Ticking leaves again....

Having attended a Dragonfly meeting locally hosted by Steve Cham in the Spring I was struck by a comment he made after someone mentioned the dragonfly 'season' was just starting.  He said that there was no such thing as 'season' and that what the commenter was referring to was part of the life-cycle when the dragonflies were on the wing; of course they were present 365 days of the year but in a different part of their life-cycle.  This is true for all resident species including moths and recently I have tried to put this into practice with the help of the excellent publication 'Micro-moth Field Tips: A Guide to Finding the Early Stages in Lancashire and Cheshire' published by Ben Smart.

Checking the beech trees at Allerton Park was a good starting point with two similar Stigmella species were soon found.  The first is the very common Stigmella tityrella where the egg is laid on the mid-rib and the larva develops tunneling between two veins with abrupt changes of direction.  This is shown again in an older photo (no 2) and of the other similar species Stigmella hemargyrella (no 3) where the egg is laid elsewhere on the leaf (in this case near the outer edge) before tunneling between veins.

Stigmella tityrella on Beech

Stigmella tityrella on Beech

Stigmella hemargyrella on Beech

I have found those larval signs on Oak to be rather difficult and many remain unidentified but this one is fairly straightforward: Ectoedemia subbimaculella a blotch so positioned with a slit on the underside and often a 'green' island.

Ectoedemia subbimaculella on Oak, Hood Hill Kilburn, 4 Nov 2017

The next are Phyllonorycter messaniella found on an isolated Holm Oak, near the Upper Dunsforth reserve on 12 Nov 2017.

Phyllonorycter messaniella on Holm Oak

Checking some of the hawthorn hedges at Allerton Park produced a Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae on 12 Nov 2017.

Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae on Hawthorn

While waiting for a truck to be fixed in Billingham on Teesside I checked out the Pyracantha hedgeline bushes nearby and soon found many mines of Phyllonorycter leucographella also known as the Firethorn Leaf Miner.  The next Pyracantha bushes I checked successfully were in a railway station carpark in Coventry, so in order to get a Yorkshire record I checked the bushes in the Health Centre carpark in Boroughbridge and sure enough found some on 11 November.

Phyllonorycter leucographella on Pyracantha

A speculative search of brambles at Weather Hills Pond near Westwick between Boroughbridge and Ripon produced mines of the target moth species Ectoedemia rubivora which is a Nb scarcity, rare in Yorkshire except around Ripon.  The mines start off as a very contorted mine which widens out into a blotch.

Ectoedemia rubivora on Bramble

Ectoedemia rubivora on Bramble

Perhaps one of the best finds was a diptera mine on Snowberry at Upper Dunsforth which I have just had confirmed as Aulagromyza luteoscutellata by the Recorder of the National Agromyzidae Recording Scheme who just happens to live locally.  He still has to check his records but this could be the first record for VC64, having only being first recorded in the UK in 2007.  I was perusing a Leaf-miners newsletter and chanced upon an article detailing Aulagromyza luteoscutellata as new to Yorkshire and was struck by the similarity of the mines to those in my file of those as yet to be identified.

Aulagromyza luteoscutellata on Snowberry

Aulagromyza luteoscutellata on Snowberry

Still so much to learn but at least I have made a start and look forward to finding a few more species over the next few months.

Spoke too soon...

The 2nd-winter Iceland seen in flight twice today at Allerton, and my visit interrupted by a conversation with one of the contractors.....the pools ARE due to be filled in, progress stalled by the recent weather.  What a shame, and a wasted opportunity.

Allerton Tip Iceland Gull

The one advantage of these very breezy days is that the gulls at Allerton will at least be all pointing in the same direction!  This helps in looking at and assessing shades of grey and any darker (or paler) backed gulls stand out that much better.  With the winds from the north today, most of the gulls were actually rear-on, rather than the usual side-on.  No repeat of the 2nd-winter Iceland from last Friday, and the gulls were very flighty, being put up by a couple of Red Kites which looked fantastic in the low bright sunlight highlighting every hint of colour in the birds.  It soon became obvious that many of the gulls were actually in the dip the other side of the bank.  I drove round to look from the farm road parallel to the old A1, and waited for the gulls to fly up. With the sun now right behind me and the distant sky dark grey and dropping curtains of snow, when the gulls flew up they really stood out against the background.  Sure enough, the 2nd-winter Iceland Gull was soon picked out among the hundreds of Herring Gulls, and it lazily flew off to the north.

So, the threat of the first washing pit to be filled in may have passed, indeed the earth-moving equipment seem to have excavated another deeper pool just to the north of the main pit.  Perhaps my unacknowledged correspondence with the land-fill company actually worked - who knows.....

Getting fed up now.....

For one who does not have the luxury of a garden bigger than a garden bench surrounded by street lighting, the lack of reasonable weather to get me out trapping overnight is completely depressing.  If it had not been for the huge amount of text to enter onto Yorkshire Moths, I think I would have been tearing my hair out by now.

Having said all that, it is great to have many summer migrant birds in, the pick being a Blue-headed Wagtail at Allerton tip, a silent Cuckoo flying over at Minskip on Friday, then yesterday at Nosterfield NR a pair of superb summer-plumage Black-necked Grebes and a Knot.  An hour today spent walking round some pools near Whixley looking for a new trapping site, found several Orange-tip butterflies, and an Anthophila fabriciana or Nettle-tap as it is sometimes known (on checking Yorkshire Moths, a new 10km square record).  A site with with good potential.

Let us hope that the weather improves in the next week or two....

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. 

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?

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.....

Hold fire on the Kumlein's Gull......

At Allerton today, I visited early afternoon, and with the wind direction, sunlight and where the gulls were, good views were had of many of the gulls, although some were still fairly distant.  The highlights today were two 1st-year Iceland Gulls, two advanced 2nd-year birds with olive/orangey yellow bills with no dark tips, also the 2nd-year Glaucous from yesterday.

I came across this 1st-winter bird with washed-out tertials and primaries, probably the same as that seen at Farnham, and had several minutes view at 150m range, although it was asleep for the most part.  It briefly raised its head to reveal a small head, neat all dark bill with a hint of pale (red?) at base.  Of c1000 Herring Gulls present, it was the only one showing any hint of such washed out primary-tips.

The options are that it is (a) an Argentatus Herring Gull from the pale end of variation, (b) a Kumlein's Gull from the darkest end of the spectrum, (c) a hybrid (although presumably not x Glaucous due small size and small dark bill), or (d) a leucistic bird.  I am open to suggestions, and any thoughts or comments would be welcomed.

Another great morning

With the forecast for Wednesday looking so poor, and the sun shining brightly again this morning despite the early frost, I just had to go and take advantage of the bright sunlight at Allerton.  Not many gulls on arrival and certainly nothing of note, and many of them drifted off towards the tip.  Still it was pleasant sitting in the car listening to singing Hedge Accentors, Reed Buntings and Tree Sparrows calling, and Long-tailed Tits working their way up and down the hedgerow.

Hedge Accentor

Long-tailed Tit

Some loud shots at the tip, presumably bird-scarers, brought most of the gulls on to the wash-pit, including two Iceland Gulls, an obvious 1st-winter, and a 2nd-year.

Iceland Gull, 2nd -year

No raptors for the first two hours, but then two Red Kites and up to six Buzzards circling on thermals at some height above the site, their presence only given away by their constant calling.

Buzzard

A small selection of other gull photographs, taken in flight as they commuted between the main tip and the wash-pit area where I was parked.

Black-headed Gull, adult

Herring Gull, 1st-year

Herring Gulls, two 1st-years and a 2nd-year

Lesser Black-backed Gull, adult

Allerton tip

What a fantastic morning, bright blue sky and sunshine although the stiff breeze was a bit on the chilly side.  I spent several hours at the washing pit next to Allerton tip, and although all the gulls were facing the same way into the wind, unfortunately they were mostly tail on.  Still, had some good views of the assorted gulls present, and at least 3 Iceland Gulls, probably all 2nd-years, and a 2nd-year Glaucous flew over, perching briefly on the far shore.

2nd-year Glaucous Gull

After a couple of minutes it took off with most of the other gulls and one of the photos I took managed to get it and an Iceland together.  Interestingly, there is a hint of a tail-band showing on the Glaucous, so possible some Herring Gull genes in there somewhere, and it also has a primary missing and some oil on the left wing.

 

Iceland Gull (upper), Glaucous Gull (lower)

Every now and again, the gulls would fly up, often due to one of a couple of Red Kites which flew back and forth over the site.

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Kite

A small selection of other gull photos were taken.  The vast majority of birds present were immature birds, as one would expect for species that take 2-4 years to become full adults.

Herring Gull (left) and Black-headed Gull (right), both 1st-winters

Herring Gull (left) and Common  Gull (right), both 1st-winters

Herring Gull (upper), Common Gull (lower), both 1st-winters.

Gull round-up

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull

Following the excitement of the Kumlein's Gull on Thursday, another visit to Farnham Quarry on Friday was a complete let down with only 15 Herring Gulls by 17:00, and a couple of hundred Black-headed Gulls.  A good count of 70 Goldeneye, of which 18 were adult males, and some of the female/immatures were showing signs of male feathering, also a male Pochard and six pairs of Gadwall were of interest. 

A morning visit on Saturday 3rd March to Allerton tip produced an adult and at least two immatures, probable 2nd-years.  I was joined shortly after by Paul Irving and another birder who picked up an adult Caspian Gull.  Had scope views before many of the flock took to flight.  I went back again in the afternoon to see if the Caspian had returned but had no luck with any of the scarcer gulls, and due a heavy rain shower had my lights on...and left them on when I got to the tip.  Doh, flat battery.

Rainbow at Allerton

Sunday morning at the tip and not many gulls at all, and none of interest.  In the evening, I tried Farnham again, and by 17:10 the only larger gull was a single 1st-year Herring Gull.  The only highlight was an adult Kittiwake in the roost, among eight Common Gulls and c.800 Black-headed Gulls.  Where have all the larger gulls gone?

Alder catkins