Sunday 24 September 2017
Netted Carpet caterpillar, Christophstal September 2017

Netted Carpet caterpillar, Christophstal September 2017

Netted Carpet caterpillar, Christophstal September 2017

Netted Carpet caterpillar, Christophstal September 2017

Netted Carpet feeding signs, Christophstal September 2017

Netted Carpet feeding signs, Christophstal September 2017

We found this caterpillar on some touch-me-not balsam today. It's a netted carpet moth caterpillar. Apparently, these are difficult to breed through as they'll only eat fresh balsam. It's a really difficult plant to keep fresh so it will mean regular trips into the woods to find some nice green leaves. The plants are reaching the end of their season, so most of the plants are yellowing and a bit mildewy. I'll give it a go as the moth is quite spectacular. I've had the moth in the garden once before, but it wasn't in very good condition.

The last photo shows what I'm speculating to be the feeding signs of the caterpillar on a seed head.

Wednesday 20 September 2017

This chiffchaff has been hopping around the bird cherry for the last week or so.

Chiffchaff, Christophstal September 2017

Chiffchaff, Christophstal September 2017

Sunday 17 September 2017
Spotted nutcracker, Christophstal September 2017

Spotted nutcracker, Christophstal September 2017

Spotted nutcracker, Christophstal September 2017

Spotted nutcracker, Christophstal September 2017

Pied flycatcher, Christophstal September 2017

Pied flycatcher, Christophstal September 2017

Male black redstart, Christophstal September 2017

Male black redstart, Christophstal September 2017

Female black redstart, Christophstal September 2017

Female black redstart, Christophstal September 2017

Juvenile male blackcap, Christophstal September 2017

Juvenile male blackcap, Christophstal September 2017

Moulting greenfinch, Christophstal September 2017

Moulting greenfinch, Christophstal September 2017

Kestrel, Christophstal September 2017

Kestrel, Christophstal September 2017

We had 24 bird species today - including a couple of species we don't get very often - like the spotted nutcracker and pied flycatcher.

There were lots of black redstarts early on. These will be gone soon.

I was surprised to see a blackcap. This one is a juvenile male.

The greenfinch is mid-moult by the look of it.

There are so many birds about, they attracted the attention of this kestrel.

Friday 15 September 2017

Yet another Osprey flew over the house today. This one was flying quite high, but circled for some time before it flew off towards the south.

There are still a few migrant birds about. This chiffchaff has been around for a few days.

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Chiffchaff, Christophstal September 2017

Chiffchaff, Christophstal September 2017

Sunday 10 September 2017
Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Osprey, Christophstal September 2017

Young goldfinch with tick, Christophstal September 2017

Young goldfinch with tick, Christophstal September 2017

Red admiral, Christophstal September 2017

Red admiral, Christophstal September 2017

Black woodpecker, Christophstal September 2017

Black woodpecker, Christophstal September 2017

Black woodpecker, Christophstal September 2017

Black woodpecker, Christophstal September 2017

We went out for a short run down the valley first thing this morning.

Someone had driven into the woods late last night as there were 5 squashed fire salamanders on the path. It's a shame we can't stop people driving up there at night.

When we ran past the fish ponds, we heard an unusual bird of prey call. I suspected it was an osprey, but we didn't see one.

When we got back home, I prepared my camera just in case. I was in luck. An osprey appeared about 10:30am and circled the pond several times before diving in. Unfortunately I wasn't quite quick enough to capture that, but I got some nice photos anyway.

Later on, a young goldfinch spent some time in our thistle garden. When I downloaded the photos, I saw that he had a tick on his face. Poor thing.

There were five red admirals on the buddleia at one time as well as a small copper and a high brown fritillary.

As I was packing up my camera for the day, I heard a strange bird call in the woods nearby. There was a black woodpecker climbing one of the trees. This becomes our 5th woodpecker species and our 84th bird species seen from our house.

Tuesday 5 September 2017

The unidentified caterpillar I collected at the end of July from our field maple, has pupated. There aren't many moths where the pupa is more distinctive than the caterpillar, but this is an example. With the time of year, food plant, form of caterpillar and the distinctive girdle with which the pupa is attached to the leaf, makes me 99.9% sure this is a Mocha moth - a new species for the garden and one of the species I've always wanted to see. Hopefully, it will emerge in May next year - it's a really pretty looking moth.

Interestingly, the German name for this moth perfectly describes its whole identity "Ahorn-Gürtelpuppenspanner" - loosely translated is "Maple Girdled Pupa Looper" - looper being the family of moths whose caterpillars get around by a looping movement.

Mocha moth pupa, Christophstal September 2017

Mocha moth pupa, Christophstal September 2017

Mocha moth pupa, Christophstal September 2017

Mocha moth pupa, Christophstal September 2017

Sunday 3 September 2017
Alpine newt, Christophstal September 2017

Alpine newt, Christophstal September 2017

Alpine newt, Christophstal September 2017

Alpine newt, Christophstal September 2017

Shoveller, Christophstal September 2017

Shoveller, Christophstal September 2017

Wrens, Christophstal September 2017

Wrens, Christophstal September 2017

Wrens, Christophstal September 2017

Wrens, Christophstal September 2017

As well as the bird migration happening about this time, I also have to start checking our cellar vent as we start to find various frogs, toads and salamanders in there about now. Today I checked and was surprised to find a newt hunkered down in the corner of the vent. I'm pretty sure this is an alpine newt, Tritirus alpestris.

There was an unusual duck down on the pond. This is a migrating Shoveller duck, our 83rd bird species.

These two wrens were hopping about in the hawthorn. They looked like they were mating, but it's far too late for that.

We haven't seen any ravens for a while. There were a few about today. This one was flying around with what looks like a swallow.

Saturday 2 September 2017

The bird migration was a bit more interesting today. We had a visit from a solitary serin, a common whitethroat and a pied flycatcher. I've included a photo of a nuthatch as he is a recent returnee to the garden. He's not migrating though.

Serin, Christophstal September 2017

Serin, Christophstal September 2017

Common whitethroat, Christophstal September 2017

Common whitethroat, Christophstal September 2017

Pied flycatcher, Christophstal September 2017

Pied flycatcher, Christophstal September 2017

Nuthatch, Christophstal September 2017

Nuthatch, Christophstal September 2017