The first session of the new season was, as I predicted, a blank (save for sodding eels) no signs of barbel interest between the three of us. Bev told me, tonight, that there was a Facebook thread which depicted a Stour "double" - so someone is off to a flyer - fair play.
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| A magnificent insect - an Eyed Hawk-moth! |
With work dominating my week, I won't be back down to the river until Sunday (at the earliest) - such is life! Birding has been dire, of late, just the two Common Whitethroats brightening my walk to, and from, Pyson's Road. Butterflies continue to taunt - a hairstreak sp. was glimpsed yesterday; couldn't nail it. Moths, therefore, provide the basis for my daily natural history fix. New year ticks are appearing at an, ever, increasing rate; although they are nothing out of the ordinary in my part of the UK. I must, however, be the only moth trapper in southern England who hasn't yet recorded Bordered Straw in 2015? Six more pug sp., Mottled Beauty, Eyed Hawk-moth, European Corn-borer,
Udea olivalis,
Udea ferrugalis, Swallow Prominent, Lychnis and Garden Pebble all made it on to the 2015 garden list, overnight, along with my first ever record of
Celypha striana.
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| Toadflax Brocade - always a pleasure |
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| Swallow Prominent - a stunning creature |
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| Celypha striana - a micro which I've probably overlooked on numerous occasions? |
The UV light from the MV bulb is not only restricted to moth disorientation - many other insects are equally drawn to the source. Last night was to see two examples of a, very common, Caddis Fly enter the trap.
Mystacides longicornis - a striking little critter which, I have to admit, was also new to me.
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The Caddis Fly, Mystacides longicornis, discovered on the egg boxes as I examined the contents of
my moth trap. |
As an ex-eel trapper, it's great, for me at least, to see eels being a pain again, hopefully it means their numbers are rising again.
ReplyDeleteDerek,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, thanks for making the effort to comment. The eels within the Stour catchment have never been anything other than numerous, during my short tenure. It speaks volumes for the water quality and efficient effluent treatment by Southern Water; something which is not paralleled across other regions of the UK. The freshwater eel, Anguila anguila, is a particularly sensitive species and totally unable to cope with high level pollution. So, whilst this species has suffered massive declines within the UK, East Kent has not seen this drama unfold. Eels, in The Stour, are as numerous (and troublesome) as ever they were. If this is a consequence of Southern Waters' treatment processes, then long may it continue - they should be proud of their achievements, producing high grade run-off in the heavily populated south-east UK.
Take care - Dyl