It's official spring is here!

Following an overnight frost down to -1 here in Langthorpe, the temperature is now a creditable +19, with wall-to-wall sunshine.  In the early afternoon, I went for a stroll at Pilmoor, looking for Orange Underwings, and concentrated on the area of aspen, the foodplant of Pale Orange Underwing.

Aspen, among the birch.

At least four Orange Underwing were seen, three on the track and one on the SSSI heathland.  Single Peacock, Orange Tip and Brimstone were all seen on the track  Several Chiffchaff were heard singing, and a couple of Marsh Tits sneezed away in the undergrowth.

Orange Underwing

Orange Underwing

Pilmoor SSSI

Pilmoor SSSI

Week ending Sunday 25th

The reasonable weather was a forerunner of what to expect this coming week.  The pools at Allerton were drying up and the movement of gulls through was very hit and miss, with larger gulls barely in double figures and counts varying between a couple of hundred gulls and nil!  

A Chiffchaff, my first summer migrant, was heard singing in the riverside willows at Langthorpe  With much of the rest of the country bathed in decent temperatures, being on the edge of the Vale of York meant the usual low-lying radiation fog, which took ages to burn off during the day, keeping the temperatures down.  Still, managed a couple of nights out trapping, one night at Pilmoor, and a couple of days later at nearby Sessay Wood, rather eerily in the fog....  A total in excess of 550 moths of at least 16 species was a good return, with Small Quaker seemingly doing exceptionally well this spring.

Mottled Grey

Common Quaker

 

Twin-spotted Quaker

Week ending Sunday 18th March

A funny old week, with visits at different times daily to Allerton Park to look at the gulls.  On Monday 12th, reasonably close views of an adult Iceland Gull, but little else of note.

Iceland Gull, adult.

Iceland Gull, adult in flight

Iceland Gull, in flight

On Tuesday 13th, no white-winged gulls, but a fine dark large adult Herring Gull, standing out from the nearby paler argenteus gulls.  The long legs were noticeably pale pink, and the shade of grey was consistently darker than the other gulls when viewed from different angles.

Herring Gull L. argenteus  (left) and argentatus (right)

Wednesday was the first blank day at Allerton, with no species of any interest.  I spent a couple of hours walking around Pilmoor, looking for Orange Underwing, but the only lep of note was an orange butterfly hurtling by, probably a Comma.  The cool breeze took the edge off the Spring sunshine, and a flock of c.50 Fieldfares chacking overhead was a reminder that it was still early yet.

Thursday saw a 1st-winter and two adult Iceland Gulls at Allerton Park.  

Iceland Gull, two adults, foreground left and fifth to the right of the front gulls.

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

A brief excursion to the book fair at the Harrogate Showground on Friday morning, saw three Red Kite and a Buzzard soaring over the pavilions.  A lunchtime visit to Allerton Park saw a repeat of the previous day with 1st-winter and two adult Iceland Gulls. 

Saturday, a midday visit, with very few gulls present and at 1330, every single gull left!  So after a blank day, on Sunday back to form with a 1st-winter, 2nd-winter and adult Iceland Gull at Allerton Park. 

Trapping at Pilmoor

Another 2.5 hours with a lamp at Pilmoor, although it felt chillier than the minimum of +6 recorded.   Fewer moths than Saturday night, but still a respectable haul:  a Tortricodes alternella, 30 Yellow Horned, a March Moth, four Oak Beauty, two Engrailed, 38 Small Quaker, two Common Quaker,  23 Clouded Drab,  eight Twin-spotted Quaker,  three each of Hebrew Character and Chestnut.

Clouded Drab

Acleris notana/ferrugana

Yet more gulls

Since the last entry, visits to Allerton Park tip as it is referred to in the Yorkshire Bird Report, have continued daily.  On Friday 9th, a 1st-winter and 2nd-winter Iceland Gull, two pale-winged argentatus (one of which was new with slightly darker tertials and primaries and paler head), and the 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull with the missing primary.
A late visit on Saturday 10th produced very few gulls, and only a 2nd-winter Iceland and one pale winged argentatus were seen.  However, earlier in the day, Paul Irving had seen the Kumlein's Gull there, along with several Iceland Gulls and the 2nd-year Glaucous with the missing primary, and up to seven Red Kites.

A morning visit this morning, again not more than 200 gulls in total.  However, gulls floated in and other left, so at times there were no white-winged gulls, and at one time there were two 2nd-year Iceland Gulls, and two 2nd-year Glaucous Gulls present.  One of the Glaucous Gulls was a new bird, with a complete set of wing feathers, and a greyish cast to the pink bill.

There have been small numbers of obvious adult argentatus among the argenteus,  and here is a photo of an adult of each next to each other, showing the characteristics well.  When similarly aged gulls are not so close together for comparison it is much more difficult to discern.

Argentatus (left), argenteus (right).

As a round-up for the total number of odd gulls at Allerton Park Tip, I would say as a minimum there have been three Glaucous Gulls, ten Iceland Gulls, a Kumlein's Gull, three pale-winged argentatus, a Caspian Gull and  three Kittiwakes.  Not bad, eh?

Trapping at Sessay Wood, Pilmoor

I spent 3 hours trapping with a light over a sheet at Sessay Wood last night, and there were plenty of moths about, with by biggest ever March catch.  This in addition to an interesting night sky, with Mars, Jupiter and Venus all showing well, and missed Mercury in low cloud at sunset.

Brindled Pug

Species
13 Tortricodes alternella,  two Acleris ferrugana/notana,  143 Yellow Horned,  eight March Moth, seven Brindled Pug,  16 Oak Beauty,  four Engrailed,  147 Small Quaker,  six Common Quaker,  19 Clouded Drab,  nine Twin-spotted Quaker,  11 Hebrew Character,  two Early Grey and four Chestnut.
4 Chestnut.

Charlie advises me this is a record count of Yellow Horned.

Still an interesting bird...

Even better views of a pale-primaried gull and distant views of another one that was sleeping, at Allerton Tip.  Today's bird, if it was the same as yesterday seemed to be the same size and build as Herring, and was seen well including in flight.  I presume the bird at Farnham was one of these birds, and I am now happy that it (they?) are probably argentatus from the pale extreme.  An interesting bird nevertheless.

In addition, there were a 1st-winter and a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull, a Red Kite and up to four Buzzards.  To finish off, one of the singing Hedge Accenters,  presented itself next to the car, and at least I can identify them.....