5 February 2011 - A small wood outside Didcot, Oxon

Though the wind did blow, mild temperatures and hopefully no rain proved too much of a lure - surely the wind wasn't going to be too bad within a wood. Being woken up during the night owing to the strong winds and being greeted in the morning by heavy drizzle, things weren't looking very good - and what was going to be of interest at this time of year anyway?

Satellite

- a new species for me and my first Noctuid of the year

Dotted Border - an expected addition with several of these being caught around the area

Chestnut - and a second Noctuid for me in 2011

Spring Usher - these are great wee beasties, coming in a multitude of colour forms

Spring Usher

Spring Ushers - showing just some of the variation on over!

Pale Brindled Beauty
Torticodes alternella

31 January 2011 - Wallingford, Oxon

A day of little wind presented the opportunity to snap a few of the Hazel catkins that are currently adorning the hedgerows. The season is beginning.

27 January 2011 - A small wood near Didcot, Oxon

My second catch of the year and a further respectable catch - Spring Ushers being the highlight whist the micro Tortricodes alternella (not that this would be much of a highlight for your average aged mother).

Spring Usher

Spring Usher

Tortricodes alternella

15 January 2011 - Didcot & RSPB Rainham Marshes

My first trap of the year - and several weeks since my last attempt - things could only be good... or naff. Decided on putting the trap in the nearby wood as a garden catch would surely be naff. The result was very good - for an actinic light. 9 moths of 4 species. Three species new for me owing to this being my first winter of mothing.

Pale Brindled Beauty Mottled Umber

Mottled Umbers

Mottled Umbers - this chap was a lot smaller than the other two
And finally, this Early Moth hid in the trap amongst numerous Winter Moths.

Spent the remainder of the day at RSPB Rainham Marshes looking at rubbish and gulls - the less said about that part of the day the better!

9 Jan 2011 - Back Garden, Didcot, Oxon

I opened my new copy of 'Woodlice and Waterlice in Britain and Ireland' (S Gregory), only to be inspired that some of these mini-beasts can be found easily during the winter (summer can drive them, er, underground).

With no news of any Waxwings in Didcot, I instead ventured out to the back garden for a quick look-see while the Wiff was asleep. Checking a few upturned bricks and bits of wood, this was definately my childhood returning!

So, how did I do? Well, I was really choughed to find a few tiny, tiny white Woodlice (3-4mm) in an ants nest. In the past, I probably would have dismissed these as baby Woodlice - but I'm more educated on these things now, so have identified them as Platyarthus hoffmannseggii - great name eh?

Platyarthus hoffmannseggii

The other species found wasn't quite so easy to ID - and I may well have got things wrong. But I reckon they are Porcellio scaber.

Porcellio scaber

These white blobs are the lungs - strange stuff eh?

1 January 2011 - Glen Shee, Perthshire

First day of the year and so I thought I'd have a quick run up to Glen Shee to see if there was anything about. The car park up at the ski centre produced a flock of about 20 Snow Buntings.

The flock included several colour-ringed birds.

After leaving the Snow Bunts, a drive to the southern end of the car park produced 17 Red Grouse. Ah well, that's enough year listing for 2011.

28 December 2010 - Blairgowrie, Perthshire

Man flu prevented me from doing much natural history - that and the bloody cold temperatures. This evening temperatures soared up to about +2oC and promptly enticed a couple of Winter Moth spp to the windows.

Now I had been thinking this one was a Northern Winter Moth. Hind wind white and bulging - or could it just be a Winter Moth. I don't know - looks like I'm going to have to go out and look for females (winter moth females that is....!).

18 December 2011 - North Norfolk

A trip to Norfolk this weekend to see the Northern Harrier. The date was chosen as the Good Lady Wiff and wee Max were both up in Scotland. A Friday night drive up to Wells-next-the-sea enabled me to avoid the snow and stay the night with Mike Sidwell.

Up late and a few cups of tea later, I ventured out in to a Norfolk that was -15oC.....

Rock Pipit on the salt marsh

Redshank

Dunlin

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Eventually, just before reaching the point of Brass Monkey, the Northern Harrier appeared and duly showed for the next hours or so (photo from Graham Etherington's blog).

Am I convinced Northern Harrier is a separate species for the European Hen Harrier - Yes.

Am I convinced this and the Irish bird are Northern Harriers - in all honesty, no. But what do I know?

21 November 2010 - A small wood outside Didcot, Oxon

December Moth - and I've been hoping to catch one of these wee chaps each time I can be arsed to put the trap in the local wood. Today this lovely moth finally gave itself up - superb.

Winter Moth - a differently marked individual to the one caught the other day. Not sure I can get very excited about them - but guess I need to keep an eye out for Northern Winter Moth amongst the flock....

19 November 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Slowing but surely the garden moth list continues to climb - this Chestnut adding itself today. The only moth in the trap - oh well.

16 Nov 2010 - A small wood outside Didcot

Scarce Umber

Scarce Umber

Winter Moth

Wee bug

Wee bug again - dunno what it is. Wingless Gall Wasp perhaps?

7 Nov 2010 - Port Meadows, Oxford

A visit to Port Meadows to see this Lesser Yellowlegs resulted in my seeing my first vaguely interesting bird in Oxfordshire since moving to the area.Shed loads of Wigeon and Golden Plover were good to see.

1 Nov 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Turnip Moth - a nice one (if such a thing is possible...)