joe saw with Higgo and Will while on the Sapphire. If you like to see more photos of what Joe's seen on his trips out to the islands, then go to http://wwwsapphirepelagics.blogspot.com/