Very, Very Local

I haven't written much about nocmig just lately. Why not? Because it has been utterly dire. The last ten days of May were bad enough, but June was simply desperate. Blank after blank...after blank. A couple of times I forgot to switch from 'stand-by' to 'record', and tellingly found myself relieved at the prospect of not having to scroll through another night's-worth of nothing. And then, finally, in the early hours of June 25th...

Yay!! A wader! the unmistakable sonogram of a Redshank.

If pressed to pick one species, I would have predicted Common Sandpiper as the first nocmig wader of 'autumn'. As it was, there were another four blank nights before that happened, 18 minutes into June 30th. So, a whole month of nocmig recording, with just one Redshank, one Common Sand, one Barn Owl and two Moorhens to show for it. But I didn't give up. Surely it will pick up through July, I thought, as returning waders pass through? And already, it has...

The begging calls of juv Tawny Owls have featured a couple of times, which nicely confirms local breeding, and my first Oystercatcher since May 18th was great to see/hear this morning, but that's all small potatoes compared with this...

Despite knowing this call quite well from my time on the Axe Estuary, I did seek reassurance from the WhatsApp group for what is a nocmig first for me: Black-tailed Godwit. That was recorded at 01:43 yesterday morning.

Never give up!

Back in February, our younger son Baz sent this photo, taken on a site he was working at close to Axminster...

Two hibernating Heralds

I was very envious. I'd never seen a Herald. I knew that they hibernated in quiet, dark places like caves, old WW2 bunkers and suchlike, but never realised the moth trap might pull one in. Well, this morning...

Wow! What a stunning moth this is!

This morning's other new moth stood no chance really, but was nice all the same, if in a quiet, very-understated-indeed kind of way...

I did struggle a bit to identify this, but it is a bit worn, and the markings somewhat faded.

There was another smart new one yesterday morning too...

Ridiculously furry.

In a few minutes I shall clip the nocmig microphone to the cabin fascia, and prep the actinic for another session. A garden sound trap and a garden light trap. I suppose one day soon I will have to get out looking at stuff a bit farther afield, but right now, home is where it's happening...