It was good to get in on the Sooty Shearwater action this afternoon with what I'm sure must be my first three figure count in the UK: 104 past Boddam (Aberdeenshire) in just over an hour mid-afternoon post survey. Also, 30 Manx and a Bonxie but little else #birdingscotland
A cracking night in the garden traps in Cupar, Fife (06/09/24). Highlights: 3 Small Mottled Willow (1 previous VC record plus 2 others elsewhere in Fife last night), Evergestis extimalis (new for VC!), Dark Sword-grass, 3 Grey Chi (new moth for me) and 4 Brown-spot Pinion. Total 418 of 37 species.
Bumped in to the local butterfly releaser recently at Carr Vale. Large Coppers by the pot. Seriously talented but a renegade without a purpose? an interference we could do without? How do we harness this talent in conservation. So many species getting a leg up & confusing the records #butterflies
Not seen many Small Tortoiseshell this year so this showy one on my Vantage Point survey in west Aberdeenshire was a welcome sight. Best bird sighting was a juv female Goshawk being mobbed by a male Sparrowhawk. Not really a fair fight but the Goshawk couldn't have looked any more disinterested.
Lovely to see a few Scotch Argus this morning whilst walking up to my Vantage Point survey near Oban this morning. Not so lovely are the midges here which seem to tolerate more wind than elsewhere 🙄
Probably more of the jumping spider Talavera petrensis in this box than most arachnologists have ever seen. Carrying out a translocation.
Gave my homemade trap with Podlight it's inaugural outing last week in Fochabers (Moray) and was quite pleased with the results. 36 moths of 14 species including Red Chestnut, Pine Beauty and Engrailed. Will make a few tweaks to hopefully guide more moths down into the funnel.
