Darter, bugs and moths

 Found this female Ichneumon wasp (Ichneumonidae)at Giant's Castle.   

It was a day of finding insects, but frustratingly, not knowing what they were. Robin and I were at Giant's Castle for over an hour seawatching. As it was a NW, F5-6 we didn't exspect much and were right. 12 Manx Shearwater and 32 Gannet. On our return to the car, there was a Whimbrel in Porth Hellick Bay and over 30 Red-necked Footman Moth were flying high in Salakee pine belt. 

 

There were over 10 of these orthops kalmii bugs together at Porth Hellick 

 

Fly sp? at Porth Hellick 

My first walk along the dead pine trail in a month, produced the first female Common Darter of the year. I also saw this bald-headed male Blackbird singing on the roof of the toilet blocks at the campsite. 

 After work, I went to Mick's to see want moths he had trapped over night. The highlight was a July Highflyer. Here's a list of what was trapped and a few pics from the last two days

 

July Highflyer 

Red-necked Footman  

 

Burnished Brass 

 

Dark-Sword-grass 

 

Scalloped Oak 

1 Epermenia chaerophyllella
1  Epiphyas postvittana 
1  Cnephasia sp 
8  Celypha lacunana 
1  Epiblema uddmanniana 
2  Chrysoteuchia culmella 
1  Crambus perlella 
2  Eudonia angustea 
1  Garden Pebble 
2  Rusty Dot Pearl 
1  Grass Emerald 
1  Riband Wave 
5  Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
3  Common Marbled Carpet 
3  Grey Pine Carpet 
1  Rivulet 
1  The Magpie 
11  Willow Beauty 
1  Brussels Lace 
1  Light Emerald 
1  Red-necked Footman 
7  White Ermine 
7  Buff Ermine 
20  Heart and Dart 
9  Flame 
1  Flame Shoulder 
1  Ingrailed Clay 
1  Small Square-spot 
4  Setaceous Hebrew Character 
1  Knot Grass 
7  Marbled Minor agg 
7  Vine's Rustic 
1  Burnished Brass 
3  Straw Dot 
4  Snout 
2  Pinion-streaked Snout 

And from yesterday

 

Riband  Wave

 

Knot Grass 

 

Pinnon-streaked Snout 

 

Ingrailed Clay 

 

 Flame 

 

Brussel's Lace 

 

Grey Pine Carpet 

 

 

Clay-coloured Weevil was also in the moth trap 

  

 

Yellowtail Moth caterpillar in me garden

1  Coleophora spinella 
1  Agapeta hamana 
12  Celypha lacunana 
1  Cydia ulicetana (=succedana) 
1  Cydia pomonella 
3  Chrysoteuchia culmella 
2  Eudonia angustea 
1  Small Magpie 
2  Rusty Dot Pearl 
1  Nomophila noctuella 
1  Small Fan-footed Wave 
2  Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet 
2  Common Marbled Carpet 
1  July Highflyer 
1  Brown Silver-lines 
1  Scalloped Oak 
4  Willow Beauty 
16  White Ermine 
1  Buff Ermine 
50  Heart and Dart 
1  Dark Sword-grass 
7  Flame 
1  Flame Shoulder 
2  Large Yellow Underwing 
1  Ingrailed Clay 
10  Setaceous Hebrew Character 
1  Nutmeg 
1  Bright-line Brown-eye 
1  Common Wainscot 
2  L-album Wainscot 
1  Dark Arches 
13  Marbled Minor agg 
5  Vine's Rustic 
1  Pinion-streaked Snout 

Sooty and Balearic Shearwater off Giant's Castle

  Due to the dense fog, there was no flying all day and anyone who wanted to return to the mainland, had to go on the Scillonian. 17.30 and I finished work and noticed that the fog had lifted enough to see the other islands. Also the wind had picked up to F4-5 SW and at 18.30 I was off Giants Castle seawatching. The fog had returned, but ten minutes of being there, it started drifting further out to sea until it had disappeared. The highlights included a single Sooty and Balearic Shearwater and 1 of the 2 Stormies was feeding just off the rocks below me at very close range.

18.30-21.00, F4-5 SW

1 Sooty Shearwater (18.56) 1 Balearic Shearwater, (19.12) 2 Puffin, 2 Storm Petrel, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Fulmar, 31 Manx Shearwater, 33 Gannet.    

 

A pair of Pied Wagtail have nested on the quay and have been very busy feeding young  

 

The female Gadwall at Porth Hellick, started off with 11 duckling last week down to this single today!  

 

Variations of Green Pug in me garden 

Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillars

 

One of the five Eyed Hawk-moth caterpillars just out of the egg in Martin's garden 

   Two weeks ago Martin found a mating pair of Eyed Hawk-moth on a Apple Tree in his Garden at Holy Vale. Shortly afterwards the female layed eggs and today five of the eggs hatched. I went and had a look at them and after firing some shots of the tiny caterpillars and a Yellowshell Moth, that Matin trapped last night, we both arrived at Deep Point in a F5-6 SW. In two hours of seawatching from 18.30, over 500 Manx Shearwater flew west. Also, over 30 Fulmar, 50 Gannet and 2 Razorbill flew past.

 

Even at this tiny size, the horn at the back makes it easy to identify it as a hawk-moth caterpillar  

 

Yellowshell at Holy Vale 

 

Larva of the swafly, Nematus pavidus. This is a common sawfly that feeds on Willow. I found this individual in me wagon.  

 

A few of the Manx Shearwater and Gannet came closer enough for Martin to get some photos 

First Ringlet of the year

 

The first Ringlet of the year was at Trenoweth 

  John Bird, one of the locals, told Tony that he's been flushing a Buzzard sp for the last two mornings while walking around the vines at Silver Carn. Thinking it might be the Honey Buzzard that was seen yesterday, we met outside my house at 07.30 and made the short walk into the fields where John had seen the bird. Half an hour later I had to go to work and left them to it. At 08.40, Robin had found one of the Buzzards from Tresco in the pines at Porth Hellick House. Here it showed very well, but was quickly moved on by the local Carrion Crows. We guessed that this is more than likely the bird that John's being flushing. However, just after 14.00, Robin got me up to Trenowth looking for the HONEY BUZZARD he had just seen flying over his house towards Juliet's.
   No sign, but returning to the Wagon, a dark butterfly flew past and settled on a Buttercup. Just as I thought, it was the first Ringlet of the year.

 

Juvenile Greenfinch at Holy Vale 

 

 

Agapeta hamana and Celypha lacuna both these tortrix moths were at Holy Vale and very common on the islands 

  

This leafhopper, Eupteryx urticae was at Porth Hellick Thanks Robin  

  In the evening, still searching the skies for the Honey Buzzard, I made my way down through Holy Vale towards Porth Hellick. 2 Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap was at the crossroads were the only birds of note. When I was nearing Deep Point, Smoothy text me to say that he had a Golden Plover sp fly off from the golf course. As he was playing golf himself, he didn't get anything on it and asked me to check it out. Robin picked me up and with in minutes of arriving at the course, we identified a stunning summer plumage male 'Northern' Golden Plover! What was it doing here?  

 

Summer plumage male 'Northern' Golden Plover feeding on the golf course just before dark, was a very unusual record for this time of year.  

 

Yesterday this Cormorant was drying itself off in front of the hides at Lower Moors