Red Underwing and a Kingfisher

Red Underwing, Catocala nupta

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Last night I was delighted to find another large and beautiful moth on our balcony, the Red Underwing (Catocala nupta). Other moths seen the past two days: Light Emerald, Small Dusty Wave, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brimstone Moth, Clothes Moth (Monopis species), Square-spot Rustic, Willow Beauty, Large Yellow Underwing.

During yesterday afternoon I sat in the Ramsar hide at Arundel WWT where the Kingfisher presented itself again.

Red Underwing, Catocala nupta

Bright-line Brown-eye, Lacanobia oleracea

Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata

Clothes Moth, Monopis species 

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea being chased by a gull 

click here for a video of a Kingfisher arriving and leaving a perch

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

drying off after an unsuccessful dive

Square-spot Rustic, Xestia xanthographa

Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria

Yellow Shell, Camptogramma bilineata

Large Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba

Light Emerald, Campaea margaritata

Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata

Kingfishers feeding at Arundel WWT

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I visited Arundel WWT again on August 30, 31, September 3. I took videos of the Kingfisher on the perch in front of the Ramsar hide the last 2 visits. Sue came with me yesterday. Within a few minutes of setting up the camera a Kingfisher arrived, sat on the perch for a short while, dived, returned to the perch with its fish, stunned it, then swallowed it and flew off after shaking its wings to lose the water. Amazing timing!

 A Reed Warbler was seen working its way through the reed bed in front of the hide on every visit. The Jacob Sheep were seen grazing on the meadow opposite doing their job of keeping the scrub down.
                         click here for a video of Kingfisher catching a fish at 55secs.

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Jacob Sheep

Jacob Sheep

September 3:

click here for a video of Kingfisher catching a fish at 55secs.

view from Ramsar Hide

Clifden Nonpareil and other moths

Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Last Thursday around 11pm I checked for moths round our balcony light and was amazed to find a large moth (6x4.5cm) settled into a corner near the light. I saw a small patch of blue and hurried to the computer with photos. I soon identified it as a Clifden Nonpareil (Catocala fraxini) aka Blue Underwing. This rare and beautiful immigrant moth is the one I have long wondered about due to its fame and being Victorian collector's classic target. We now know what all the fuss was about! Also seen: Silver Y, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-Spot Rustic, Double-striped Pug, Lime-speck Pug.

Clifden Nonpareil, Catocala fraxini

Clifden Nonpareil

Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Lime-speck Pug, Eupithecia centaureata

Square-Spot Rustic, Xestia xanthographa

Starry Pearl, Cynaeda dentalis

This is my best record for August. The Starry Pearl is usually seen in East Sussex with few records from West Sussex.

other balcony moths and invertebrates seen in August:

Cloaked Minor, Mesoligia furuncula

tiny Poplar Bent-wing, Phyllocnistis unipunctella

Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata

The Uncertain, Hoplodrina octogenaria

Common Plume, Emmelina monodactyla

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer, Agriphila geniculea

Heart and Dart, Agrotis exclamationis

Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Marbled Beauty, Bryophila domestica

Silver Y, Autographa gamma

Small Fan-footed Wave, Idaea biselata

water scavenger beetle, Sphaeridium lunatum

Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniceata

Dark Sword-grass, Agrotis ipsilon

Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum

Skin Moth, Monopis laevigella

Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner, Cameraria ohridella in Sheffield

Bright-line Brown-eye, Lacanobia oleracea

Clouded Border, Lomaspilis marginata

False Black Widow, Steatoda grossa

Beautiful Plume, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Dingy Dowd, Blastobasis adustella

Marbled Green, Cryphia muralis

Twenty-plume Moth, Alucita hexadactyla

Twin-spot Honey, Aphomia zelleri