Here's One I Missed Earlier...Well, Two Actually

After some kind advice from Dean I've been 'back to the seventies' today and cracked open a couple of rolls of 'Fablon' (or its modern day equivalent) and covered over the box of my moth trap to concentrate the light around the bulb more. Will there be an improvement in catch numbers? Time will tell. Here's the new look trap.

I was wrong about Friday night's weather not being very good for mothing because Steve managed to catch oodles of 'em. (see them here) He does have a mercury vapour bulb, but I think the main difference is simply location, his large mature garden on the outskirts of town, as opposed to my small patch of gravel next to the harbour, a no brainer really! Last night I was surprised to find that I'd missed a moth, it must have been hiding on the underside of the lid next to the light starter unit. Because once darkness fell it came out and was crawling up the front door attracted by the strong light from the streetlamp outside. Best moth of the lot too!

The one that nearly got away. A gorgeous Marbled Green.

Shame I couldn't get a better photo. This was taken indoors with no flash, under our rubbish lights.

Had an hour or so wandering around in the woods today with Rex, I took some photos of various stuff, none of which remotely resembles a bird though. I did see a Spotted Flycatcher, which is always a treat :-)

The first Gatekeeper I've managed to photograph this year.

And likewise the first Southern Hawker.

I also saw Golden-ringed and Common Darter.

Rhagonycha Fulva or Common Red Soldier Beetle

Eurygaster testudinaria or Tortoise Bug (I think)

Strangalia melanura a type of Longhorn Beetle

Cicadella viridis or Green Leafhopper

I'd never seen one of these before, there were loads of them at one site today, but they're pretty quick jumpers and hard to photograph. What a colour though! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! The name 'Green' Leafhopper doesn't do the colour justice in my opinion.

Here's a shot of one in mid-air. Really ugly from this angle too!!

I'd never witnessed this before either.

A newly emerged Grasshopper imago after shedding its last instar 'skin'.

Woodland Hideaway

The second installment in my 'desirable residences' catalogue.

This afternoon, round about teatime, I got a text from Gav saying that the Goosander was at Coronation Corner. I'd missed this one a couple of times, mainly by not actually 'going for it', well completely by that method! Today it sounded like a doddle, so out I popped to have a look and more importantly, get a patch yeartick, can't fall behind too far, can I? Gav commented that I haven't been out and about birding (on patch) recently, which is, I'm sorry to say, true. I must try harder :-( I'll be out burning up the habbo, or sitting in the box, soon, very soon and if this is the sort of photo I'll be producing on a regular basis your in for a real treat! :-)

The Goosander, really it is!