26 Feb 2012 - Whittenham Clumps

Went bug hunting with Max. Turning over logs, inspecting moss and getting stung by Stinging Nettles - oh, such fun!

Searching behind some bark on a decaying tree, we came across a mass of overwintering Harlequin Ladybirds. Some of the wee things were buried deep in the frass - happy as a pig in....

24 Feb 2012 - Whittenham Clumps

Scarlet Elf Cap - found near Hazel bushes around the ponds.

Checked a few snails - I think these are Arianta arbustorum. I think...

And the same again.

Cepaea nemoralis.

I had never seen these female Hazel flowers amongst the usual catkins. Tiny wee things - amazing.

Centipede spp - and that's as far as I can get with this beast.

Spid spp.

Earwig - the normal one I think.

Lichen spp - don't think I can make a start on these, yet...

19 Feb 2012 - Long Whittenham Wood

A little beetling about with Max produced a group of presumed Badister beetles.

Further guessing leads me to suppose they are all Badister unipustulatus.

One fallen Ash enabled us to scratch around the rotted heart of the stump - revealing several Lesser Stag Beetles.

This rather an ex-beetle. When it was alive, it was identified by Richard Comont as a Silpha atrata. I agreed...

22 Jan 2012 - Farmoor Res, Oxon

A quick late afternoon trip to Farmoor Reservoir F2 produced great views of the Grey Phalarope in the fading light. Nice.

Grey Phalarope

25 November 2011 - Warburg Reserve, Oxon

Had a great few hours catch this evening thanks to a trip to the Warburg Reserve. 12+ Plumed Prominents and 50+ December Moths being the highlights...

Plumed Prominent

Plumed Prominent - now that's a plume....

Plumed Prominent - or two!

Plumed Prominent

15 Oct 2011 - Warham Greens, Norfolk

With news of a Rufous-tailed Robin the evening before, and with J Clements still in China, I had to go for the twitch. A pleasant evening spent in Wells-next-the-Sea ended up being the highlight of the trip.

Here's a couple of pictures of the morning after the night before

14 Oct 2011 - Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxon

A wee bit of small mammal trapping resulted in a trapped small mammal...

Field Mouse

Field Mouse being weighed

11 Oct 2011 - Little Wittenham Wood, Oxon

A few hours at Little Whittenham Wood resulted in a nice Mallow, a Brick - and not much else of anything.

Mallow

Mallow

Brick

5 October 2011 - Little Whittenham Wood, Oxon

A evening visit to Little Whittenham Wood produced one of my all-time most wanted moths; Merveille du Jour - fantastic beasts!

Merveille du Jour

Red-line Quaker

Green-brindled Crescent

Green-brindled Crescent

Sallow

Barred Sallow

4 Oct 2011 - Back Garden, Didcot, Oxon

An interesting brown Pale Mottled Willow was nearly the overnight highlight:

Pale Mottled Willow

Large Ranunculus

2 October 2011 - Little Whittenham Wood

A quick trip out to Little Whittenham Wood produced an interesting second generation Lilac Beauty.

Lilac Beauty

Frosted Orange

1 October 2011 - Bagley Wood, Oxford

A visit to some woods south of Oxford produced a nice crop of Oak Lutestrings.

Oak Lutestring

Yellow-lined Quaker

Spruce Carpet

And a few Chestnuts - some of which were dark, but were still not Dark ChestnutChestnut