Monday 31 July 2017

BWF Leaflets and Businesscards Ready!

The new business leaflets and business cards are ready less than a week after ordering!  I've handed in 150 to Humber Bridge Tourist Information; 50 for them, and 50 each for Tourist info Beverley & Bridlington.  I've given out a lot to the Tourist Info Pod at the Interchange, and Hull Central Library. I wonder who else will stock them?


Saturday 29 July 2017

Project Black Redstart in the City of Culture

About a month ago I was alerted by a message on social media about a pair of Black Redstarts in the City of Culture.  I made enquiries and was directed to a less than salubrious area of the city. I was given precise directions, but I actually came across the pair about a quarter of a mile nearer to the parking area than the directions stipulated.  I first saw the female, but she soon made herself scarce.  Later, the singing male was more obvious as he sang from a few prominent song posts, all of them incredibly industrial-looking.  It seemed impossible to observe the bird in attractive surroundings, but then that is something you don't really expect in the UK.
Displaying the tail to best effect
Female Black Redstart
 Male Black Redstart
 A bundle of fluffy coal
 A nice background colour, but shame about the wires
 On a rusty structure
My nephew wanted to see it so the following Sunday morning I went looking again.  This time it was singing much further away. , but much closer to the area originally described.  We just had to try and avoid the many early morning joggers.  This time we able to climb high on a public footpath and look down on the bird below us.  It is a location where you must be confined to a very narrow public footpath.   Unfortunately, although I was able to get closer to the bird it was incredibly overcast and seemed about to rain, so I decided to try on a brighter day.
 Rusty-tailed bird on a large pile of rust
 Ditto
 Probably the closest we got
 Surrounded by rust
 Industrial 

 Even more industrial 

 Heavy Metal
 More Heavy Metal
 Subsequent lengthy visits on brighter days were very disappointing, as neither of the birds could be located.  Either they are quietly brooding a clutch, or as seems more likely they have given up the chance of breeding at all this year.  It is now nearly 4 weeks since I've seen any of these birds.  

Friday 28 July 2017

June Moths

 This post has been long-delayed, but here are most of the moth species which visited our moth trap in June.  there are a few which managed to escape before they were snapped.  Moth identification is a bit of a minefield.  I knew a few already, and some are so distinctive that they were soon added to the list.  However, others  don't appear to stand out from any other in the 2000+ species seen in the UK.  Even more tricky are some species which have so many varieties that none of them look like each other!  Anyway, what follows are the moths we trapped in June, some of which I've been able to identify, but others remain unidentified so far...  If anyone viewing this blog is able to add any quick identifications, please do not hold back.
Swallow Prominent
4th of June
Carpet Moth Species
 Figure of Eighty
 Figure of Eighty
 Golden Twin Spot
 Heart and Dart
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Unidentified
 Figure of 80?
 Unidentified
 Heart and Dart?
 Unidentified
 Unidentified
 Figure of 80?
 Sebaceous Hebrew Character
10th of June
 Brimstone Moth
 Ditto
 Brown-line Bright-Eye
 Ditto
 Dark Arches
 Ditto
 Heart and Dart
 Silver-Y Moth
 Sloe Pug
Moths from 12th of June  
Large Yellow Underwing
Unidentified
 Swallow Prominent
 Ditto
 18th June
Buff Ermine 
 Flame Shoulder
Small Fan Foot?
 Unidentified
 Unidentified
 Unidentified
 Unidentified
 Unidentified
19th June 
Unidentified
 Unidentified
25th June
Common Footman
 Unidentified
 As above?
Common Emerald
 Ghost Moth?
 Variation of Ghost Moth?