A Fit of the Vapours

Bird News: Ibsley Water - goldeneye 2.

Mockbeggar Lake - great white egret 1

Centre - fieldfare 1+, short-eared owl 1

The night had been mild, if very wet, luckily the moth trap at Blashford can be run under the eaves of the building and it had managed to stay dry and had a good haul of moths. These included a male vapourer, not that females would ever come to light as they do not fly. The males seek out the females as they emerge from the cocoon using the feathery antennae to detect the female pheromones.

Other moths included 2 rusty-dotted pearl, a vestal and the common marbled carpet below.

We are definitely edging into late autumn now, the recent rain has coaxed out some more fungi and as I took the picture below I heard my first Blashford fieldfare of the season.

Just to the right of this picture Michelle saw an owl perched in a clearing, she thought it was a tawny owl, and it might have been. However some hours later a short-eared owl was flushed from the same area, so I suspect that is what she saw. This is certainly the first record for the reserve, at least since 2006, unfortunately I missed it.

There was also a "new" goldeneye on Ibsley Water this morning, very obviously a young drake.

The volunteers were in again today and we cleared more of the view from the Ivy North hide and I made a start on a "Bittern channel", I will have to refine the line over the next week or so though. Then we will just have to wait and hope for some bitterns.