Satellite's gone way up to Mars

It stayed dark all day today, that's about four days since the sun showed it's face. I did run two moth traps and had fun filling the feeders and then watching the Goldfinches on the patio.

Looking through the patio windows a good number of the flock fed on the spillage raining down from above. Not a great photo but if you count the birds on view, then add another 20 above them on feeders you get to somewhere near half of those around.

Some of the moths of the last three days.

It would be true to say that the Scarce Bordered Straw above, caught a couple of days ago, was the latest one I've had, but since I've rarely continued mothing much into November it would actually mean much. It is quite a late record, but migrants still seem to be appearing round the coast.

I've always been fascinated by the way Angle Shades wings are folded. As far as I know there are no other UK species that have a similar "crinkled" appearance.

Green Brindled Crescents are one of the reliable late year moths, although this year has been particularly good for them (same reason as above!).

The beautifully named Satellite (what great imaginations moth namers had!) appears early and late in the year. I don't catch that many and the last one was on the 7th April. The adults emerge in September, and can be encountered any time throughout the winter until April, in suitably mild conditions, when they can be attracted to light.

Although it's been very dark, most of the moths were very well behaved, sitting motionless on my chosen leaf while my camera, on a tripod took them in timer mode. That way I managed reasonable images even at 1/4 sec. The exceptions were the Feathered Thorn above and the Rusty Dot Pearl below, both of which rejected the leaf but behaved well on the projector stand I use to put my subjects on.

This is a rather nice and fresh Rusty Dot Pearl. Ive had a few of the migrant pyralid in the last few days, and looking at reports they seem to be widespread at the moment.

November Moths and their close relatives are a real conundrum. Most of the ones I catch are virtually patternless, as might be expected on a moth with the specific name diluta. This one does show some pattern but I'm still not 100% certain which of the genus Epirrita it is.

By the way there are 53 Goldfinches in the picture above, the whole flock, when it circled above the trees was well over 150.

Ahhh there!

Since returning from Clitheroe I've hardly been out, being absolutely stuffed up with a very persistent cough and cold. The windows have provided most of my viewing and I have managed to get a moth trap out on a couple of nights.

The Goldfinch flock is still over 50 birds and I have moved more feeders close to the lounge windows. Up to 30 birds have been feeding on the ground, cleaning up the seeds and bits dropped from above.

I did go out on Friday afternoon, to get some supplies, and couldn't resist popping into the Restharrow Scrape and wandering along the Ancient Highway in an unsuccessful look for owls.

This dog Fox had a walk round. I know their are not everyone's favourite, the can devastate colonies of ground nesting birds, but they are certainly very handsome animals.

There were a good number of Snipe along one edge and the Curlew Sandpiper that's been reported for a couple of days was with them.

Looking through my pictures from Martin Mere I found another with a colour ringed WHooper Swan, BER, so I hope to get it's history from the Wildfowl trust.

I have heard back about C7B, and it's appearances are below:

EVENT DATE	DEPARTURE	SITE NAME	AREA
14/11/2006	Ringing date	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
16/11/2006	19/03/2007	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
30/10/2007	12/03/2008	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
28/10/2008	28/10/2008	Cummertrees	Dumfries
29/10/2008	29/10/2008	Cummertrees	Dumfries
16/11/2008	16/11/2008	Angerton, nr Kirkbride	Cumbria
11/12/2008	31/03/2009	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
21/10/2010	18/03/2011	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
29/12/2010	29/12/2010	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
04/03/2011	04/03/2011	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
18/03/2011	18/03/2011	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
19/10/2011	31/10/2011	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire
31/10/2011	31/10/2011	WWT Martin Mere	Lancashire

It wasn't seen in the 2009/2010 winter, I wonder where it took a holiday?

C7B - I've got your number!

Just back from a week up in Clitheroe, with Nina and Jack and Josh, and very briefly Pete, who popped in for a day at home between leading a Southern Australia tour and an Antarctica tour. What a hard life! We had a good day out in the 31 November with Jack and Josh. Although the weather was gloomy Martin Mere still had much to offer. As well as the fantastic Wildfowl collection a series of hides look over the wild part of the reserve, where annually over 1000 Whooper Swans spend at least part of the winter.

Many of the birds have been ringed in previous years and carry coloured rings that allow them to be identified. This one is C7B and I will try and find out it's history.

Out on the marshes there are hundreds of Pink-footed Geese, and some venture a little closer to the hides. Wild geese are always an exciting spectacle and it is a bit of a luxury to be able to watch them from the comfort of a hide, it's not quite the same without frozen toes and fingers!

As well as large numbers of Lapwings there were some waders were around, mainly on the islands in the mere. Most were Ruff with, I was told, over 50 around, and there were a few Black-tailed Godwits on one of the smaller lakes.

Although many of the Ruffs were active, as soon as I found one relatively close it tucked it's head under it's wing and went to sleep!

There were a few raptors in the area, with four Buzzards and about the same number of Marsh Harriers around. As soon as one, or above two, of the Marsh Harriers came over the flood all the waders and many of the ducks took to the wings.

As well as the large flocks of Lapwings, with a scattering of Ruffs in the air, flights of Teal and Wigeon and skeins of Pink-feet were often adorning the sky line.

As usual there were good numbers of wild Pintail around, but this bird did have me somewhat puzzled. I think it is a Pintail, just coming out of either juvenile or eclipse plumage, but any other ideas are welcome.

No such problem in identifying this handsome drake Pintail. The females are less obvious but still show a somewhat attenuated rear end.

As the afternoon progressed, and feeding time became closer the mere became more crowded with Whoopers as they left the grazing areas and flew into the mere.

Other birds also arrived, and there seemed to be an excited air amongst the wildfowl on the lake.

With so many birds in close proximity there was a great deal of posturing and posing going on, and a fair amount of physical squabbling as well.

I had read some where that the swans hadn't has such a great breeding season, in Iceland, so it was good to see this happy family party of four young with their parents. A family clean up time, come on make sure you do the back of your neck!

When the man arrived with the barrow of food the birds first retreated from the edge, but then as he mpved past the Whoopers where quickly crowding the edge of the lake, taking as much grain as possible on board.

It all seemed quite orderly at first, although with the large swans at the front of throng there wasn't going to be much left for any other birds.

The Shelducks seem to have worked this out and suddenly leap-frogged the swans so they could get the food higher up the bank. The all to soon it wa stime for us to go, Halloween and Trick and Treating beckoned back in Clitheroe.