I know them, did not know they still had bulbs, will have to get onto them! Where we used to get stuff before AngLeps were a thing.

Where can you still get them? I ordered a couple afew months ago and they were really poor not the brand advertised and looked like rejects.

A lot better than me. Trapped at home and Lepe last night, no migrants at either but a good few NFY, although I have not been trapping much. Maybe I need a bulb change too.

Our grid infrastructure would often not cope with it, locally even domestic installations are restricted due to incapacity.

Yes, our haunts were Eyebrook and Swithland/Cropston, both all day bus and foot outings. Often saw no other birders even at weekends.

Don't mention the Kildeer! Family moved away to Hampshire a few days before it turned up. I finally saw one this year.

Where I started "proper" birding in the early 1970s, first bus out from Leicester most weekends, off at Belton, walk to the res, then a circuit and walk to Uppingham for bus home.

A long old walk carrying a trap!

Where are you going to try? I had one go this year on the coast at Lepe where there us lots of Blackthorn, a blank, obviously.

'75 I think, did not see it as moved away nine days before it turned up. I used to go to Eyebrook about 3 times a month for several years. Finally saw one this year, took over 50 years but got there in the end.

Little Tern seems to be getting earlier every year, whereas Common Terns don't seem to be, or not so much.

Despite local authorities apparently having enlightened mowing policies my local one has cut most of the local verges so short as to have scalped the ground by the end of March. All cuttings left in place and only the planted daffodils and three-cornered Leek spared.

Thankfully we do seem to finally getting more serious about it, NNSS has made a great difference. Despite this general understanding of the negative impacts is still pretty poor meaning popular support for control is often poor.

When these things might be possible they don't get priority and when people start to call for action it is too late.

I think that has been the method they have been using in Flanders. Goose numbers for well established species very large at this stage, realistically reduction is likely the best that would be achieved, but the effort would be enormous.

In winter they favour open water and very rarely fly in response to a boat. Not easy, but probably many times easier than almost any other well established alien vertebrate in the UK, I would think the most doable bird by some margin.

A rather special case though, their behaviour made them especially vulnerable. The real lesson is not to wait until these species become firmly established.

Ah! When I downloaded my pictures from the other day I see that my first Tephritid of the year was not Tephritis cometa but actually T.divisa. Post in haste regret at leisure!

Another day, another Tephritid, this time Tephritis vespertina, in the garden with a good array of other insects enjoying the sunshine. Eristalis tenax & pertinax (m&f), Tree Bumblebee and at least 2spp of solitary bees.

@dipteristsforum.bsky.social First Tephritid of the year today here in S. Hants, Tephritis cometa in the garden.

I had forgotten until I saw this, but many years ago in the woods of New England we ran a trap with a huge silver foil sheet, very effective, although never tried a white sheet at the same site to compare.

Any introduced species will be using resources to survive and since it is unlikely that any of the resources they use are not already being used by other species, there will be competition. If the introduced species does well it will inevitably have costs for other species.

Disappointing to see an increase in Feral Pigeon influence in the Rock Dove population of The Mullet, Co Mayo when I was there recently. Perhaps 1/20 showed either "chequers" or darkened plumage. #ornithology #birds

I came across what seems to be Leopoldius calceatus on a low Ivy hedge on the Hants coast today not sure if this is a new county record but certainly a first for me. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

I have risked it, looks pretty good until around midnight, then grim, I may well turn off before I retreat.

Not bad for such a wet day, I did not even run my trap last night and still to get Barred Hook-tip this year, although being on the edge of the Forest I usually get the odd one. Good luck, tomorrow does not look great either.

A "lifer" for me in the garden actinic trap last night, a Striped Hawk-moth, in very good condition as was the Small Marbled, a moth I had not seen before this year's influx. #teammate #hantsmoths

Thanks, do you find the Skinner combination significantly better than the 2x25W tubes? I am still using a 125W mv for one of my traps, but it's days are numbered so looking at a replacement setup.

What trap are you using? I ran 3 traps of different kinds on the Hants coast last night and the total for all 3 did not come close to yours.

I had them at two sites, both new, this year and have heard of a good few others, not sure if it is just a good year or if they migrate.