Stanford Rules Supreme, Once More!

Mick and Peter went ringing on Thursday 17 July on a rather blowy damp day (in Scotland we might say it was a bit dreich). Anyway, at 0430 nets were put up from Apple to Oak. We were pleased to find good numbers of juvenile Phylloscopus warblers plus a selection of the usual suspects (as per Dave's log, below).
Anyway, around 0900, I trundled off to extract from Church (a single 60' net). A couple of warblers as usual. But hang on... a woodpecker in the net, black and white, with a red cap. Nothing unusual in that, we usually have two families of Great Spotted, one at the feeders on the Northants side, one on the Leicestershire, always nice big colourful birds with lots of personality and very sharp beaks. However, this seemed a bit on the small size, maybe about the size of a greenfinch. Small... woodpecker... could it be?

Yes it could- unbelievably it was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. This was only the third ever at Stanford, and the first since 2000. A really smart little bird, complete with red crown and ruby red eye, this was an adult male :

Fortunately we were able to share the find with our resident birder Chris H who, after being treated for shock, kindly provided the pictures. This is a phenomenal bird. It is a red listed species with about 800 pairs in the UK. I never thought we would get one at Stanford. As an adult male of a non migratory species it has presumably bred near to the reservoir, but we haven't had any local sightings for... ever! Eyes peeled from now on! After a horrible start, 2020 is turning out to be a species rich year, I wonder what could be next?
Peter N

Moth Night and Ringing Session

With the government restrictions being lifted 3 of our group (Adam, Kate and Theo) decided to stay overnight at the reserve and carry out this years first Moth night.
Moth nights include erecting mist nets in the evening ready for the next mornings ringing session, before using the moth traps. So this weekend it was decided that the mothing would take place on the Leicestershire side of the reservoir. The nets in the reedbed were erected and the moth traps placed out in the paddock area.
Kate placed 10 small mammal traps out around the campsite. The traps have a nest compartment which contained hay as bedding and food: seeds,mealworms and sultanas.
As darkness arrived the nets were furled until Sunday morning. Time to put their feet up and have a beer or 2 and a bacon roll.
So Sunday morning 4.30 myself, Peter and Mick arrived and erected nets in the paddock area of the Leic bank.
The moth traps were covered for later and the nets in the reed bed opened.
So inbetween carrying out net rounds and processing the birds, Kate, Adam and Theo checked both moth traps and recorded and documented  the moths caught.
Kate checked her mammal traps and had sucessfully caught 2 young bank voles.

Bank Voles

Small Mammal Trap

The moths were processed and the group had had a fantastic night with 177 moths of 56 species, including 3 new species of Macro moths for the reservoir. The Dingy Shears, Round-winged Muslin and small Rivulet.

 Below is a list of moths caught.

Macro Sp: 12/07/2020                                 Micro sp: 12/07/2020

Bright-line                                                                     Acleris forsskaleana 1

Brimstone 2                                                                   Acrobasis advenella 1

Buff-tip 4                                                                       Acrobasis repandanda 1

Buff arches                                                                    Ancylis achatana 1

Burnished brass 3                                                          Carcina quercana 4

Clay 1                                                                            Chrysoteuchia culmella 3

Clouded border 6                                                           Cnephasia agg 3

Common Footman 14                                                    Cochylis hybridella 1

Common Rustic agg 7                                                    Eucosma cana 1

Dark Arches 13                                                               Eudonia mercurella 1

Dingy shears 2                                                                Hedya nubiferana 1

Double Square-spot 2                                                     Patania ruralis 2

Drinker 3                                                                        Rhopobota naevana 1

Dusky Brocade 1                                                            Scoparia ambigualis 2

Flame 1                                                                           Scythropia crataegella 1

Heart + dart 3                                                                                                 
                                                                                              Total 24

Herald 1                                                                                 Species 15

July highflyer 4

Large Yellow Underwing 8

Marbled minor agg 5

Mottled Rustic 2

Plain Golden y 1

Poplar Grey 1

Poplar Hawkmoth 2

Privet Hawkmoth 1

Round-winged muslin 13

Ruby tiger 4

Rustic 2

Scalloped Oak 1

Short-cloaked moth 1

Single dotted wave 3

Small fan foot wave 1

Small Rivulet 1

Smoky Wainscot 12

Snout 1

Spectacle 1

Uncertain 15

Vines Rustic 1

White Satin 1

Yellowshell 1

Yellowtail 3

Total  177

Species 41 

July Highflyer

Dingy Shears

Small Rivulet

Round-Winged Muslin

Privot Hawkmoth

Dusky Brocade

Over the whole weekend we had a very successful ringing session with 158 new birds and 85 retraps including a Portugese control Reed Warbler.

On the evening of the 11-07-20 the group processed 11 species 53 new birds, 29 retraps.
On the 12-07-20 Adams group processed 10 species 54 new birds, 29 retraps.

While my group processed 51 new birds and 24 retraps.

Clearwing Moths

Our group member Simon aka Wild Presentations has succesfully been filming and photographing clearwing moths around the reservoir, using moth pheremone lures.

Lunar Hornet Moth

Red Tipped Clearwing

Red Tipped Clearwing

Lunar Hornet Moth

Well done Team