Madagascar Odonata highlight No 4 - a new Nesocordulia to science

We found at least five new species to science during this amazing tour but none was more exciting than KD's discovery of this new Nesocordulia at Mantadia National Park. This genus is restricted to the islands of Madagascar and the Comores.

Madagascar Odonata highlight No 3 - a new Lestes to science

Our last potentially new species to science was a surprise Lestes! We were tired at the end of the tour and it took a while for the penny to drop as we went through photos at the end of the penultimate day. Luckily by working suitable habitat on the last day we came up trumps. An elusive species that took to the tree-tops as soon as it was disturbed.

Madagascar Odonata highlight No 2 - our first new species to science

After the excitement of re-discovering Crocothemis striata, we did not have to wait long for our first new species to science. KD found this little 'Diplacodes'-like libellulid whilst searching an almost odo-free marsh at Ranomafana. He failed to bag a specimen on the first visit but the weather was kind and we got a second chance. There are plenty of known unknowns on Madagascar many of which we also found but this was a genuinely new species! Sorry to go Donald Rumsfeld on you!

Madagascar Odonata highlight No 1

Day 1 of the inaugural Odonatours bash in Madagascar started with a bang when KD re-discovered Crocothemis striata, this species has been unrecorded since it's description in 1981 so this was a great result. Madagascar rocks!

trees and sea

Dragged the team out for a walk around the woods around the Önnarp firing range today - it was ridiculously mild and almost bird-free. Warm winters are always a bit dull here. No hard weather movements and always a curious lack of birds...

Tried Grytskären for a while and this was better the mild weather encouraging more grey heron (4) than usual to attempt to over-winter. Also here a mobile flock of at least 25 dunlin - a large flock for winter here in BK. Also here a nice close Slavonian grebe.

misty morn

Horrible misty, drizzly morning but I got out for a little while. Checked Klarningen at dawn. Ducks are on the move and still using the site; mallard (77), teal (5) and a solitary pintail. Next stop was Eskilstorpsstrand, nice conditions on the sea for looking through the sea-duck but the visibility was rather poor. A close flock of 175 scaup was a treat though and in amongst them were three pochard (a real surprise) and about 35 tufted duck. Also here gannet (2), long-tailed duck (4) and Slavonian grebe (3).

return of the black duck!

Had a day in the field today - first job was to chase down the black duck re-found yesterday by Mikael Olofsson. It was almost the only duck (with it's female partner as usual) just offshore which made things easy. Offshore two gannets, a few kittiwake and a Slavonian grebe.  No sign of any water pipits here though so I moved up the coast to Påarps mal, a late reed bunting greeting me at the car park and there were tow waxwing in the junipers. An adult white-tailed eagle flew in and sat on the rocks scaring all the birds away just as I arrived. More gannets and kittiwakes here and a few whooper swans going south, ahead of colder weather up north. Last stop of the morning was at Torekovs rev where I finally caught up with some water pipits (they came in very late this year). Two birds in amongst a mixed flock of rocks and meadow pipits. Also here little grebe (1) and dunnock (1).

In the afternoon I worked Lervik and Grytskären but only came up with two goldfinch before I had to go.

more chiffies

Had a nice afternoon walk around Rammsjöstrand and Mäsinge this afternoon. The weak sun was enough to get two chiffchaff feeding in the gardens along the front at Rammsjöstrand, also here a small flock of teal (9) and two grey heron. All signs of the mild weather. Walking south to Mäsinge produced a big flock of siskin (150+) feeding in the alders, 20 whooper swans heading east and seven waxwing south. 

back in the saddle

Been hard to get out of the office since I got back from two months abroad but got back into the field today and I am even back to blogging after a mostly moth-related hiatus! A first season of mothing became rather time-consuming!

Today I checked Påarps mal for water pipits but it was very windy from the SW and small passerines were difficult to pin down. Offshore there was a large concentration of gulls that proved to be mainly kittiwakes (at least 150), as awell as six gannets. Two dunnocks in the car park were a good reminder that temperatures were hovering near double figures in December!

To get out of the wind we headed for Båstad and enjoyed some mild December birding here too with white wagtail (2), wren (1), chiffchaff (1) heading up the notable passerines. In the harbour a kingfisher kept calling from a concealed perch. Offshore we had a flyby great northern/white-billed diver, that looked like the latter but I need better views for a BK first... As dusk approached a pre-roost gathering of hawfinches got into double figures here - my largest flock to date in BK.

As dusk approached we went for coffee at Klarningen to look for raptors. Nothing doing on the raptor front but there were still wildfowl on site, although nothing exciting.

Black-splashed elf - first for Ethiopia

Just back from Ethiopia where we recorded this black-splashed elf (Tetrathemis polleni) at Bishangari Lodge (Lake Langano) - perhaps the first record for the country!

garden moth trap (20150621)

 The garden produced a few more moths this morning. Totals: Korscheltellus lupulinus (1), Korscheltellus fusconebulosus (3), Hepialus humuli (1), Smerinthus ocellata (1), Xanthorhoe fluctuata (1), Odontopera bidentata (1), Hypomecis punctinalis (1), Ptilodon capucina (1), Phalera bucephala (1), Autographa gamma (1), Cucullia umbratica (1), Charanyca trigrammica (5), Agrotis exclamationis (14), Ochropleura plecta (2), Noctua pronuba (1), Ethmia bipunctella (1), Aphomia sociella (3), Pseudargyrotoza conwagana (1) and Hedya nubiferana (1).

that's more like it (20150620)

The highlight for me this morning was my first Pseudoips prasinanus - a stunning little moth.

Rosentorp produced a bumper haul this morning (by this season's standards anyway) that actually took some time to process. Totals: Korscheltellus lupulinus (1), Korscheltellus fusconebulosus (14),  Hepialus humuli (1), Drepana falcataria (2), Timandra comae (1),  Xanthorhoe montanata (2),  Xanthorhoe fluctuata (1),  Cosmorhoe ocellata (2), Ecliptopera silaceata (1), Colostygia pectinataria (2),  Dysstroma truncata (1), Hydriomena impluviata (2), Opisthograptis luteolata (1), Hypomecis punctinalis (7), Biston betularia (2), Siona lineata (7), Deltote pygarga (2), Charanyca trigrammica (1), Apamea crenata (2), Diarsia rubi (1),  Pseudoips prasinanus (1), Calliteara pudibunda (11), Spilosoma lubricipedum (2), Spilosoma luteum (1) and Eurrhypara hortulata (1).

 

My first Pyrochroa coccinea actually landed on Number 1 as she was walking along, she had the presence of mind to quickly pot it and run it to me. Getting them trained up nicely!

Number 2 had a poor session today but typically produced the goods with this smart staphylinid (Platydracus fulvipes). Only 8 records for Skåne for this species on Artportalen at the moment, so she got the prize for best find of the day.

In the afternoon we all went out searching out invertebrates. Just before we got to Frestensfälla we bumped into a huge female moose with a tiny youngster as they crossed the road. Big! Frestensfälla was great if a little cool and windy and we found some great stuff. Number 1 did well today finding a nice cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea), only to be trumped by Number 2's Platydracus fulvipes - a smart little staphylinid that has only been recorded in Skåne eight times! There were also a pleasing number of new micromoths during this session...