Neil Freeman

[David M]

I'm not surprised how arid Durlston was looking in 2018, but I wonder why it remains so this year? We haven't exactly had an absence of rainfall.

[Neil Freeman]

Crikey that is a hell of a difference Neil Mind you if the habitat is drying up earlier in the year then the Lulworth Skipper could be better at dealing with it than some other species due to it's elongated and protracted flight period, fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

A hell of a differnce indeed Wurzel. I must admit that, although I realised that it was looking dry last year and this, I didn't appreciate how much until I looked back at previous photos.

I'm not surprised how arid Durlston was looking in 2018, but I wonder why it remains so this year? We haven't exactly had an absence of rainfall.

Not sure about that David. We have not had a drought like last year but there have been a few shorter periods of hot and dry weather. Conditions will obviously vary around the country but around my part of the midlands river levels are lower than usual for this time of year.

Friday 20th September

Being in work, I have not seen much this week, just a few Small Whites and a couple of Speckled Woods in the garden after work. I went round to my moms this afternoon and did a bit of work in her garden. Whilst there I was visited by a couple of Small Whites, a single Speckled Wood and also a Red Admiral, all of which just circled around a bit and then carried on their way.

September Moths.

Due to being away for the first week of the month and some recent clear and quite chilly nights, I have only put the moth trap out in the garden three times so far this month. Numbers have varied from 61 moths of 13 species on the night of Tuesday 10th up to 75 of 17 on Sunday 15th and then down to just 20 of 3 last night (Thursday 19th) which was clear and quite chilly.

Second generation of early summer species such as Light Emerald and Common Marbled Carpet are showing up. As with some butterflies these later broods can be quite a bit smaller than their earlier flying parents.

Light Emerald - Coverdale 10.09.2019

Common Marbled Carpet - Coverdale 15.09.2019

Autumn flying species such as Lunar Underwing are also now appearing. This is a very variable moth with a number of colour forms, four of which turned up last night.

Lunar Underwing - Coverdale 19.09.2019

Lunar Underwing - Coverdale 19.09.2019

Lunar Underwing - Coverdale 19.09.2019

Lunar Underwing, an attractive form I haven't seen before - Coverdale 19.09.2019

The good weather looks like it will last to tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to get out for a bit although this is now the time of year that it usually winds down around here.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[millerd]

Those shots of the Humming-bird Hawk moth are the best I have ever seen, Neil. Extraordinary. Taken with the excellent earlier shot you managed of one at rest, it's quite difficult to reconcile them as being the same species. There's enough material there to illustrate a monograph!

And as for the dryness of the landscape - it hasn't rained significantly in my part of the world since way back in August sometime. I was speaking to someone the other day who said that 20% of all the rain here in 2019 so far fell on one single day in June. Lawns are brown, plants are withering and there is premature leaffall from trees. I suspect that the Midlands may be similarly affected too, at least to some extent, and certainly the south coast seems to be.

All change from tonight, mind!

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Wow! There's quite some dimorphism amongst those Lunar Underwings, Neil. I guess with temperatures dropping you will probably start paying more attention to moths over the next couple of weeks?

I look forward to seeing a few more.

[Wurzel]

Those different forms of the Lunar Underwing are really interesting Neil . Normally dimorphism is a small 'add on' or a slight variation on a theme but some of those are almost totally different patterns Is there a single diagnostic feature that they all share or do you have to learn to recognise all the forms?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

That a fascinating (and a little worrying) comparison of the differences over there years at Durlston. This year is by far the latest I've visited there, don't think I'll be making that mistake again if I'm looking for Lulworths.

[Neil Freeman]

...Those shots of the Humming-bird Hawk moth are the best I have ever seen, Neil. Extraordinary. Taken with the excellent earlier shot you managed of one at rest, it's quite difficult to reconcile them as being the same species. There's enough material there to illustrate a monograph! ...

Thanks Dave, I was pleased with the HBHM photos I had taken earlier in the week but those ones really put the cherry on the cake for me

...All change from tonight, mind!...

Indeed, we had a right soaking here all day Sunday and it is lashing down again as I write this.

...There's quite some dimorphism amongst those Lunar Underwings, Neil...

...Those different forms of the Lunar Underwing are really interesting Neil . Normally dimorphism is a small 'add on' or a slight variation on a theme but some of those are almost totally different patterns ...l

Pedant alert Strictly speaking, the Lunar Underwings are exhibiting polymorphism as they come in a variety of forms, not dimorphism which refers to two distinct forms (di = two), for example, sexual dimorphism between males and female of a species or seasonal dimorphism between spring and summer broods.

...Is there a single diagnostic feature that they all share or do you have to learn to recognise all the forms? ...l

,

The photos do not show it but the hindwings have a 'crescent moon' shaped mark which is diagnostic. Other than that there are some cross lines and spots on the forewings which are fairly consistent in all colour forms.

That a fascinating (and a little worrying) comparison of the differences over there years at Durlston. This year is by far the latest I've visited there, don't think I'll be making that mistake again if I'm looking for Lulworths.

Yes, I fear that the way things are going with our weather lately, then the days of Lulworth Skippers lasting into September at Durlston could quite possibly be a thing of the past.

Saturday 21st September.

An hour around my local spot at Castle Hills near Solihull on Saturday afternoon under clear blue skies and temperatures in the low twenties produced just a dozen butterflies and nearly half of those were Small Whites that didn't stop still.

The rest consisted of a couple of Speckled Wood and a single Comma along the hedges...

Comma - Castle Hills 21.09.2019

A Single Male Small Copper hanging on to his territory in a corner of one field...

Small Copper - Castle Hills 21.09.2019

and a Red Admiral and Large White on the few remaining flowers on the wild buddlieas here.

Red Admiral and incoming Large White - Castle Hills 21.09.2019

Large White - Castle Hills 21.09.2019

Red Admiral - Castle Hills 21.09.2019

Another Red Admiral was seen on the way back to the car but all in all a quiet afternoon that brought home the fact that the season is just about over here.
Of course, there are always a few vannesids hanging on and Speckled Wood usually last into October, but with the change in the weather this week, I am not expecting much else here this year.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

"Strictly speaking, the Lunar Underwings are exhibiting polymorphism " Opps, mind you it's all Greek/Latin to me - being from Dorset even English is somewhat of a foreign tongue
Cracking shots Neil especially the 'incoming' Was that a 'Sports Mode' special?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

..all in all a quiet afternoon that brought home the fact that the season is just about over here.

Of course, there are always a few vannesids hanging on and Speckled Wood usually last into October, but with the change in the weather this week, I am not expecting much else here this year.

Tell me about it, Neil. Things were developing nicely until the non-stop storms arrived on Sunday. I dread to think what damage it's done to the butterfly populations and it's likely to be several days yet before I have chance to find out.

[Neil Freeman]

...Cracking shots Neil especially the 'incoming' Was that a 'Sports Mode' special? ...

Not this time Wurzel, the dial was on 'A' (my usual setting with the D3400) and that was just a lucky shot.

...Things were developing nicely until the non-stop storms arrived on Sunday. I dread to think what damage it's done to the butterfly populations and it's likely to be several days yet before I have chance to find out.

Hopefully they will tuck themselves away to sit it out but having said that I reckon this week has pretty much seen the end of my season around here, which is pretty much on time for my patch.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Some proper Autumn weather lately with lashings of rain last weekend and earlier in the week and when it eased off we had some clear and cold nights with temperatures dropping down to 4 or 5 degrees by the time I left for work in the mornings.

With the nights being either wet and windy or clear and cold I had not put the moth trap out for a while until last night when some cloud cover led to it staying a bit milder and the wind eased off a bit although we did have some overnight showers of rain.
I ended up with 30 moths of 10 species, all macros apart from a couple of Light Brown Apple Moths and a single Tachystola acroxantha. The most numerous are still Large Yellow Underwings (9) followed by Lunar Underwing (6) and Lesser Yellow Underwing (4) with the remainder consisting of Common Marbled Carpet (3), Red-green Carpet (1) and Setacous Hebrew Character (1).

An attractive form of Common Marbled Carpet - Coverdale 03.10.2019

A nice fresh Red-green Carpet - Coverdale 03.10.2019

New for Year Autumn species were Black Rustic (2) and Blair's Shoulder-knot (1).

Blair's Shoulder-knot - Coverdale 03.10.219

For a 'black' moth the Black Rustic can be quite attractive when fresh with a mix of shades reminiscent of the underside of a Peacock.

Black Rustic - Coverdale 03.10.2019

Black Rustic - Coverdale 03.10.2019

It looks like we have more bands of rain heading our way over the next few days, oh well! I suppose it is Autumn. With the long dark nights rapidly approaching it will soon be time to start thinking about what I want to catch up with next year.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

As much as I stare at the Blair's Shoulder-knot I still can't see it as being a Tony Cracking set of moths - that Black Rustic is, as you say, beautifully marked like a Peacock Stunning

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

With ever more autumnal weather drawing in, it’s nice to be able to visit your PD to see the beautiful moths that have no fear of the month of October!

The Red-Green Carpet is undoubtedly the pick of the bunch.

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel, I will not be able to see another Blair's Shoulder-knot again without picturing that Spitting Image puppet of Tony B with the insane grin

Thanks David, there are some cracking autumn moths about including quite a few that I have yet to see in my garden, but you never know what might get blown in.

Sunday 6th October

"Of course, there are always a few vanessids hanging on and Speckled Wood usually last into October"

My words from a couple of posts back and they proved to be prophetic on Sunday.

Following on from a miserable grey Saturday and some heavy overnight rain, Sunday was the better day of the weekend with some pleasant sunny spells although it was still quite blustery.
Just after mid-day I was in our kitchen and happened to look out of the window and spotted a Red Admiral flitting about one of the buddleias that had a few flowers still on it. I grabbed the camera and managed a few shots before the sun went in and it flew off over the fence into next door.

Red Admiral - Coverdale 06.10.2019

Red Admiral - Coverdale 06.10.2019

A bit later in the afternoon I was pottering about in the garden and keeping an eye out to see if the Red Admiral would return, which it didn't.
At this time of year, with the sun now being much lower in the sky, most of the garden is now in the shade for most of the day and I was wondering if the RA would be the last butterfly I would see in the garden this year when I spotted a rather worn male Speckled Wood flitting about in one of the few sunny spots.

Speckled Wood - Coverdale 06.10.2019

Just the two butterflies but an uplifting sight, especially after some of the weather we have had recently and quite possibly my last butterflies of this season.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

"I will not be able to see another Blair's Shoulder-knot again without picturing that Spitting Image puppet of Tony B with the insane grin "...glad to have been of service
That is a lush looking Red Admiral Neil - the one's I've seen recently are all looking worse for wear - it's getting to that stage of the season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

..Just the two butterflies but an uplifting sight, especially after some of the weather we have had recently and quite possibly my last butterflies of this season.

Please don't say that, Neil. I'm already developing my annual SAD.

If the sun comes out and temperatures reach 13c, I'm sure there will be more about prior to the first November frosts taking their toll.

[Neil Freeman]

...it's getting to that stage of the season ...

Indeed Wurzel, in fact it has well and truly got there now

...If the sun comes out and temperatures reach 13c, I'm sure there will be more about prior to the first November frosts taking their toll.

The sun has come out a couple of time this past week David...When I was at work. I haven't seen any more butterflies since.

Sunday 13th October.

The weekend was truly horrible one here with incessant rain on Saturday and Sunday being a bit better only in the sense that the rain was not so heavy and more of a drizzle under leaden grey skies.

With Autumn well and truly upon us, there have been increasing numbers of birds coming into the garden with the species that I don't see much of through the summer starting to show up again.

In previous years I have seen the occasional Nuthatch in the garden but they have been visiting regularly this Autumn.

A soggy looking Nuthatch - Coverdale 13.10.2019

I have mentioned before that Great Spotted Woodpeckers are regular visitors...

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Coverdale 13.10.2019

but they usually go for the peanuts or fat blocks and I have never seen one taking black sunflower seed before.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Coverdale 13.10.2019

As usual, the photos above were taken through the window from the comfort of my back room.

Friday 18th October

The weather here this past week has been mostly wet and windy with some drier spells but the occasional sun has failed to make much impression against the chilly breeze.

This morning (Friday) the sun came out again whilst I was at work but with stunning inevitability as soon as I finished at midday, it started to rain.

A couple more photos of a few of the birds in the garden this afternoon.

Goldfinch and Coal Tit - Coverdale 18.10.2019

Goldfinch and Nuthatch - Coverdale 18.10.2019

Despite the mostly grotty weather recently, I have put the moth trap out a couple of times but numbers have now dropped considerably with nothing special turning up.

The best moth I have seen recently was a Herald Moth that I found on the kitchen door a couple of nights ago. This species hibernates as an adult and can sometimes be found in the company of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks hibernating in groups in caves or tunnels and old bunkers. I reckon this one had come in from my garage which has a door into the kitchen.
I took a couple of photos and released it back outside to find somewhere a bit more appropriate to spend the winter.

Herald Moth - Coverdale 16.10.2019

Herald Moth - Coverdale 16.10.2019

Bye for now,

Neil.

[bugboy]

The Herald is one of my favourite moths, it's been years though since I've seen one. Great shots in your garden too

[Goldie M]

Lovely Bird Shots Neill, especially the one's with the Nut Thatch and the Wood Pecker, I see the Gold Finch quite a lot, I've been told they're having a rough time with some kind of illness, my Gold Finch have been okay but some people have seen them with lumps on their head, it's good to see your GF are okay, let's hope it's not too serious an illness Goldie

[Wurzel]

Great birding shots Neil and I love the Herald - the only problem I have of this species is that it seems to herald the end of the season mind you only another 4 months til the new one begins

Have a goodun

Wurzel