Setaceous Hebrew Character & Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Agrius convolvuli

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I returned to Arundel WWT on Thursday and watched Kingfishers zooming around in front of the scrape hide and catching fish. Last night a Setaceous Hebrew Character moth landed on our balcony, a first. Probably a migrant having a rest after its channel crossing.

 Today I checked out some fields in north Sussex for metal detecting possibilities but only found early 20thC pennies. A bonus was a Small Copper, a juvenile slow-worm under a mat and swallows rushing around. Then I stopped at Arundel WWT where Terry showed me a Convolvulus Hawk-moth by the Sand Martin hide. Goldfinches and a Long-tailed Tit were in their usual place by the nearby feeders.

Arnudel WWT, September 29:

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

in flight with fish

Littlehampton:

Missing Sector Spider, Zygiella x-notata

Rush Veneer, Nomophila noctuella

Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum

Setaceous Hebrew Character

north Sussex:

Slow-worm, Anguis fragilis

Arundel WWT, 30 September:

Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Agrius convolvuli

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis

Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus

Mallard ♀, Anas platyrhynchos

Robin, Erithacus rubecula

Trumpeter cygnet, Cygnus buccinator

Trumpeter Swan

White Water Lily, Nymphaea alba

Osprey, Buzzard and Grey Wagtail

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I visited Arundel WWT again today and saw the Osprey above the Sand Martin hide where it was joined by a Buzzard. A Kingfisher zoomed around the thatched hut by the boating area. A Grey Wagtail strutted back and forth in front of the hide many times. An early instar Ruby Tiger moth larva was found on the ledge of the Scrape hide.

  Last night a Lesser Yellow Underwing and Silver Y landed by our balcony light.

Buzzard, Buteo buteo

Gadwall ♀, Anas strepera

Gadwall ♀

Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea

Mute Swan, Cygnus olor

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Ruby Tiger early instar larva, Phragmatobia fuliginosa

Shoveler, Anas clypeata

Lesser Yellow Underwing, Noctua comes

Silver Y, Autographa gamma

Kingfishers and Herons

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Last night two moths were attracted to our balcony light - the first Lesser Yellow Underwing of the year (last year's appeared on October 5th) and a Rush Veneer.

  Yesterday afternoon we visited Arundel WWT again. The Scrape Hide provided some action with 2 Grey Herons and 2 Kingfishers. The Kingfishers spent some time touring the lake, appearing at different places so that there was a suspicion that there were 2 individuals. This was confirmed at 5:15pm when 2 birds flew past, one trailing the other by about 2 feet. They did another flypast 5 minutes later.

 One heron fished in the reed bed to the left of the hide. Later, another flew to the far side of the lake. This one later decided to land in the area where number one was fishing. It was coming in to 'land' and saw number one, then changed its mind and flew off.

  Gadwall and Teal paddled around and a few Snipe flew in.

Lesser Yellow Underwing, Noctua comes

Rush Veneer, Nomophila noctuella

Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago

Common Snipe

female Gadwall, Anas strepera

male Gadwall

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

Teal female, Anas crecca