Peter Jones Wildlife blog

Decided on another trip to Kent. Orchids would take a back seat on this occasion, as I was hoping to see Norfolk Hawker and a few moths. First stop was Grove Ferry, and as soon as the sun came out, so too did the Norfolk Hawkers along the windy ditch next to the viewing mound. Fairly distant, but smart Dragonflies, I tore myself away when I realized there was no blue sky for the foreseeable. Quite lucky as it turned out. Also saw Variable Damsel, Emperor, and Black tailed Skimmer. On to  Wye  Downs. Went on a pretty long walk, and didn’t find any Black veined Moths, but saw some other species… Clouded Buff probably the highlight. Gallery

An enforced week off work isn't the end of the world in June, but I decided to limit my travels, and start a couple of projects. The moth trap(s) are going well, so in addition, I bought an Audiomoth. Have known about Audiomoths for a couple of years now, but was put off due to the time needed previously to analyse results. However, these days time is not such an issue! Fast forward a couple of days, and I am very pleased. The above screenshot shows Blackbird (#90) and a Soprano Pipistrelle (#91). Previous remote recording has always been either Birds with the Zoom recorder, or Bats with a Bat Detector. (Not sure if the Zoom was capable of picking up Bats?).  The ability to monitor both on the same wav file is pretty awesome. Going thru the files this morning, I had the usual mix of our local birdsong, including goldcrest, which I haven't noticed for a while, then after dusk Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, and Noctule, on a night when there didn't look to be much b

An afternoon trip to Lulworth was a gamble in many respects. The weather forecast was sunny, but it seemed quite cloudy overhead, and I would need sunshine to see my main target, Lulworth Skipper. Also, the Lulworth area was seemingly overrun with idiots over the bank holiday weekend, I was keen to avoid any crowds. As it happened, it was ok. The car park fairly empty, and the sun came out after I had climbed the hill overlooking the cove. Helps to know what Viper's Bugloss looks like, and once I had found a patch of about 10 plants, I waited for the clouds to move on. It was quite spectacular, as the sun appeared, and the plants were suddenly inundated with Lulworth Skippers, a couple of Large Skippers, Burnet Moths, and Bees. Nearby, Adonis Blue, another species I have little experience with, was looking stunning in the sunlight, and a Roesel's Bushcricket was an overdue first for me also. Gallery Video

An ambitious day out, one probably better suited to an overnight in the campervan, but rules are rules and I got up early and drove to Kent for a long day.  The well known Bonsai bank was my first stop, a little late in the season for my target, Lady Orchid, and it took a while before I eventually found some last remaining examples of the year. Very smart flowers, and the mood for the day lifted after getting some pics. Also present were Common Spotted Orchid, Twayblade, Greater Butterfly Orchid and White Heleborine. Then onto a site for Late Spider Orchid which was tricky to locate on the map despite some detailed instructions on the web. Luckily I revisited the instructions the evening before and stumbled across the right area, or I'd have never seen the flowers,  all in cages, some just in flower, so rare! By mid morning, the day took a slight nosedive, my next stop was Devils kneadingtrough for some butterfly and moth hunting. The wind was howling by now, which made it tricky.

Decided to make the extra effort and place my battery LED moth trap out in the countryside. A fairly wild looking field near Baddesley Common looked ideal, and I managed to get the trap into position without being seen, although I did get some strange looks on the way to the field. Wasn't sure what to expect, as the trap doesn't do particularly well in the garden. However, I needn't have worried, in the morning it had a good selection of moths, about 8 lifers for me including Eyed Hawkmoth and a couple of Fox Moths and Light Brocade. So the trap stayed out there, and I returned with just the battery pack to recharge for another night. My plan is to vary the location and habitat if possible. It should get me some good sightings. As I type this, Saturday night, the batteries have been charged and the trap will turn on after dusk in a sheltered corner of the field. Also, the MV trap, in my garden got a couple of new micros, plus the tiny Least black arches Photo Gallery