Short Outing

 Tuesday September 14

Neil Diamond is singing ''September Morn'' in the background, the rain is bucketing down - and the moth trap was uninteresting. Best was a pristine Heath Rustic, a moth we do not catch every year.

 

This morning's three traps at Natural Surroundings weren't brilliant either. The season's first Brown-spot Pinion and Brindled Green the highlights. At least NS doesn't have the number of Hornets and beetles present in our traps at home. The beetles are an interesting nuisance, the Hornets not good news for the moths, usually leaving a detritus of wings and heads in the bottom of the trap. I have to remove the egg boxes very carefully.

Yesterday , we had our second Speckled Bush-cricket.

 

We have one Hazel tree in the border hedge, a reminder of my scavenging youth. This year, it produced 20 hazel nuts, twice as many as last year. Perfectly ripe and untouched by squirrels.

Yesterday, after Andrea had left, we went to Hickling, just to get out and about really.   Pam made the obligatory call at reception to ask for permission  to drive down to Whiteslea Lodge, taking the opportunity to ask about moth trapping here. 

If a volunteer is available, at least one trap is opened on a Wednesday morning at about 11.30 - apart from this week. We intend going next week, the moths here are usually reedbed specialities, worth looking at. 

A five-bar gate en route had a cloud of small slim dragonflies flying around, up to ten at once landing on the top bar. Pretty ordinary shots from the car, I had fun trying. Probably Common Darters.

 

Little else was seen. Greylag and Canada Geese, Grey Heron and a Reed Bunting. One needs to walk the reserve at a more propitious time of year.