187 - Some bits and pieces

Continuing to improve, the moth trap this morning held 25 moths of 7 species

Agonopterix heracliana    a Micro-moth 1 
Biston strataria    Oak Beauty 2
Orthosia gothica    Hebrew Character 3
Xylocampa areola    Early Grey 9
Orthosia incerta    Clouded Drab 2
Orthosia cerasi        Common Quaker 7 
Orthosia cruda        Small Quaker 1

three of the above were new for the year

170  Clouded Drab 
171 Small Quaker
172 Agonopterix heracliana (aka Common Flat-body)

Moth-wise the numbers will drop down next month when the willows catkins are out in full on the fell, as moths seem to prefer to feed on these so that they are barely  attracted  to the Mercury Vapour light on the trap. At least thats what I have found over the years trapping in this garden.

Oak Beauty

Common Quaker

Hebrew Character

Early Grey

Couple more species of flora growing that I hadn't noticed until now

173 Anthriscus sylvestris      Cow Parsley        
174 Geranium molle         Dove's-foot Cranesbill


Had a little walk around. Nothing new on the bird front but the next new one I suspect will be a summer visitor next month, probably a Blackcap or a Willow Warbler or even a Swallow as the latter seem to be arriving in the UK rather early this year. Did take a couple of pictures of Rook and Reed Bunting.

Reed Bunting

Rook

 
Checked the Brambles for leafmines and immediately found some including several that were still occupied. These are caused by a micro moth larvae Stigmella aurella and in one the grub was still present.

175 Stigmella aurella (a Micro Moth aka Golden Pygmy)

The leaf mine of  Stigmella aurella

Another very common lichen was photographed, one that is on many of the Hawthorns - the Golden Shield Lichen. Also a purple-coloured rust on many of the brambles, whose English name is not surprisingly, Violet Bramble Rust

176 Xanthoria parietina        Golden Shield Lichen
177 Phragmidium violaceum    Violet Bramble Rust  

Golden Shield Lichen  Xanthoria parietina a very common lichen in the woods

and a couple of very common land molluscs were found

178 Helix aspersa        Garden or Common Snail
179 Deroceras reticulatum      Grey Field Slug

I had gathered a few mosses yesterday which I went through using my microscope this afternoon and they were the following species, all new for the year

180 Lophocolea bidentata    Bifid Crestwort
181 Pellia epiphylla        Overleaf Pellia
182 Atrichum undulatum       Common Smoothcap
183 Dicranum majus        Greater Fork-moss
184 Bryum pseudotriquetrum    Marsh Bryum
185 Kindbergia praelonga    Common Feather-moss
186 Ceratodon purpureus        Redshank
187 Fissidens bryoides      Lesser Pocket-moss

 

Just a mossy bank in South Burn Woods  - but it holds a good variety  of Moss & Liverwort species.

I''ll finish with a picture of some tree bark.

Bark of one of the Grey Poplars in the wood. They never seem to have any moss or lichens on them nor ivy growing up.

Hopefully some more species tomorrow