Wednesday 16 July 2008

Last of the season

I went out this morning to do my final bird survey of this season. Postlebury Wood is about 10 minutes drive from my home in Frome. It is an area of Woodland and lots of cows!!! I'm not too keen on cows unless I'm on the other side of the fence! Here, there were no fences! Most of the time, they just look up at you as your passing, but sometimes they want to come and investigate. Today, as I was trying to find a way out of the field before they became too close for comfort, I sank up to my shins in oozy mud (the cows fault again) and fell into some brambles! I spent the next 5 minutes picking bramble thorns out of my arms. It all went pretty smoothly after that however! (-:


Birdwise, it was pretty quiet, but I was please to see a pair of Ravens. It was also nice to observe a family of Chiffchaffs. I think next year, I shall try and choose some tetrads that dont involve cow pasture though!
Later at home I photographed a couple of moths that I didn't recognise. One I've since found in one of my insect books. It is either a Grey or Dark Dagger. Apparently the only sure way to tell these two species apart is to check out the genitalia, but I don't think I'm going there...........
If anyone can help me out with this other species, I'd be very grateful.





9 comments:

Mosura said...

No idea what species your other moth is. I can say it's a Plume moth - family Pterophoridae - but you probably already know that.

Eve said...

Well Jen, at first I chuckled about the cows...then I gasped about the tumble!!! I don't mind cows but I guess they do get a little curious at times!! I'll go check Postlebury Wood if I can find it.

That mystery bug is quite odd looking!

Adrian said...

Thanks very much 'mosura'. There is a UK moth website and now I have a starting place, I can try and look it up. I have to confess that no, I didn't know already! (-:

Hi Eve
I guess I'm a bit wimpy about cows. If you don't find P wood on GE then I'll give you some directions when I get back home.
Jen, alias Adrian while at my Mum's!

Anonymous said...

Apart from the thorns, I am trying not to laugh Jen, (Honest) {:)

Cows are lovely animals. I was brought up around Somerset cows.

Roy.

Jenny said...

Hi Roy, I can laugh now, tho the air was blue at the time! (-: Where were you in Somerset?
All the best
Jen

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hi Jen

Just South West of you. Around a place that's got a race course. (First 23 years)


I deleted my previous comment above.

Duncan said...

Looks like naturalists the world over get into scrapes Jen! Your episode reminds me of the time my wife was trying to escape three boisterous horses and got stuck under a barb wire fence!

Jenny said...

Hi Duncan
OUCH!
That sounds more painful than a few brambles thorns! The joys of exploring......