The Hermitage Owl Choir

There was still a singing Chiffchaff on Thursday, looking at him closer reavealed it was a young bird getting a bit of practice in before next year. Also practicing were the Tawny Owls in the Hermitage Wood with lots of various sorts of hoots, whoos and k-vicks coming from at least 4 birds during the night. They were at it most of the evening and night. Presumably this was again young birds practising, and by some of the sounds coming from the trees, they certainly need to practice. This was not the best performance of the Hermitage Owl Choir.

Unknown at the moment (Sawfly?) larvae

With the chance of only a very light shower and the temperature staying in double figures overnight I set the moth trap up in the evening. The result was 15 moths of 9 species with three being new for the year.

Lunar Underwing 

Brown-spot Pinion

Hook-marked Straw-moth - very worn and very late

The Hook-marked Straw as can be seen in the photo was very worn but not surprisingly as it was also very late, my latest by several weeks and probably one of the latest ever in the county


The full list was
Hook-marked Straw-moth (Agapeta hamana)  1
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  2
Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata)  1

Red-green Carpet

Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes)  1

Lesser Yellow Underwing 

Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)  2

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri)  4

Blair's Shoulder-knots

Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola litura)  1
Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)  1
Silver Y (Autographa gamma)  2

Silver Y

4 Siskin, 2 Meadow Pipit and a Pied Wagtail flew over the garden this morning and a White-tailed Bumblebee braved the grey overcast conditions.

Also by the trap was the small green caterpillar at the top of the page which I think is probably a Sawfly but which I have still to identify. It's looking very grey overhead now so it's an excuse to get my reference books out and try and get a name for the little critter.