Some Scilly Macro Moths - 18-25 Aug 2018

Managed to fit a little sugaring in to my family holiday on Scilly this year. Spent two nights in windy conditions not finding Black-banded on Penninis and then a stiller evening in Carreg Dhu Garden.

White-speck (a dark one), Penninis, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

White-speck (as above) 

White-speck (as above)

Angle Shades (left) and White-speck (right)

Dark Sword Grass (a nice dark one)

Red Underwing, Tesco Abbey Gardens, Tresco (also found another in Carreg Dhu Garden)

Mullein Wave

Angle Shades

Yellow-tail (masses of them on the footpath out to Penninis)

Small Blood-vein

Ruby Tiger

Yellow Shell (a nice bald one!)

Small Fan-footed Wave

Some Scilly Micro Moths - 18-25 August 2018

Whilst on the Isles of Scilly I managed to escape on a couple of evenings to shine a torch around and net a few moffs. Of the few that I caught, there were probably a couple that I hadn't seen before.

Thiodia citrana (perhaps)

Who knows? Agriphila geniculea perhaps?

Anania fuscalis perhaps?

20 August 2018 - Pelagic of the Isles of Scilly

Took an evening pelagic out with Joe Pender on the Sapphire. Good to see some of the local boys out on the waves again. The different factor for pelagics off Scilly these days is the presence of Atlantic Blue-fin Tuna. These huge fish (up to 3m) drive fry to the surface - this initially attracts Gannets and then other seabirds join in. The resulting feeding frenzy is a spectacle not expected off the UK coastline.

Seeing the splashes of the Tuna and diving Gannets ahead...

Lots of activity...

Atlantic Blue-fin Tuna

Thousands of fry driven up to the surface...

Storm Petrel

Great Shearwater

Adult Sabine's Gull

Adult Sabine's Gull

Great Skua

Gannet

Sooty Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Wilson's Petrel (upper carpal bar and wing moult)

Wilson's Petrel (toe projection)

Wilson's Petrel (band)

Lots of seabirds!

Spur Dog (a small shark of the dogfish family)

And when the frenzy ends - just a pile of Gannets are left...

Willow Emerald Damselfly, Sevenoaks KWT Reserve, 30 Aug 2018

Found a male Lestes spp damselfly at Sevenoaks KWT whilst walking the kids this afternoon. Managed to rattle off a few pictures before remembering Dad duties... The pale pterostigma first alerted me to something different from other Lestes spp I've seen in the UK (Common, Scarce and Southern) though I couldn't think what were the key features of Willow Emerald - so assumed a good picture of the side of the thorax would do it. Met a reserve warden, who's name was memorable but I've forgotten it..., who confirmed Willow Emerald ID based on spur projection marking on the thorax.

Initial view on dried Buddleia flower head

Spur on thorax marking is key ID feature 

Willow Emerald Damselfly

It's a boy!

Willow Emerald Damselfly (still)

Citrine Wagtail, Lower Moors, Isles of Scilly, 24 August 2018

Having first seen the Citrine Wagtail when it arrived on the Isles of Scilly, it was good to catch up with this eastern vagrant just before our departure day.

Grey Seals, Eastern Isles, Isles of Scilly, 22 Aug 2018

Took a trip out with Yasmine, and the rest of the Newham clan, to look for Grey Seals - Yazzy has 'Seals' as a summer project in primary school. Thankfully the beasties all appeared and performed at the correct time... Harbour Porpoise was a new 'photo tick' if such things are allowed...

2 Grey Seals

Lots of Grey Seals

More Grey Seals

A lazy looking Grey Seal...

Harbour Porpoise

Kittiwake

A loads of Shags (not certain what the collective noun of Shags is...) 

Night all...

4 August 2018: 'Broom Path' near Canterbury with Marc Botham

Concluded the weekend's moffin activities (4 Aug) with a couple of hours spent near Canterbury along a footpath that has yielded some interesting bits in the past. The Acrobasis had some quite prominent raised scales towards the base of the wings, so I'm opting for A. tumidana on this occasion (what do the good people of the interwebworld think?). The Cydia amplana was the second in two nights. Epinotia trigonella (may be) and Cochylimorpha straminea (I think) both also posed well enough to have their mugshots taken. A Tawny Cockroach found on the vehicle was the third new Orthoptera over the weekend.

Cydia amplana

Cochylimorpha straminea?

Acrobasis tumidana

Acrobasis tumidana

Epinotia trigonella?

Tawny Cockroach