I had no intention of posting tonight , but I wanted to thank Mel Lloyd and Josh for identifying last night's mystery black beetle as Galeruca tanaceti , a leaf beetle . Much obliged to you both .
I have since read that it has become a pest in Crete , feeding on Oregano .
Some bad news from the Ridge . Before leaving for the Detling showground , I was doing a job with a ladder in the yard , and as we haven't heard or seen anything of the Nuthatches since April/May , I opened up the nest box on the side of the Warden's house and found ,
a clutch of six eggs that had been abandoned at some time between then and now . The nesting material used was the same as last year , the flaky chips from the bark of Scots Pine . That time the chips were deposited on top of a dead Blue Tit , and then the nest abandoned . Several joins of the box had been filled with mud , as can be seen top right in the photo , and this one shows 
that mud filler once it was removed , hardened now , still showing the marks from when it was rammed in with the bill . Six very cold eggs , very similar to a Blue Tit in colouration , but larger , 
a clutch of six eggs that had been abandoned at some time between then and now . The nesting material used was the same as last year , the flaky chips from the bark of Scots Pine . That time the chips were deposited on top of a dead Blue Tit , and then the nest abandoned . Several joins of the box had been filled with mud , as can be seen top right in the photo , and this one shows that mud filler once it was removed , hardened now , still showing the marks from when it was rammed in with the bill . Six very cold eggs , very similar to a Blue Tit in colouration , but larger , as can be seen with the 35mm. film canister for comparison .
I'm going to try another moth that was on the outside light the other morning . I have looked through the Emeralds , and although I would like it to be one of the rarer ones , I think it is the 
Small Emerald .
Small Emerald .Also one for the man . A micro , but very well marked with white on a bronze/gold background .
7 comments:
Much obliged. I like that we both saw the beetle the same weekend. Neat. Mel
That moth Greenie - it's not a Small Tippex is it?
It's a shame about the Nuthatch nest.
Definitely a Small Emerald, Greenie. But that well marked micro has got me well & truly stumped.
Hi Greenie, the micro might be Argyresthia Brockeella, not sure but check my post 28th June, the first pic looks very similar?
I wonder why that Nuthatch nest keeps failing Greenie ? We'll probably never know :-(
Dean ,
Thanks for the Small Emerald confirmation .
Alan ,
I think you are spot on there ,
Argyresthia brockeella it is .
Thanks very much .
Rob ,
Another brilliant answer/question .
Wish I had thought of that .
Hi Greenie.
Shame to hear about the Nuthatches failing to breed. Nice moth photo's.
Have a good time at the County Show.
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