First FOUR-SPOTTED CHASER for Scilly

Mega find by Viv Stratton with this male FOUR-SPOTTED CHASER at Porth Hellick yesterday!

  On the 1st August, large numbers of Painted Lady arrived on Scilly from the fall of 1000's, expecting to be millions, to hit the UK. Over 80 were on Tresco, many on St Martins and over 100 were in one area of St Mary's, Porth Hellick including the down. The following day, over 350 were seen on St Mary's and today over 500 were seen on the latter island including 30 coming in off the sea at Tolls Island. I also had over 50 in the Star Castle garden with lesser numbers elsewhere.

As millions of Painted Lady are expected to arrive in the UK, we can also exspect larger numbers to turn up on Scilly in the next week.

  Yesterday afternoon I dropped off Viv Stratton and friends at Porth Hellick and an hour later he went and found the first Scilly FOUR-SPOTTED CHASER in front of the Seaward Hide. It wasn't until past 16.00 that Jo and I could twitch it and we got it immediately on arrival as Martin Goodey had been keeping a close eye on it until we turned up. It was showing well taking advantage of the afternoon sun. The male Emperor give it some jip but it was still present when we left half an hour later and still present today.

  In the air there was a big movement of Swift, for Scilly standard that is, with over 60 at Porth Hellick and 50-100 over the power station. Of the latter I managed to see 20 of that flock as most had moved on. On St Agnes Mike Hicks had a very high number of 25-30 Common Sandpiper. A few years ago, Bobby 'Dazzler' Dawson had a record number of 32 Common Sandpiper on the same island!

  Just after dark, Jo and I were out and about searching for insects between the two hides at Porth Hellick. As it turned out we didn't see much of note but moths were feeding in good numbers in the usual favored Sallow with 29 species including a single Twin-spotted Wainscott, 4 Diamond-backed Moth, 3 Dark Swordgrass and 16 Common Rustic. At 12.35, while chatting to Jo, I heard a calidris wader call once that I thought sounded like Pectoral Sandpiper Today there were just 4 Green Sandpiper on the pool.

This male FOUR-SPOTTED CHASER was a first for me as well as Scilly

This Twin-spotted Wainscott was a new species for us

3 Smoky Wainscott

Clay

7 Angleshade

4 Diamond-backed Moth

Springtail

Nymph of  Hemerobius stigma

Nymph of Green Lacewing

The tide was too high for the ducklings to go and feed on the beach this evening. No worries! As soon as we let them out from the wagon, they were in a race to see who could get to the Rose Hill ponds first! Pablo Jr came last!!

Shortly afterwards we took them for a walk around the airfield as they like the grassy areas to search in and relax. Pablo Jr was last!!

Another good bug bash at Porth Hellick!

This Heterotoma planicornis was at Porth Hellick and was a bug I always wanted to see

  This morning I made my ways to Porth Hellick after my first taxi at 07.30 and noted an increase in Willow and Sedge Warbler. The only waders on the pool included 2 Common and 1 Green Sandpiper. A quick look at Lower Moors and there were over 20 Willow and Sedge Warbler but as the water level was so high after the heavy fall, there was nothing of note on the pool. Later in the afternoon at Porth Hellick there were now 3 Green and 2 Common Sandpiper and a single Redshank with 8 Greenshank.

At Lower Moors there were over 20 Sedge Warbler with lesser numbers at Porth Hellick

There were also over 20 Willow Warbler at Lower Moors with also lesser numbers at Porth Hellick

But only 2 Chiffchaff at the latter site

Common Sandpiper at Porth hellick

In the morning there were only 2 Common sandpiper and single Green sandpiper. By the afternoon there were 3 Green and 2 Common sandpiper and 1 Redshank with 8 Greenshank

Last week there were 6 Mediterrian Gull at Porthlow

This Heterotoma planicornis is a bug I've always wanted to see and I took the pic of this nymph just outside my digs on the Garrison before it disappeared. 

A few days later, Jo went and found an adult of the Heterotoma planicornis on our favorite Sallow by the Sussex Hide at Porth Hellick

Female Nursery-web Spider caring her egg sac below

Cyphon padi Beetle

Gorse Shieldbug

  The evening of the 28th was calm and Jo and I spent an hour just after dark in our usual area of Porth hellick between the two hides. Good numbers of moths were feeding and again we saw many new species that we had not seen before including a few that still need to be identified. We also heard 2 Dunlin and single Green and Common Sandpiper overhead at 22.30 on wards.

The nymph of a  Hemerobius stigma Lacewing 

Adult Hemerobius stigma Lacewing

Chysoperla carnea Lacewing 

Bark Louse on the tip of a pine needle

Gall Midge

Springtail

The Psallus betuleti is larger than other plant bugs

It turned out to be a good night for moths feeding on a single large Sallow. Migrants included a single White-speck and up to 5 Dark Swordgrass. There were over 10 Common Rustic actively feeding however the highlight was observing a Magpie Moth laying eggs.

White-speck

There were 5 Dark Swordgrass altogether

Brown-vained Wainscott

 

Riband Wave

Common Wave

Agonopterix umbellana

Agonopterix yeatiana

Acleris emargana

Garden Rose Tortrix

Pinon-streaked Snout Upper pic is of the usual pale form while the below pic is the first time in seeing a dark form.

And a female Magpie Moth laying eggs under a Sallow leaf

 

Pablo having a closer look at the hole Jo is making. Jo making sure the sand hoppers are jumping all over the shop for the ducklings to get stuck into. Now six weeks old!