Abernant

I went up the old Parish road last night, it was great to be out, dry and yes a bit of heat. I walked up past the old ponds and found these Peacock caterpillar feeding on nettles. I heard a Grasshopper Warbler singing away, I started my search but could not find it and each time I moved to try and get a better angle it stopped and went silent, so after 30 minutes of my dog moaning I give up and left him in peace.

I also found this tiny Ladybird which turned out to be a Ten Spotted Ladybird and one which I think is new too me.

I also found this and thought it could be a leaf miner but dont real know so open too any offers. It was on Elm. Also this Comma was enjoying the warm sunlight.

I went back to the wood where there was large number of Broad Leaved Helleborine and I found some were starting to flower. It seems a strange place for this flower to be as it's in a pine wood .

This is the area where the Gropper was, there were lots of Linnets and Meadow Pipits to keep me on my toes. Last of all I was down the river this morning in Robertstown where I found a female Goosander on the river it seems early for this bird too be back on the Cynon

Manaus Brazil a Few Record Shots

A few record shots some taken with my phone.

A view from the bar/restaurant from one of our hotels

Guianan Cock of the Rock



Golden Sided Euphonia

 

Cattle Egret

Savanna Hawk

Pompadour Cotingha

Variegated Flycatcher

Butterfly count

A few bits and pieces from the last few days.

With decent weather forecast for Thursday, I decided to do the first of my two Wider Countryside Butterfly surveys along my BBS transects around Craig Yr Efail. Alas the sun rarely shone. As such numbers were poor, with only Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, a couple of Grayling and Small Heath making it on to the score card. The only moths to make it were over 100 6-spot Burnets and a Fox Moth caterpillar. Outside the transects, a Painted Lady and a (possible) Eudonia truncicolella were noted.

Every year that I've undertaken this survey my visit has co-incided with a mass hatch of Burnet Moths. Nothing surprising in that, but in every year except one, these have been 6-spot. The exception (2013 if I remember correctly) was when they were Narrow Bordered 5-spot.

After an early morings sea watch from Tutt Head yesterday (highlight were a single Arctic Tern and a more distant "commic" - though from the flight I'd guess Common - Tern, both heading west) I moved on to Crymlyn Burrows for a couple of hours. Little Blue's were common and with White-spotted Sable were additions to the year list. Best find of the visit was a dozen plus Short-winged Conehead's.

A new Tortix moth for me was also found, Acleris emargana. The unusual wing shape, apparently, makes this easy to recognise.

Finally, over to Singleton Park for coaching duties where two Yellow and Black Longhorn Beetles Rutpela maculata were noted.

Penmoelallt

I found this Meadow Sweet on Monday but only saw this one clump of flowers with these leaves. I think this would make a great garden plant.

Back to Bryn Du

I went  back to look for the elusive Pussy Moth Caterpillar at the wheel wash but still no joy. I did find this common Swift Moth resting on hogweed.

I also found these larve and think it could be more Kidney Spotted Ladybirds, in a different place this time and shows they must be doing well at this site  and the second one i been told could be Harlequin Ladybird.

I also found two Waxcaps which were great to see. I found this thistle a couple of weeks ago and kept forgetting to take a shot of it. Could this be the thistle disease but not on a creeping thistle this time and only one present like it.

Manaus Some Other Wildlife

Some more of the wildlife we encountered on our trip to Manaus, unfortunately I cannot identify most of them.

Pied Tamarin 

Grey River Dolphins

The Big Caterpillar Twitch

After hearing Mark Evans's great news on Sunday of him finding Pussy Moth Caterpillar I felt  I had to try and see it. So on Monday myself and my daughter went looking for it, Mark give great directions and we found the bush staight away, we started our search and looked for about two hours but no joy. But in the Willows we found these caterpillars and have been told the top one is sawfly larve but still looking into what the bottom caterpillar is.

 I also found this Shield bug and it looks like itis feeding on this Sawfly Larve ,

I also found this this Ladybird Larve and goes to show if you stare into a bush for long enough you will start see things. I also found this Cucumber Spider which was new for me and a great thing too see. In the Wheel Wash I found two Emerald Damselflies which was a nice surprise and also first for the year

As I walked back out popped this Bank Vole which ran across my path and watched me from the safety of the wire cage and we also found this male Common Swift Moth again a first for the year. In total we were there for two and a half hours We meet a group of kids doing their Edinburgh Awards, they were lost and showed me a very wet map and were supposed to be going towards Llwyn Onn camp site. They were very wet and decided to give up and phone for help as it was getting late. This patch forest seemed to be like the Bermuda Triangle for these young back packers, I have seen kids lost here before. It was great to spend time in the field with my daughter and she seemed to be enjoying it deep down.