A weekend of ups and downs

The temperatures looked ok-ish, the wind had dropped, it was dry. So why did we only catch three moths???

This was the result of our second trapping session in my local nature reserve - Carr Wood. I'm worried that if this carries on we may lose the interest of my semi-nature loving brother (who helps with all the carrying of equipment!). I'm gonna make sure that the next trip out there is in perfect conditions, just to prove to everyone that moths do actually live in Carr Wood (I'm not even sure of this myself now...)

Anyway, despite the poor form the three moths that we did catch were all new for the Carr Wood list. Hurrah!

1 x Green Carpet

1 x Eriocrania subpurpurella

1 x  another micro to be identified

EDIT: The omniscient Douglas from Montgomery Moths group has come up with the answer here, Zelleria hepariella. A new moth for me and for the Carr Wood list, so I am happy about this! Thanks Douglas!

After this disappointing night, the garden obviously felt that it needed to make up for it, and produced this Garden First - Adela reaumurella - on Sunday morning.

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Sunday was a lovely day, weatherwise, so we took the opportunity of an afternoon walk around a new site - Clough Wood near Winster. Well, we tried our best. But the navigator wasn't as good as my usual crew and so we ended up on the western side of the wood, in a deeply gouged farm track that my car found unpassable. So we walked for an hour along this road and eventually found Clough Wood, so at least we know where it is , but we still have to explore it properly.

We did have a good time though. A male Redstart put on a quick show in a hawthorn hedge, and a few other common woodland birds were going about their business. I did find some interesting plants (I'm finding plants/flowers more and more interesting, perhaps cos it's the only things I can photograph!?!).

I believe these are Yellow Dead-nettles (EDIT: Ragged Robin has pointed out that these are Yellow Archangel. Thanks RR!)

The bluebells are also fully in flower now and looked gorgeous as they carpeted the slopes running down to the stream.

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An evening to myself needed filling (I'm still feeling out-of-sorts from a cold I've had all week, so I've been a real grump today!) so I thought a trip to Netherfield Lagoons would sort me out. Netherfield hasn't been in the birdnews for a while but I thought that there would be something to see - it's always a good spot! The photo left shows the gravel pit viewed from the Deepwater Pit, the sun was casting a huge shadow over the lower pits.

The wind was blowing a hoolie again today, so lots of the smaller birds were hunkered down, however I did hear Blackcap, Reed, Sedge, Willow and a Cetti's Warbler and the Whitethroats were on show. A Kingfisher zipped by at one point, and the number of Swifts and hirundines was staggering, there was a good hatch as I walked back to the car so obviously they had anticipated this and collected here tonight ready for the feast! Once again my photography attempts turned to insects and flowers. These tiny purply-blue flowers caught my attention. I know I've seen them a hundred times, but the strain of not knowing their name is stretching my OCD to it's limit! If anyone can help out then I'd appreciate it. (EDIT: Again Ms Robin has pointed me in the direction of Ground Ivy. A lovely name for a very delicate little flower.)

The White-tailed bumblebee below wasn't put off by my presence in the slightest as it merrily fed on the White Dead-nettle.

 My other great find tonight was my first Red and Black Froghopper. I was suprised at how big it was, I'm used to getting the smaller greeny ones in the moth-trap, but this was a brute. I gave him a quick test of his strength by slowing nudging him off his perch, and my goodness he could jump!! Impressive beast!