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It's almost part of my seasonal calendar these days to acknowledge that Autumn has arrived when you start posting more moths than butterflies, Neil. Equally, when you begin to concentrate on birds I can be confident that winter isn't too far away!!

That said, I enjoy your images. Love the Nuthatch and the Herald moth is a real beauty.

Thanks Bugboy, the Herald is one of my favourites too, one of a number of species that bring back memories of finding them in my younger days. I don't see so many these days but usually get a couple to the trap each year.

Thanks Goldie, I don't usually get many Goldfinches in my garden, just the occasional one or two. I see far more of them when I am out and about around here.

Cheers Wurzel, ah yes! but as an adult hibernator the Herald can also herald the beginning of the next season

Sounds like I am getting predictable David Glad you like the images though, the moths and birds certainly help when the butterflies have vanished.

Sunday 20th October.

Again, the Sunday was the better day of the weekend and dry enough to spend a bit more time pottering about in the garden during which I disturbed another old favourite moth, an Angle Shades.
This common and widespread species has two or sometimes three overlapping broods and can be recorded in every month of the year. It's distinctive markings and resting posture provide great camouflage amongst vegetation and I would probably have overlooked this one if it hadn't moved.

Bye for now,

Neil.

"...but as an adult hibernator the Herald can also herald the beginning of the next season " a great positive spin Neil and with it blowing a hooley outside and the rain pouring down much needed - I'll drink to that Lovely looking moff that Angle Shades

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Neil Freeman wrote:...dry enough to spend a bit more time pottering about in the garden during which I disturbed another old favourite moth, an Angle Shades.

Quite rightly a favourite, Neil. It's a beautiful insect, very much the archetypal moth with its camouflage and angular appearance.

Cheers Wurzel. A calmer but colder week but looks like the winds are picking up again for the weekend.

Thanks David. Both the Herald and Angle Shades are amongst a small number of moths that always bring back memories of finding them when I was a nipper.

Cheers,

Neil.

With the weather being either cold, wet or windy here and often all of these together, I have not seen any more butterflies, although there have been a few stragglers reported from around the midlands on brighter days when I have been stuck in work.

The weather has not been much good for running the garden moth trap either with the couple of times that I have lit up recently producing just a handful of moths. These included NFYs of Feathered Thorn and November Moth and a few Common Marbled Carpets, all of which are typical for this time of year.
As usual, I spent some time over the weekend watching the birds from the comfort of the back room and took a few photos though the window,
I must try and start doing a look back at my season soon.

Bye for now,

Neil.

Beautiful Nut Hatch, Neil. I get regular visits from them.
As well as a daily invasion of Long Tailed its, which spend ages flitting around in my trees.
Gold Crests should visit soon.

All the best,
Trevor.

Nice nuthatch. They are common enough near me, but I have never had one in the garden.

That is a cracking shot of the Nuthatch Neil - the blue back really shows up well. I also really like the expression on the Woodpecker as well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

..Don't often see Nuthatches on the ground

I've only ever seen them on the ground when they've been briefly under the bird feeder to pick up fallen titbits.

This is a bird I'm more used to seeing upside down so well done on getting that image, Neil.

Hi! Neil, I saw a funny sight yesterday but too late to get my camera for it, I've had lots of Squirrels in my garden lately after the nuts, but I was amazed when this cat suddenly sprang up the tree and started to chase the Squirrel all along the fence even into a tree, of course the cat never caught the Squirrel but it's the first time I've seen that happen love your bird shots Neil, I'm keeping an eye out for that cat now in case it gets a bird. Goldie

trevor wrote:Beautiful Nut Hatch, Neil. I get regular visits from them.
As well as a daily invasion of Long Tailed its, which spend ages flitting around in my trees.
Gold Crests should visit soon.

All the best,
Trevor.

Thanks Trevor, I get Nuthatches most years but only usually the odd one or two. This year they are regular visitors with often two or three around the feeders at the same time.

essexbuzzard wrote:Nice nuthatch. They are common enough near me, but I have never had one in the garden.

Thanks Mark, I am actually seeing them more often in the garden than out and about this year.

Wurzel wrote:That is a cracking shot of the Nuthatch Neil - the blue back really shows up well. I also really like the expression on the Woodpecker as well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel, I think that is the first time I have ever had a top down view of a Nuthatch like that.

David M wrote:

..Don't often see Nuthatches on the ground

I've only ever seen them on the ground when they've been briefly under the bird feeder to pick up fallen titbits.

This is a bird I'm more used to seeing upside down so well done on getting that image, Neil.

Likewise David, my usual sightings are of them at any angle but upright. In my garden they never go to the ground under the feeders. I watched that one exploring the cracks in the concrete path up by the house.

Goldie M wrote:Hi! Neil, I saw a funny sight yesterday but too late to get my camera for it, I've had lots of Squirrels in my garden lately after the nuts, but I was amazed when this cat suddenly sprang up the tree and started to chase the Squirrel all along the fence even into a tree, of course the cat never caught the Squirrel but it's the first time I've seen that happen love your bird shots Neil, I'm keeping an eye out for that cat now in case it gets a bird. Goldie

Probably a good job the cat never caught the Squirrel Goldie, they can be vicious when cornered. I saw a Squirrel turn on a cat a few years ago in a friends garden and the cats owner had to take it to the vets to get the bites treated.

Cheers,

Neil.

Neil Freeman wrote:....my usual sightings are of them at any angle but upright. In my garden they never go to the ground under the feeders. I watched that one exploring the cracks in the concrete path up by the house.

Been watching a few today, Neil, and they have almost all been edging down the trunk of a tree, beak downwards!

I'm determined to catch one on the ground like in your image...may have to exercise some patience though!

Lovely shots of the Birds Neil, I don't get Nut Thatch in my garden, I've to go to Penn Flash to see them more's the pity

That cat keeps coming back, I put some Cheese out for the Birds and it seems that's what it's after, I caught it picking the cheese up off the flags I keep watching now in the mornings and there's certainly less Bird life about, they do arrive in the afternoon though, it was minus 2 last night and this morning I thought it'd snowed it was so white every where, I think I've some very wise Birds round my Garden Goldie

The Nuthatches have been visiting regularly recently David but that is still the only time I have ever seen one on the ground.

I find the birds in my garden keep regular timetables Goldie, loads early in the morning, then again around midday, and then loads again later in the afternoon with sometimes very few in between. It is just like they have their own breakfast, dinner, and tea times

Looking back at 2019 Part 1 - Spring.

With the dark nights and recent cold, wet weather, it is time to look back at my 2019 season and begin with a reminder that the better days of spring will eventually return to cheer us up.
As always, my thoughts are based on my observations from my local spots around Solihull and various trips further afield around the country. Other people’s experiences in other parts of the country may well differ quite a bit from mine.

We had a fairly average winter in my part of the midlands, not particularly cold but not particularly mild either. We didn’t see much snow although at times it seemed that we were missing it when everyone else outside of a radius of twenty miles or so around us was getting some.

There was a distinct improvement in the weather in late February as late winter merged into what was appearing to be an early spring. Although the mornings were still cold, the last week of the month saw some warm sunny weather develop during the afternoons which tempted me out to see if any hibernating butterflies had yet woken up. This was still a full month earlier than I would normally expect to find anything flying around here but two of my local spots produced a couple each of Small Tortoiseshells and Commas which were the first ever February butterflies I have ever seen here.
After these early sightings the weather deteriorated again, and it was not until late March that I had the chance to get out again. This was much more in line with when I would normally expect to start seeing butterflies around here and visits to my usual local spots produced good numbers of Small Tortoiseshells and a few Commas. The number of Small Tortoiseshells was encouraging given the lack of sightings in the previous summer, although I had read some reports from as early as July of quite a few being found tucked up in sheds and outhouses. This had led to a lot of speculation that they had gone into hibernation earlier than usual due to the hot summer and the numbers now appearing seemed to back this up.

By the end of March, the Tortoiseshells and Commas had been joined by Peacocks and as with the Small Torts I was seeing more of these flying than I had seen the previous summer. Some sites produced more Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks in one visit than I had seen of either species all summer in 2018. Commas were not quite as numerous as previous years, but a couple were usually seen at most spots.
My first Speckled Wood was spotted in a local park on 29th March and was followed by the first in my garden the following day, and then numbers increased steadily at most places through April.
Orange-tips also started appearing during the last week of March and these seemed to have a good year with plenty flying though April and into May.
By early April, Holly Blues were showing up although I saw these regularly over the next couple of months, they did not seem to be as numerous as the previous few springs.
I saw a couple of Small Whites in late March and these were joined in early April by a few Green-veined Whites and then in mid-April by the first Large Whites although all three of these would remain thin on the ground though the spring. In fact, although at some spots there often seemed to be quite a few whites flying, a closer look proved most of them to be female Orange-tips.
I had also spotted my first patrolling male Brimstone in late March and these were seen regularly through April and May along with the occasional female.

A visit to Ryton Wood Meadows on April 24th on what turned into a cool and cloudy afternoon was my first trip of the year outside of Solihull and amongst the few butterflies braving the conditions were my first Small Copper and Green Hairstreak of the year.

A trip down to Bishops Hill in South Warwickshire on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, on another day that turned cool and cloudy, produced my first Dingy Skippers of the year although nothing else was seen in the gloomy conditions that met our arrival.
A return trip the following weekend in much better weather was far more successful with loads more Dingy Skippers seen along with a few Grizzled Skippers and a couple of Green Hairstreaks. Patrolling Brimstones and Orange-tips were also much in evidence here along with single examples of my first Common Blue, Small Blue and Brown Argus of the year.
My first trip of the year out of Warwickshire was on May 15th when I went down to Gloucestershire to spend a morning at Strawberry Banks followed by the afternoon at Prestbury Hill. The visit to Strawberry Banks was to see Marsh Fritillary as this is my nearest site for these, although this was the first time I had actually visited this lovely little reserve. A few years ago, I had seen reports of an explosion of Marsh Fritillary numbers there but the population crashed the following year and has still not recovered to previous levels. I believe that this is a known phenomenon with this species and I read with interest similar reports from Chambers Farm Wood this year, where it seems that there had been a similar population explosion. Anyway, I saw half a dozen or so Marsh Fritillaries, most of them fresh looking and I believe it was still early in their flight period here.
There were also plenty of Dingy Skippers at Strawberry Banks along with a few Common Blues, Small Blues, Small Coppers and Small Heaths, all of which were also flying at Prestbury Hill in the afternoon.
My main reason for going to Prestbury Hill was, as always, to see Duke of Burgundy. I had seen reports of good numbers flying a few days previously but by the time I got there on what had tuned into a hot afternoon, I only managed to find around half a dozen, mostly showing varying degrees of wear. I reckon I had left it a little late to see DoB (again) at this site and from some reports that I saw they seemed to have a rather short flight period there this year.
By the end of May, Common Blues, Small Coppers and Small Heaths were all flying at my usual local spots which is pretty much in line with average timings around here.
To summarise, after a bit of unseasonably warm weather in February, March had failed to live up to the early promise and a couple of weeks of cool and cloudy weather held things back a bit. The weather perked up again later in March and early April with the rest of April and into May being a typical spring mixture of cloud/rain/sun, often all on the same day. Some butterfly species were flying in good numbers with Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks being the early stars of the show, joined by Orange-tips a bit later. On the other hand, the three common whites were well down in numbers around my patch, as were Holly Blues.

Having missed most of the fritillaries in 2018, I was hoping to catch up with some of these in 2019 but so far had only managed to see Marsh Fritillaries. Due to my usual constraints on available time I had already missed Pearl-bordered Fritillaries again (although I believe they had a good year in the Wyre Forest) but with a bit of luck I would get the chance to see some of the others as we went into summer.

To be continued…

Neil.

A fantastic series of images Neil That Small Tort has some cracking blue triangles and the Marsh Frit absolutely lush that contrasting brown and pale yellow
"Due to my usual constraints on available time I had already missed Pearl-bordered Fritillaries again..." It is tricky trying to fit everything in still it's always good to leave something for the next year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Some great images to brighten up a dreary day . I need to start my own retrospective review of 2019!

Lovely sequence, Neil, redolent of hope and anticipation for spring 2020.

That's a very striking Dingy Skipper and your Green Hairstreak has the chunkiest hindwing 'streak' I think I've ever seen. Lovely specimen.

I agree, lovely sequence Neill, especially like the Grizzled Skipper maybe I'll one this next Spring Goldie

Indeed Wurzel. In fact these days I set myself a few targets each year and don't even try for some others. I work on a sort of rotation around the species...if that makes sense

Thanks Bugboy, looking back through my photos for these reviews is a great way to spend these dark nights.

Thanks David, looking back like this always cheers me up during these dark nights .

I hope you get to see one Goldie. Cracking little butterfly but very quick and a sod to follow in flight.

Cheers,

Neil.