Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

 

Male Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing  

  Mick had two good moths of note, Silky Wainscot and Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, with only about ten records each trapped at Longstones. Both were new species for me, but the White-speck, that he also caught, I had seen at least 20+.

 

Silky Wainscot 

 

White-speck 

 

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 

  At Porth Hellick, the first Oak Eggar was on the wing. On the pool there were 5 Greenshank and a single Common Sandpiper and a juvenile Mediteranean Gull was at Porthloo.

 

Common Sandpiper at Porth Hellick 

 

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull fast asleep at Porthloo 

 

Flies covered the beach at Bar Point 

 

A few of these Rove Beetle sp were among the flies  

 

Overcast skies over Samson looking from Bar Point 

Saturday 30th July 

  Yesterday at work, 6 Common Crossbill flew NW towards the golf course. Moth included Scarce Footman, Fanfoot, Dark Arches, Buff Ermine and Shuttle-shaped Dart, attracted to the Star Castle lights overnight.

 

St Mary's Harbour 

 

Looking from Star Castle 

TEMMINK'S STINT at Porth Hellick

 Adult TEMMINK'S STINT at Porth Hellick 

   I got a call from Bryan this morning to tell me that there was a TEMMINK'S STINT at Porth Hellick! It was not until late afternoon that I got there and found it showing very well in front to the right of the seaward hide. It was a moulting adult and I observed it for over half an hour at close range. Out of the eleven Scilly records, I've managed to see four of them. The last record was a spring bird also at Porth Hellick found by Robin, 22-23/4/09 .
  There was also a single Green Sandpiper and Sand Martin, male Peregrine and 5 Greenshank.  

 

TEMMINK'S STINT with Green Sandpiper  

 

 

Footage taken by Martin Goodey

 

Juvenile Green Sandpiper 

   This morning the Garrison, there was the first Migrant Hawker of the year near the Steveal, over 10 Willow Warbler, single Blackcap and a Sedge Warbler.


Wednesday July 28th

  At Lower Moors I heard the first Water Rail of the autumn and there were over 70 Swift 

 

Sunset over Samson 

Bee-Eater at Longstones

 

Pale and Pebble Prominent at Longstones

  Overnight mothing at Porth Hellick got me two new species. A Pale Prominent and Common Wave. The reed area was dominated by Smoky Wainscots, but only 2 Brown-veined Wainscot.

 

Common Wave 

 

 

Pale Prominent 

A total of 27 species at Porth Hellick

1 Pale Prominent
1 Common Wave
1 Lime-speck Pug
1 Dark Swordgrass
1 White Ermine 
1 Angle Shade
1 Bright-line Brown Eye
1 Garden Carpet
1 Bee Moth
1 Six-spotted Burnet
1 Common Emerald
1 Brussels Lace 
1 Buff Footman
1 Dark Arches
1 Cloaked  Minor
1 Common Rustic
1 Snout 
2 Brown-veined Wainscot
2 Early Thorn
2 Willow Beauty 
2 Single-dotted Wave 
2 Flame Shoulder 
2 Brown-veined Wainscot
3 Dingy Footman 
3 Small Fan-footed Wave
20+July Highflyer 
70+Smoky Wainscot

  After work I went to Mick's to check out the traps. Straw Underwing and Rhigognostis annulatella were both new species for me, otherwise it was the same usual stuff. Maybe the moths were crap, but a BEE-EATER, first heard and then seen briefly heading N towards Higher Lanes/Telegraph made up for it. Is this the same individual that was last seen, 2nd July, just up the road at Maypole? It's a long time for a Bee-Eater to stick around and not be heard or seen. A single Willow Warbler was also in the garden.

Total of species at Longstones 

Yponomeuta evonymella 1
Rhigognostis annulatella 1
Agonopterix heracliana 1
Agonopterix nervosa 3
Blastobasis lignea 6
Cnephasia sp 1
Acleris laterana 2
Acleris variegana 1
Celypha lacunana 1
Eucosma cana 1
Alucita hexadactyla 4
Chrysoteuchia culmella 7
Pediasia contaminella 3
Evergestis forficalis (Garden Pebble) 1
Eurrhypara hortulata (Small Magpie) 1
Phlyctaenia coronata 1
Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl) 13
Nomophila noctuella 3
Adaina microdactyla 2
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Small Blood-vein 1
Small Fan-footed Wave 1
Single-dotted Wave 8
Riband Wave 12
Grey Pine Carpet 1
July Highflyer 1
Wormwood Pug 1
Common Pug 1
Early Thorn 11
Scalloped Oak 5
Swallow-tailed Moth 1
Willow Beauty 4
Brussels Lace 8
Poplar Hawk-moth 1
Buff-tip 5
Pebble Prominent 2
Pale Prominent 1
Yellow-tail 1
Dingy Footman 14
Scarce Footman 1
Buff Footman 16
Common Footman 3
Four-spotted Footman 6
Garden Tiger 1
Ruby Tiger 6
Kent Black Arches 7
Heart and Dart 2
Shuttle-shaped Dart 5
Flame 1
Flame Shoulder 15
Large Yellow Underwing 4
Lesser Yellow Underwing 7
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow UW 2
True Lover's Knot 5
Square-spot Rustic 3
Nutmeg 9
Cabbage Moth 1
Bright-line Brown-eye 9
Marbled Coronet 1
Lychnis 11
The Clay 4
Smoky Wainscot 9
Straw Underwing 1
Dark Arches 6
Cloaked Minor 1
Common/Lesser Common Rustic 13
Rosy Rustic 6
The Rustic 1
Dark Spectacle 1
Spectacle 1
Straw Dot 3
Snout 1
Pinion-streaked Snout 1

 

Field Grasshopper at Longstones 

Brown-veined Wainscots at Porth Hellick

 

Brown-veined Wainscot was a new species for me and I discovered maybe the first colony for Scilly at Porth Hellick!

  Mick normally catches 10 Brown-veined Wainscots a year. I saw an equal number overnight at Porth Hellick! From Higher Moors to the crossroads, there were over 20 July Highflyer. Another 10+ were also on the otherside following the path into Porth Hellick. However, when the habitat changed from Sallows to Phragmites, the sky was dominated by Smoky Wainscot with as many as 30+ in the area. There were also other species and when I returned home, I identified another species of wainscot, Brown-vained Wainscot. I might of discovered a colony of at least 10 at Porth Hellick.

 

Brown-veined Wainscot 

 

Over 30 July Highflyers were at Higher Moors/Porth Hellick and could also be Scillies first colony!  

A total of 37 species in the Porth Hellick area

1 Yellow-tail
1 Common Carpet
2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet  
1 Dark Arches
1 Fanfoot 
1 Common Footman 
1 Angle Shade
1 Bramble-shoot Moth
1 Lychnis
1 Small Bloodvein 
1 Cloaked Minor 
1 Nutmeg
1 Magpie 
1 Buff Ermine
1 Large-yellow Underwing
2 Broard-barred White 
2 Small Magpie 
2 Silver Y 
2 Yellowshell 
2 Scalloped Oak 
2 Early Thorn 
2 Double-striped Pug 
3 Rusty-dot Pearl 
3 Willow Beauty 
3 Snout 
3 Swallowtail 
5 Small Fan-footed Wave  
5 Common Rustic 
5 Riband Wave 
6 Blastobasis adustella 
7 Flame Shoulder
 9 Dingy Footman  
10 Brown-veined Wainscot
10 Single-dotted Wave  
20+ Twenty-plume Moth
30+July Highflyer 
30+Smoky Wainscot  

  The fog was in and out throughout the day and on the Garrison there were up to 9 Willow Warbler. I did the traps with Mick at Longstones and there was the first Brown-veined Wainscot of the year! It will be interesting to see how many get trapped this autumn. A scarce moth was a Clouded Border with maybe 5 a year and we also heard the Common Crossbill nearby. 

 

Clouded Border 

 

Marbled Coronet with the smaller Broard-barred White 

Total of species

Epermenia chaerophyllella 2
Coleophora sp 1
Depressaria pastinacella 1
Agonopterix heracliana 2
Agonopterix nervosa 1
Teleiopsis diffinis 1
Anarsia spartiella 2
Oegoconia caradjai 1
Blastobasis lignea 10
Agapeta hamana 1
Aethes rubigana 1
Eupoecila angustana 1
Acleris laterana 1
Acleris variegana 1
Eucosma cana 3
Rhyacionia buoliana 1
Alucita hexadactyla 8
Chrysoteuchia culmella 4
Pediasia contaminella 3
Evergestis forficalis (Garden Pebble) 1
Eurrhypara hortulata (Small Magpie) 1
Udea ferrugalis (Rusty Dot Pearl) 23
Mecyna asinalis 1
Nomophila noctuella 2
Dolicharthria punctalis 1
Pleuroptya ruralis (Mother of Pearl) 6
Endotricha flammealis 1
Adaina microdactyla 3
Emmelina monodactyla 3
Chinese Character 1
Peach Blossom 2
Grass Emerald 3
Blood-vein 1
Small Blood-vein 2
Small Fan-footed Wave 1
Single-dotted Wave 10
Riband Wave 15
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 3
Garden Carpet 2
Grey Pine Carpet 1
July Highflyer 8
Sandy Carpet 2
Foxglove Pug 1
Wormwood Pug 1
Clouded Border 1
Early Thorn 22
Scalloped Oak 11
Swallow-tailed Moth 6
Peppered Moth 2
Willow Beauty 10
Brussels Lace 2
Barred Red 2
Buff-tip 4
Yellow-tail 2
Red-necked Footman 1
Dingy Footman 20
Scarce Footman 2
Buff Footman 18
Common Footman 11
Four-spotted Footman 3
Garden Tiger 4
Ruby Tiger 5
Kent Black Arches 9
Dark Sword-grass 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart 1
Flame Shoulder 15
Large Yellow Underwing 6
Lesser Yellow Underwing 4
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow UW 2
True Lover's Knot 5
Small Square-spot 2
Setaceous Hebrew Character 1
Nutmeg 10
Cabbage Moth 1
Bright-line Brown-eye 14
Broad-barred White 8
Marbled Coronet 1
Lychnis 13
The Clay 3
Smoky Wainscot 12
Knot Grass 5
Marbled Green 1
Dark Arches 7
Cloaked Minor 3
Common/Lesser Common Rustic 23
Rosy Rustic 3
Brown-veined Wainscot 1
The Rustic 5
Spectacle 2
Straw Dot 3
Snout 2
Pinion-streaked Snout 1
The Fan-foot 2

Another BLOXWORTH SNOUT!

 

4th BLOXWORTH SNOUT for Scilly! 

  Overnight mothing produced the forth BLOXWORTH SNOUT for Scilly! I got it 20 yards down the track, near to Content Farm, from where I caught last weeks individual in me garden. The content Bloxworth was a lot darker and is the third to be recorded on Scilly in the past two weeks! This asks the question, is this a small influx at the moment or are they resident and only just being discovered?

A total of 22 species 

1 BLOXWORTH SNOUT
1 Silver Y 
1 Rusty Dot Pearl
1 Nutmeg 


1 Angle Shade 
1 Phlyctaenia coronata 
1 Common Rustic
1 Swallowtail 
1 The Lychnis
1 Common Footman
1 Turnip Moth
1 Willow Beauty
1 Broard-barred White  
2 Cloaked Minor 
2 Smoky Wainscot 
2 Fame Shoulder 
2 Garden Carpet
2 Double-striped Pug 
3 Riband Wave 
4 Small Fan-footed Wave
6 Mother Pearl 
7 Twenty-plume Moth

  Fog all day and no fllying and everyone returned to the mainland on the boat. It did clear at around about 16.00, but returned again at 21.00. On the Garrison there were 5 Willow Warbler, single Chiffchaff and Blackcap, over 50 Goldfinch and 80 Linnet. A quick look at Porth Hellick saw, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and now 6 Greenshank. The fog has returned

 

This fly landed on the windscreen of me wagon. Any ideas?

 

And this? 

Second Scilly DARK SPINACH!

 

DARK SPINICH Although common on the mainland, this is only the second to be recorded on Scilly! 

  Overnight I went out and did over an hour of mothing in the garden and the fields nearby. Fog was rolling in with drizzle and lots of Mother of Pearls were on the wing. At Content, I had just trapped a Shark feeding on Honey Suckle when this moth flew by and I caught it. I could see it was something different, but it wasn't until I returned home that I identified it as only the second DARK SPINACH to be recorded on Scilly! The first record was trapped in Mick's garden, Longstones, 5/8/03.

 

DARK SPINACH 

 

The Shark 

A total of 40 moths

1 DARK SPINACH  
1 Shark
1 Peach Blossom
1 Pinnon-streaked Snout
1 Small Magpie 
1 Fanfoot
1 Buff Footman 
1 Phlyctaenia coronata 
1 White Ermine 
1 Broard-barred White 
1 Magpie 
1 Large-yellow Underwing
1 Turnip Moth 
1 Bramble-shot Moth 
2 Dingy Footman 
2 Clay 
2 Bright line-brown Eye
2 Smoky Wainscot 
2 The Lichnis 
2 Grass Emerald 
2 Dark Twin-spot Carpet 
2 Sandy Carpet 
2 Garden Carpet 
2 Willow Beauty
2 Yellowshell
2 Single-dotted Wave 
2 Double-striped Pug 
2 Swallowtail
3 Small Bloodvain 
3 Snout 
3 Early Thorn 
3 Chrysoteuchia culmella  


4 Rusty-dot Pearl 
4 Small Fan-footed Wave 
5 Riband Wave 
6 Dark Arches 
6 Common Rustic
10+Twenty-plume Moth 
10+Blastobasis adustella 

20+Mother of Pearl 

  At Mick's late this morning, we emptied the moth traps and the only moth of note was a Mouse Moth with only 2-3 trapped a year. A Four-spotted Footman was my first of the year and there were up to 3 Herald inside. There was also a single Willow Warbler in his garden 

 

3 Herald  

Later in the day, I walked from Holy Vale to Porth Hellick and had a total of 20+Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff and 7 Blackcap. A single Common Crossbill over Higher Moors was probably one of the Longstone birds. Over 60 Swallow were at Porth Hellick and on the airfield there was a single 'Northern' Golden Plover.

 'Northern' Golden Plover somewhere in the dense fog at the airfield

2+ Common Crossbill at Longstones

 

Juvenile Common Crossbill at Longstones 

  Martin joined us at Mick's garden this evening, Longstones and while checking out the two moth traps, we could hear Common Crossbills nearby in the pines. Mick had seen three in his garden this afternoon. After a few minutes, we got them and they showed well briefly, but the light was crap. 2 Willow Warbler were also knocking around with a single seen earlier this morning at work and there were 2 Sandwich Tern at Porthloo.

 

Nicrophorus humator Beetle was also in one of the moth traps.

 

Common Crossbill 

Moths trapped overnight at Longstones

 

Adaina microdactyla Mick's garden is the only place on Scilly where you can see this moth! And the reason, as far as we know, is that Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, the food plant for the larva, is grown in his garden and nowhere else on the islands!

 

 

Pebble Prominent  

 

Lime-speck Pug 

 

Buff-tip 

 

 

July Highflyer 

 

2 Willow Warbler was feeding nearby

 

Yesterdays WESTERN CONIFER SEED BUG 

Willow Warbler at Star Castle