Surreybirder's lep blog (5 Viewers)

[black52bird]

Yes, Charly, very observant of you (or perhaps not, as my earlier efforts attracted rather a lot of caustic comments ). I decided to go for a Nikon Coolpix as everyone says how good they are. I'm still trying to get the hang of the umpteen controls. It produces good results despite my best efforts but I've got a lot to learn. So far I've not managed to get any decent photos without using flash, which of course tends to burn out the image. (The camera is available from Warehouse Express at about 1/3 of its original RRP.)
Ken

Good morning Ken

Happy Easter! Fine sunny day here in Budapest, with the front garden Cherry tree in full flower ("Wearing white for Eastertide" as A E Houseman had it). I thought you must have been away. Nice to see the Chough in Cornwall - always an interesting bird. Making something of a comeback, too, I understand.
Interested in your new camera and what you said here about the flash. I try to take all my photos using a small table-top tripod, as I find that even when you can rest elbows and wrists somewhere the camera-shake on a non-flash photo often ruins the pictures (I use a Fuji Finepix S7000, bu the way - bought because of the macro excellence, and large LCD display - but it's a good versatile camera all round, too). One of the things with flash seems to be not so much that it burns out the pictures (unless I'm photographing into a glass container and getting reflections) but rather that it darkens some features of the the moth and lightens others, resulting in a unhelpfully coloured specimen!! I try to do all my photos using natural light from the large window over my desk, and with the 500 watts of chandelier light and desk lamp switched on to add light from the other sides. But I can't help feeling I need to set up some special kind of lights on the desk to help. Flash also seems to give better results when photographing from the side at a 45degree angle, rather than directly down.

Best

David

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi, David,
I hope you had a good Easter.
Thanks for your thoughts on flash.
I don't have a small tripod at the moment. I tried attaching my camera to my slik (birding) tripod but it was very clumsy to work with.
I believe that some 4500 owners have a light (cool-light?) that screws in around the lens and gives a more natural light than a flash - but I've never seen this device.
It looks as if a tripod will have to be my next acquisition.
It has been almost like summer here the last couple of days, but the temp drops smartly at dusk and there's little cloud cover so my catches have been poor.
Ken

PS, in case you are wondering, my daughter designed my avatar. Her first effort was much better but the file was too large to be allowed!

 

[black52bird]

Hi, David,
I hope you had a good Easter.
Thanks for your thoughts on flash.
I don't have a small tripod at the moment. I tried attaching my camera to my slik (birding) tripod but it was very clumsy to work with.
I believe that some 4500 owners have a light (cool-light?) that screws in around the lens and gives a more natural light than a flash - but I've never seen this device.
It looks as if a tripod will have to be my next acquisition.
It has been almost like summer here the last couple of days, but the temp drops smartly at dusk and there's little cloud cover so my catches have been poor.
Ken

PS, in case you are wondering, my daughter designed my avatar. Her first effort was much better but the file was too large to be allowed!

Yes, Easter was good here - lots of nice birds around - Black Redstarts chasing each other round the garden, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jay, G S Woodpecker daily, Hoodie, Nuthatch, 2 prs of Greenfinches, Chaffinch and endless Blackbirds fussing and fighting, and Great Tits feeding all over the flowers on the Norwegian Maple and the Cherry. A very active time. As I said elsewhere, the moths have perked up. I was pleased with the Clothes Moth (other thread), as I always dread identifying lbjs like that!! But it was relatively easy for once. Last night I caught another Satellite, and another small Noctuid, which I've just photographed with difficulty (very flighty), but haven't put onto the laptop yet to identify.
I must admit, I'd been going to comment on the new lurid green "punk" logo you're now wearing, having (being an old fogey, I suppose!!) preferred the Merveille du Jour.... but nice to have a clever daughter who can do things like that!! As mine's only 5 it'll be a while before she manages that!!

Best

David

 

[Surreybirder]

but nice to have a clever daughter who can do things like that!! As mine's only 5 it'll be a while before she manages that!!

Best

David

give her another couple of years! Mine is 14; her generation are so confident with computers that I'm way behind.
Ken

 

[black52bird]

give her another couple of years! Mine is 14; her generation are so confident with computers that I'm way behind.
Ken

Well actually, Ken, she can already write everybody's name correctly using the PC!! Frightening!!
The Noctuid was the first Pale Mottled Willow of the year, by the way, so the 2007 list is creeping up!! Pretty windy here now, though, so I'm not too optimistic about this evening....we'll see.
Best
David

 

[Surreybirder]

10th April

A few new sp. for the year:
lunar marbled brown
early thorn
purple thorn
and a 6mm-long micro (I think it's a moth) - help appreciated!
Ken

 

[Nerine]

A few new sp. for the year:
lunar marbled brown
early thorn
purple thorn
and a 6mm-long micro (I think it's a moth) - help appreciated!
Ken

Some nice new species for you this year, Ken. I'm sorry I'm hopeless with micros so can't help you there, still struggling on with macros! I've been away for the Easter hols and looking forward to trapping some new moths (for me) now I'm back.

Nerine

 

[Surreybirder]

Some nice new species for you this year, Ken. I'm sorry I'm hopeless with micros so can't help you there, still struggling on with macros! I've been away for the Easter hols and looking forward to trapping some new moths (for me) now I'm back.

Nerine

Good luck with the new mothing season, Nerine.
I must take the time one day to study the micros in more detail. It's hard to get to grips with them when there are so many! I've got as far as finding out that my tiny one above is a Gelechiid - I think it bears some resemblance to Metzneria metzneriella but I'll have to see whether Mike, Harri et al have any ideas.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

11April

I had the trap on all night but chose the wrong night - the sky was clear and the temp fell quite low. I had just a few Orthosia sp. and 1 lunar marbled brown, an anonymous pug and a 7 mm long micro. Anyone recognise it?
Ken

 

[Pete Haynes]

a 7 mm long micro. Anyone recognise it?
Ken

Hi Ken,

Looks like an Epinotia immundana. I had one a couple of nights ago (see grotty photo). Last night was pretty mild here at 9.6C though there weren't many micros around(the previous 2 nights were 10.6C and 11.1C). Just an Ypsolopha ustella, a Twenty Plume Moth and a host of Eriocrania subpurpurellas plus a possible E. cicatricella among them that is about to be gen detted. 21 macro species including the first Peppered Moth and Waved Umber of the year.

There's been a few nice early ones around lately including Scarce Prominent, Iron Prominent and Orange Footman.

All the best

Pete H

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi, Pete
That looks pretty good to me! I seem to get very few micros (and not just compared to you). I think my trap 'leaks' them.
Are you going to the Bookham Common event? 'Fraid weekends aren't easy for me.
Cheers,
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

12 April, 07

Much more productive tonight with
pebble prominent (new for year)
waved umber (nfy)
brimstone (nfy)
plus various ones I've already had.
Another micro I don't know...
Ken

 

[Pete Haynes]

Much more productive tonight with
pebble prominent (new for year)
waved umber (nfy)
brimstone (nfy)
plus various ones I've already had.
Another micro I don't know...
Ken

Hi Ken,

Good to see you're getting some action. Your micro looks like Eriocrania subpurpurella to me. There's loads of them about at the moment. I'm not doing Bookham Common on Sunday due to our 4th grandchild arriving last Tuesday. Priorities you know!

All the best

Pete H

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks for the ID, Pete. And congratulations on the expanding family!
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

13 April - a few micros

No new macros last night, but first early grey for quite a while.
I had three micros, which I'm struggling with - as usual
I think the diamond-patterned one must be another E immundana.
The plume is presumably one of the common ones.
The one doing press-ups looks something like 287 Caloptilia robustella, a miner of oak and beech leaves.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

The plume appears to be Emmelina monodactyla as the spikes on the hind legs appear to be of unequal length.
robustella apparently needs dissection to be certain.
Ken

 

[Nerine]

The plume appears to be Emmelina monodactyla as the spikes on the hind legs appear to be of unequal length.
robustella apparently needs dissection to be certain.
Ken

Yes, Ken, it does look like Emmelina monodactyla . I had one in my moth trap this morning and am always seeing them in the garden. I didn't know about the id thing about spikes on the hind legs. I'll post a pic of mine which I do believe to be E. monodactyla.

Nerine

 

[Surreybirder]

Yes, Ken, it does look like Emmelina monodactyla . I had one in my moth trap this morning and am always seeing them in the garden. I didn't know about the id thing about spikes on the hind legs. I'll post a pic of mine which I do believe to be E. monodactyla.

Nerine

Hi, Nerine, I sent my photo to my CR and he said that the unequal spikes on the hind tibia was diagnostic - but it's not always easy to see in a photo!
The trap is looking pretty busy tonight - and the ***** bat is flying around it.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

14 April

Quite a few moth around last night, including March moth, lunar marbled brown, early tooth-stripe, various Orthosias.
New for year were:
angle shades (unless you count larvae)
iron prominent
Epiphyas postvittana
Also, a tiny micro (c6mm long, which looks similar to one I had a week ago)
Eriocrania subpurpurella (different markings from last one)
Epinotia immundana
I also found a larva in some greater stitchwort, which had spun the heads of the flowers together. I've no idea what it is but I'm trying to rear it.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

15 April

The season has really got going now... I ran my actinic trap last night hoping to get a few micros and possibly sloe carpet. Didn't get any of those but had a couple of firsts for year:
muslin moth
flame shoulder
coxcomb prominent

Tonight looks like being the last really mild night for a while.
Ken