The Bald Birder (and Moffer): July 2019

Monday, 22 July 2019

Moffs at Badgells Wood Campsite: 21 July 2019

Decided on an in promptu camp up at Badgells Wood, just next to Holly Hill. My favourite moth up there is the 'Goodwini' form of Waved Carpet. The site didn't disappoint with the carpet, and also through up Waved Black, which is new for the site.

Waved Carpet f 'Goodwini'

Waved Black

Slender Brindle - one of six caught (a flock of 'em!)

Double Square-spot (and when you haven't been moffin much this year, even one of these can be photographed)

Blastobasis adustella

Catoptria pinella - perhaps

Micro 1

Micro 2 - Syndemis musculana perhaps...

Micro 3 - Anania fuscalis perhaps

micro 4

micro 5

Micro 6

Micro 7 - very very small so guessing at Batia lunaris, but assuming gen det would be required...

Grass Snake catching Common Toad; Hothfield Common; 22 July 2019

Visited Hothfield Common this afternoon - probably my favourite KWT reserve to look for stuff! Max had wanted to look for reptiles and amphibians - but after two hours of searching we were drawing a blank.

Nearly back at the car (typically!) Max found this Grass Snake which had caught a Common Toad - an amazing battle then ensued. The toad did a great job of puffing up and looking massive.

It was an amazing spectacle and one which I reckon I'll never see in the wild again (on the basis that after 40-ish years of looking at natural history I hadn't seen it before!).

Saturday, 20 July 2019

Yellow-tailed Scorpions; Blue Town, Isle of Sheppey; 20 July 2019

Did a brief evening visit to the scorpions this evening with the old MV torch - they never cease to make me smile!

Various snails and bits: Turners' Wood near Coxheath: 20 July 2019

Visited Turners Wood KWT today on the hunt for some fun snails which I first saw there five years ago. Sure enough they were in the same place - gripping the trees a metre or two high. The next challenge is to identify them! I think the newt was a young Great-crested...

Sunday, 14 July 2019

Crescent Striped: Grain marshes, 13 July 2019

My first trap of the year on 13/7/19 (shame on me - but work has been getting in the way and that does help pay the bills) saw me out on the tidal marshes near Grain in search of Crescent Striped. Joined by Fred Butcher it was perhaps not a classic night out mothing for the effort we put in, but a few good moths were certainly encountered.