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  Sunday,
21st September and the start of a new week. The weather continues hot and
dry. The nuthatch is also continuing to come into the garden to feed at the
feeder and new moths are still appearing along with some of those that have
been photographed earlier. I am still contemplating purchasing a moth trap,
although in many ways it is more of a challenge just seeing what is around,
it also means that I have more exercise than usual in the evenings as I
venture out to see what might have arrived at the lights. Last night this
delightful moth, pictured at the far left appeared, I almost missed it as it
was camouflaged against the paint. The colours and markings are very subtle,
worth clicking onto the picture for a closer look. Because of the markings
and the flying season I am convinced that this is probably a Light Emerald,
Campaea margaritata, but can only suggest that it has lost colour because
of age or being a later brood. The other picture to the right is of the
underside of what I believe to be a square-spot rustic, xestia
xanthographa, the lighting was poor but I thought it was an interesting
view.
 Finally
the picture to the right is of a plume moth, Stenoptilia
bipunctidactyla. The last few nights there have been a great many of
these on the sedum. Unfortunately Peter, my husband is disappointed that
there have not been many butterflies by day as usually this plant attracts
the small tortoiseshell.
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   Wednesday and I seem to be playing catch-up as we
had Monday out. We visited Sutton Hoo and Orford Ness and although we had a
most enjoyable walk at both places the wildlife was minimal, although we saw
this digger wasp with it's prey, presumably being taken to feed it's larvae,
and noticed the changing seasons with wild hops and the ivy flowering, far
right and right respectively.
   Delighted
in the evening to discover the moth pictured to the left which is a well
marked lunar underwing, Omphaloscelis lunosa. There were three of them
around, one of which was trying to tuck herself away between the patio doors,
I have included a picture of her from underneath as well as a side view. The
markings on this moth are delightful and well worth clicking on the pictures
for a closer view.
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 September 25th and time to catch up
again. With only a limited time to stop and stare this week I was delighted
to be able to catch a picture of this dragonfly on a fallen leaf in the
churchyard as we walked through it yesterday morning. I think that it is
probably the common sympetrum sympetrum striolatum, one of which I
took a photo of on August 4th. The evenings are very cool now and we have
resorted to having the heating on but the days continue beautifully sunny
with blue skies, the garden could do with more rain though.
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 Again
the day has been bright and warm. Although we went for a walk this
afternoon we still managed to capture more images in the garden than out. The
small copper is one of the very few butterflies we have seen on the sedum
which is extremely unusual and we have only caught sight of one at a time, so
I was quite fortunate getting this picture.
 The spider pictured is one of several that
have congregated on our front wall. During the day their legs are held in the
pose captured but at night they spread out and the spiders crawl over the
wall. I think that it is probably leiobunum rotundum.
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As the weather gets cooler and I seem to have less time
for the photography, also the supply of moths seems to have become less, I
have decided to run this week to the end of the month and probably from then
onwards will keep a monthly record rather than a weekly one.
  Although
I state that there are fewer moths about we did see the hummingbird hawkmoth
yesterday on the michaelmas daisies and there was another feathered gothic
moth by one of the lights last night. The nuthatch continues to visit the
garden along with a large number of tits although we have not had a return
visit of the long-tailed tits unfortunately. The birds seem more willing to
eat from the feeders together, at one time we seemed to only get one at a
time but the picture shows a blue tit and greenfinch together, it is a good
guide to the difference in size. I also included the picture of the robin
apparently "waiting in the wings" for the greenfinch to leave the
table, although in fact he does not take nuts from this feeder.
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  Monday, 29th September, and the long-tailed
tits decided to pay us a fleeting visit this morning, hopefully they will
return on a more permanent basis as the autumn draws on. The picture was
caught very rapidly and I think they were quite active so it is not as clear
as I would have liked. However that of the nuthatch is better.
 The only moth to have been seen is the
lunar underwing once again. This one was under the light fitting this
morning, with the number of spiders out on that wall I do not fancy his
chances for survival.
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