Lockdown Bird Ringing

Despite lockdown restricting many people's ability to get out into nature and connect with the environment, for me at least it has shifted my focus onto the wildlife found in my local area, and as my previous blog alluded to, you'd be amazed at what you can find if you just take the time to look. 

As a keen birder and bird ringer, not being able to access some of my usual sites has been a bit of a bummer, but I feel very fortunate to have been able to continue ringing in my modest suburban garden, and it's been quite remarkable seeing just how many birds use the feeders on a daily basis. Since the start of Lockdown 2.0 on 5th November 2020, I have caught 170 birds in our 10 x 14 m garden, 123 of which were Goldfinches. Other species included 20 tits (Blue, Great & Coal) and seven Greenfinches.

Adult male Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Over the last week or so, a number of Siskins have joined the other finches on the feeders, and whilst scanning them with binoculars I was surprised to see that at least two of them already had rings on (very exciting as I've not ringed any Siskins in my garden before). I wasn't quick enough to read the ring numbers with bins or a scope however, so I made various attempts to catch them. 

In doing so I managed to catch not one, but eight birds, far more than I originally thought were present. This included one of the birds already wearing a ring, and after submitting the data to the British Trust for Ornithology (who coordinate the British Ringing Scheme), I was delighted to receive the news that the bird had originally been ringed in Melvich, Highland on 10th May 2019, some 629 days previously and having moved a total of 824 km... not too shabby for a bird weighing ~13g!

Adult male Siskin Carduelis spinus

This just goes to show how much bird ringing helps to further our knowledge and understanding of British birds, their population changes and movements, as well as highlighting the importance of gardens for birds and other wildlife. You can find out more about ringing and how to get involved on the BTO's website, and for an animated visualisation of Siskin movements in Europe, the Euro Bird Portal is pretty snazzy.

Adult female Siskin Carduelis spinus

Siskin movement from Melvich, Highland to NE Hampshire, a total of 824 km.

Top 10 Moths of 2020

As a keen naturalist and moth botherer, I felt I ought to put together a few highlights from my mothing adventures over the past year to show that you don't have to travel far from home to see some absolutely stunning species, and put some extra dots on the map. 

Due to a premature return from my year studying abroad, I recorded my first moth of 2020 on the 12th April. From then until the end of the year I recorded 6772 moths of 635 species (including 136 lifers), the vast majority of which were from my home county of North Hampshire (VC12). Amongst these were two species of micro moth that were new to VC12: Phtheochroa schreibersiana and Coleophora saturatella, plus quite a few other species which have fewer than 10 records in their respective VCs.

Anyway, onto my Top 10. Although I recorded moths from nine different vice counties in 2020, all of my top 10 species (except no.7) were found within a 15 minute drive from home, just to emphasise how easy it is to find brilliant moths, regardless of where you live!

1. Alabonia geoffrella

Alabonia geoffrella - 24th May

2. Goat Moth Cossus cossus

Goat Moth Cossus cossus - 25th June

3. Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini

Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini - 9th September

4. Silver Hook Deltote uncula

Silver Hook Deltote uncula - 28th May

5. Coleophora saturatella

Coleophora saturatella - 8th June

6. Chrysoesthia drurella

Chrysoesthia drurella - 21st May

7. Stathmopoda pedella

Stathmopoda pedella - 26th July, Norwich.

8. Coleophora limosipennella

Coleophora limosipennella - 16th November

9. Chrysoclista lineella

Chrysoclista lineella - 8th August

10. Hysterophora maculosana

Hysterophora maculosana - 7th May

I hope you all enjoyed seeing some fantastic moths in 2020 and perhaps this summary has provided some encouragement or motivation to explore your own local area even more in 2021 to see what hidden treasures are waiting to be found! 

Mothing 30.04.20

Garden mothing VC12 ~ 29-30/04/20 ~

The forecast for last night was rather wet and windy conditions, but something about the promise of spring made me risk it and set the trap up. Upon checking the trap at around 21.30, I was disheartened to see that the rain had started early, but a Great Prominent Peridea anceps hiding away on the back of the sheet was some consolation. Given that the rain was due to remain steady for an hour or so rather than getting any heavier, I decided to brave it and leave the trap out until the morning.

Despite getting to sleep around 2am, I somehow woke up before my 06.30 alarm and was out to check the trap at 06.00. The sheet next to the trap was soaking and the Great Prominent was nowhere to be seen, but a Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala was a nice surprise. Inside the trap was - as expected - pretty quiet, with two Red-green Carpets Chloroclysta siterata, a battered Oak-tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata and a single Triple-barred Argent Argyresthia trifasciata. Right at the bottom, under the very last egg box was the highlight of my mothing year so far, and possibly the best moth to grace my garden since I began trapping in 2015... a beautiful Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae! It's my first one in Hampshire, and only my second one ever (the other being at Upton Fen, Norfolk last year). A real treat and a very unexpected one too!

Species		Count
Great Prominent	Peridea anceps	1
Lime Hawk-moth	Mimas tiliae	1
Oak-tree Pug	Eupithecia dodoneata	1
Poplar Grey	Subacronicta megacephala	1
Red-green Carpet	Chloroclysta siterata	2
Triple-barred Argent	Argyresthia trifasciata	1

Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae

Great Prominent Peridea anceps

Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala

Mothing 24.04.20

Garden mothing VC12 ~ 23-24/04/20 ~

A last minute decision at ~21.00 last night saw me putting the moth trap out once again. The weather was warm (~9°C) and fairly overcast... pretty much as good as it's going to get for this time of year! By the time I went to check the trap at ~23.30, there were already a number of moths around, including a Waved Umber, Seraphim, two Brimstones and a handful of pugs.

Upon checking the trap at ~07.00 this morning it was encouraging to see a number of moths still on the vertical sheet that I hang next to the trap, as well as the perspex lid of the trap itself... always a good sign! It didn't take too long to go through the traps' contents as it was all fairly straightforward.  The total catch came to 61 moths of 29 species - not bad for April. A number of species were quite surprising to see, especially Nutmeg, Sharp-angled Carpet, Yellow-barred Brindle and a superb Poplar Hawk-moth.

Hopefully the weather stays favourable over the next few things as things really start to pick up!

Species		Count
Brimstone Moth	Opisthograptis luteolata	6
Brindled Beauty	Lycia hirtaria	2
Brindled Pug	Eupithecia abbreviata	13
Brown Pine Ermine	Cedestis subfasciella	1
Chocolate-tip	Clostera curtula	3
Clouded Drab	Orthosia incerta	2
Common Oak Purple	Dyseriocrania subpurpurella	1
Common Quaker	Orthosia cerasi	1
Fern Smut	Psychoides filicivora	1
Least Black Arches	Nola confusalis	1
Light Brown Apple-moth	Epiphyas postvittana	1
Many-plume Moth	Alucita hexadactyla	1
Muslin Moth	Diaphora mendica	1
Narrow-winged Grey	Eudonia angustea	1
Nut-tree Tussock	Colocasia coryli	1
Nutmeg	Anarta trifolii	1
Oak Nycteoline	Nycteola revayana	1
Oak-tree Pug	Eupithecia dodoneata	8
Poplar Hawk-moth	Laothoe populi	1
Red-green Carpet	Chloroclysta siterata	1
Ruddy Streak	Tachystola acroxantha	1
Seraphim	Lobophora halterata	1
Sharp-angled Carpet	Euphyia unangulata	1
Shuttle-shaped Dart	Agrotis puta	2
Spruce Carpet	Thera britannica	1
Triple-barred Argent	Argyresthia trifasciata	2
Waved Umber	Menophra abruptaria	1
White-shouldered House Moth	Endrosis sarcitrella	3
Yellow-barred Brindle	Acasis viretata	1

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi

Close up of Poplar Hawk-moth antennae

Chocolate-tip Clostera curtula

Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata

Nutmeg Anarta trifolii

Sharp-angled Carpet Euphyia unangulata

Garden moths 22.04.20

Garden moths VC12 ~ 21-22/04/20 ~

I put the moth trap out again last night as the forecast was for it to be ~9°C and cloudy. This was not the case however, and the cloud didn't materialise, causing it to be a rather chilly night instead! The moths weren't completely deterred though, and when I checked the trap at about 7am, I found 13 moths of 10 species. 

Three of these species were new for the year: Early Grey Xylocampa areola, Frosted Green Polyploca ridens and the delightful Pine Beauty Panolis flammea. The highlight of the catch came in the form of a melanistic (all black) Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria. It was a real stunner and not a form I'd heard of before, so it was pretty cool to see.

Species		Count
Brindled Beauty	Lycia hirtaria	3
Common Slender	Gracillaria syringella	1
Early Grey	Xylocampa areola	1
Frosted Green	Polyploca ridens	1
Grey Pine Carpet	Thera obeliscata	1
Hebrew Character	Orthosia gothica	1
Pale Mottled Willow	Caradrina clavipalpis	1
Pine Beauty	Panolis flammea	1
Shuttle-shaped Dart	Agrotis puta	2
Sulphur Tubic	Esperia sulphurella	1

2x Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria, including the melanistic form

Melanistic Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria

Pine Beauty Panolis flammea

Frosted Green Polyploca ridens