Travel, moth, knackered!

Catch-up post, all a bit random.

A visit to Glasgow to empty our storage and send things on their way south and then bring the rest back here. Elder daughter lived four years in Glasgow, three(ish - covid) on Sauchiehall Street, opposite the burnt out Mac. Now gone to the Smoke (where I was born). Oddly one of her grannies was born and brought up in Glasgow. A certain circularity to that. Younger daughter held the fort whilst we were away, looked after the mostly elderly pets but she's back south today to stay with friends before heading to third year.

The ferry crossing going out was rather good with plenty of Harbour Porpoise, including one in Scrabster Harbour, good numbers of Risso's Dolphin, a Minke Whale and best of all a Basking Shark. No birds to speak of and not one skua seen on the crossing (just two Bonxies on the return run).

So in the last month I've not got much field work done, what with girls here and then back and forth south, I'm lagging on the 365 challenge. It won't be impossible to catch up but other life stuff is also in the offing, I'm not all that optimistic about adding enough species but, I'm enjoying the trying, and I'm really not obsessive about it...

Over the last few weeks I've found a few plants, mostly common things that I'd just ignored in the past, things like Corn Spurrey and Babbington's Orache.

Corn Spurrey.

Babbington's Orache.

I'd always thought the oraches were not doable, however, it appears that nearly all of them on the stoney West Mainland beaches are Babbington's, even though many of them superficially appear to be different in appearance; stem colour and leaf colour, shape and texture seemingly have a range. Anyway, knowing what something is makes it a lot easier to identify, er.

 The garden was full of Red Admirals before we went away, I counted 32 on one day. Just two Small Tortoiseshell, although there had been a small passage of them at Marwick a day or so earlier with one every minute or so, heading south.

Red Admiral.

The light trap has been yielding a few interesting things, the usual autumn suspects but finally, after 12 years of trying a Convolvulus Hawk-moth deigned to sit in the mouth of the trap, just under the synergetic circle. I have seen this species a few times in the past, being shown them or finding a dead one on the beach at Dungeness years ago.

Convolvulous Hawk-moth.

I'd not found my own before though. There's been quite an influx into UK of late, and a good few in Orkney so not perhaps such a surprising capture.

Ancylosis oblitella, (rather rubbish pix, but I have the beastie in the fridge to try again).

I think it is this species, if it is it will be new for Scotland (chances are I've got this wrong, surely).

Apparently, I've got it right. The specimen has to go to the CR, tomorrow's job, but thanks to SS, BS and UKMothID for confirming my initial ID.

Here's a better image.

Ancylosis oblitella.