Coastal Creek Aviary

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On Tuesday I visited Arundel WWT and was very impressed with the new Coastal Creek Aviary. It is a giant walk-through aviary with 7 species and a diving tank which had a pair of Scaly-sided Mergansers using it when i was there. Great for photographers as you can get horizontal shots on the surface and underwater. The Arundel Lagoon Project is ongoing so nothing to see on the main lake. An obliging juvenile heron was fishing in the pond near the Sand Martin hide. It tried to swallow a large fish and had to let it go. I'll get some shots of the Dalmatian Pelicans next time.

Scaly-sided Merganser female, Mergus squamatu

Scaly-sided Merganser male

Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus

Long-tailed Duck female

Pied Avocets, Recurvirostra avosetta

Redshank, Tringa totanus

Spectacled Eider female, Somateria fischeri

Spectacled Eider male

Grey Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis

Water Forget-me-not, Myosotis scorpioides

Bulrush Veneer, Yellow Oak Button and White Cloaked Shoot

Common Emerald, Hemithea aestivaria

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

The past 2 days 34 moth species have visited our balcony. A new moth appeared, Bulrush Veneer, a scarce Sussex species -we have bulrushes 1000 metres away in Mewsbrook Park. 2 other micromoths made their first appearance in the moth trap although I have seen them elsewhere: Yellow Oak Button and White Cloaked Shoot. Heart and Darts still dominate, with multiple Buff-tips, Ribald Waves and Brimstone Moths.

The close-up facility on the Olympus TG4 is called 'microscope' for a reason - it focuses up to 1cm and has a tiny depth of field so only gives reasonable results with micromoths. For the rest I am mainly using my phone. I'm exploring the possibility of investing in a new Nikon body to replace the D7100 which is currently at the repair shop awaiting spare parts.

Angle Shades, Phlogophora meticulosa

Bee Moth, Aphomia sociella

Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata

Brown House Moth, Hofmannophila pseudospretella

Buff Ermine, Spilosoma lutea

Buff-tip, Phalera bucephala

Bulrush Veneer, Calamotropha paludella

Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria

Dagger species, Acronicta species

Dark Arches, Apamea monoglypha

Diamond-back Moth, Plutella xylostella

False Cacao Moth, Ephestia unicolorella

Garden Carpet, Xanthorhoe fluctuata

Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Heart and Club, Agrotis clavis

Inlaid Grass-veneer, Crambus pascuella

L-album Wainscot, Mythimna l-album

Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Lime-speck Pug, Eupithecia centaureata

Lobster Moth, Stauropus fagi

Long-legged Tabby, Synaphe punctalis

Marbled Orchard Tortrix, Hedya nubiferana

Peppered Moth, Biston betularia

Peppered Moth antennae

Sallow Kitten, Furcula furcula 

Sallow Kitten

Silver Y, Autographa gamma

Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata

Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila porcellus

Small Elephant Hawk-moth head hairs

Small Magpie, Anania hortulata

Vine's Rustic, Hoplodrina ambigua

White Cloaked Shoot, Gypsonoma sociana

Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria

Yellow Oak Button, Aleimma loeflingiana

Yellow Oak Button