Wildlife mid 2009

[Ragged Robin]

Really smart furry bees flying in for a nectar breakfast on the newly opened Verbascum flowers......what a great way to start the day  

[Paul T]

Very cute. 

[Anthony Darby]

Furry boots did ye see these Robin?

Back to the Robin moth. She laid several hundred eggs, which I have passed on to various people - in fact, 140 went to Robert Goodden at Worldwide Butterflies (http://www.wwb.co.uk) as he emailed me to say he was in desperate need of some.

[Ragged Robin]

Furry boots did ye see these Robin?

Back to the Robin moth. She laid several hundred eggs, which I have passed on to various people - in fact, 140 went to Robert Goodden at Worldwide Butterflies (http://www.wwb.co.uk) as he emailed me to say he was in desperate need of some.

Anthony, I'm so glad your Robin Moth was so productive and that her eggs have found a good home at Worldwide Butterflies - I have been there several times and find it fascinating.  As you can see from my recent postings of recovered images I took, whilst visiting you, the Robin Moth looks stupendous in all her pregnant glory and has attracted  a lot of attention 

My visit to Scotland was so full of wonderful surprises and the Robin Moth on your finger is something I'll never forget - also the other moth vibrating its wings to warm up before take-off (so glad it came back!) thanks so much for spending the time showing us everything including your fantastic orchids. 

[mark smyth]

sparrowhawk v magpie - both very scary!

[Lori S.]

Amazing and sobering videos... from the pap we're fed by idiotic movies and such, we are led to believe that death is dealt quickly, but even in these tiny things, the life force is so strong... predators certainly earn every meal.   

[Anthony Darby]

Smart bird!

Here is a red-necked footman moth (Atolmis rubricolis). It's caterpillar feeds on lichens. My book says southern Britain, rare. I see it in the garden every year.

[mark smyth]

Do you report your sightings? It's rare here but spreading fast

Have you seen the new book Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland. It is a large book with amazing photography by Robert Thompson. Well work £21 from Amazon. It is almost out of print. Some booksellers are offering it for £149 already. Amazon have one left

[Ragged Robin]

Do you report your sightings? It's rare here but spreading fast

Mark and Anthony, I came across this site the other day which looks quite new and David Attenborough is behind it - thought it might be a good place to record sightings for the UK

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/moth_identifier/37/identify_a_day_flying_moth.html

Anthony the red-necked footman Moth is very handsome - but why the footman bit?

Here is a moth today who has lots of character with shoulder tufts - seems to be looking out of the window over the valley wondering if it's worth staying up 

[Anthony Darby]

Your moth is a Silver Y (Autographa gamma), which is resident in southern Europe, but migrates north in large numbers every year. It cannot survive British winters.

The Red Necked Footman, which is only about a centimetre long, is so called because of the black wings. Many footmen of the 19^th century were dressed in black, and as its lower abdomen is yellow, perhaps they had yellow socks? Victorians have given British moths some fantastic names: 'Mother Shipton'; 'True Lover's Knot'; 'Great Brocade'; 'Old Lady'; 'Varied Coronet'; 'Merveille-du-jour'; 'Shark'; 'Miller'; 'Spotted Sulphur'; 'Burnished Brass' and 'Snout' to name a few.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks for the ID of the Silver Y (Autographa gamma) moth here this morning and for the interesting info on both moths - I love the background origins of the names of these wonderful insects as you describe them - i definitely think the yellow socks should be included!

[mark smyth]

and mentioning Burnish Brass

[mark smyth]

There is a first for everything and this year I have a lovely bird singing most days in my garden. It's a Goldfinch singing while his mate sits on a nest in one of my birch trees

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks for the ID of the Silver Y (Autographa gamma) moth here this morning and for the interesting info on both moths - I love the background origins of the names of these wonderful insects as you describe them - i definitely think the yellow socks should be included!

More detail of Moth - does the Y refer to the tuft things on its shoulder Anthony?

Lovely images of your moth Mark  

[Anthony Darby]

Aha. Looks more like a Plain Golden Y (Autographa jota) from that pic? Often the 'y' (middle of each forewing) is broken in this species, but it is complete in this specimen. This species overwinters as a caterpillar in the UK, and elsewhere.