Aromia moschata (Linnaeus)

In addition to my last post. An alert just popped up on my Academia.edu page informing me that my name had been mentioned in an article, and I am delighted to be told that I had a brush with a first for Spurn. Not a bird, but a beetle.

I was the chosen stopping point for Aromia moschata (Linnaeus), a musk beetle, which decided to land on my arm as I counted in visitors. The individual was over 3 centimeters long and perhaps one of the beautiful beetles I have ever seen, but a real shock in a hideously hung over state.

You can find the original text here. Thank you very much to the author M.L.Denton for including me in the mentions, despite my very minimal involvement in the finding and identification, I am quite chuffed.

Aromia moschata

Anticipation

Well tomorrow I head back to England again, pick up the car and prepare for another week of "work" on the Humber. This is the one I've been looking forward to, my weekend at Partington and Spurn Point. Followed by a pesky few days in Lincs. then back north of the Humber to Spurn, meet a few friends and compete in the Naturebites birdrace.

I anticipate fun, friends, birds and beers. Knowing my luck, I anticipate rain!

The ringing shed (centre) and old accommodation, Spurn Point

MY FEEDERS!

I'm GUTTED! A bit of wind and its decided that the tree outside my flat (with all my feeders in) is to be condemned.

I have, this afternoon, watched it fall to the chainsaw. And, if I hadn't been in, the feeders would have probably gone too.

I'm bereft, it was the perfect distance from the house to allow breakfast birding, and with so many of its fellows going the same way in recent months, I have precious few left to turn to. I'm going to spend tomorrow trying to clamber through the swampy undergrowth that is my front garden, attempting to choose some equally satisfactory spots (visible, yet with cover from sprawks etc.).

So, to cheer myself up, I'm going to give you a completely unrelated picture of a Reed Bunt. Enjoy!

Picture Unrelated....

Out of My Area: "Working" Part 4 - Oldfleet Drain and Killingholme

HAPPY NEW YEAR! *cough* Right that's out of my system.

Seriously though, I hope everyone had a brilliant festive season. I spent mine in windswept Scotland, sans power and heating.... bbrrrrrr! But now its back to work. Here are my pictures from my latest spots on the Humber. Both were wonderfully quiet, if a tad industrial, and I'm sure the blackwits were following me round.

Saturday I was at Oldfleet Drain, a site near Immingham, popular with cod fishermen at the top of tide and used as a thoroughfare by everyone one else. During the day there was a large flock of blackwits, some knot, an endless parade of redshank, a couple of curlew, a few family groups of turnstone, lapwing, a friendly pied wag, kestrel and a hunting peregrine.

Everything looks better in silhouette...

"Argh! this isn't mud, its concrete!"

The Muddy March of the 'Wits

Lift Off!

 Sunday I spent at Killingholme. The first person I spoke to was there to manage the water levels on the SSSI, a really interesting guy (thanks for the chat Mr Smith!), who informed me of the local water vole population and the frequent sightings of short-eared owl. I only saw about 7 people all day, but the birds paraded up and down the mud and, as I looked up from my book after my lunch, something pale was quartering the nearby fields....

Worth an Early Start

Muddy Bills

So that's why I saw no voles...

Hooo? Me?