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Trip to the Burren, what really happened part 1

 I didnt want to go to the Burren, there are no birds in the Burren, there is plenty of limestone however. But Andrew had been on the phone to me 3 times a day crying about Gareth Brookes. Andrew had bought tickets for all 5 of Gareths shows, he is his biggest fan and has exact copys of all his hats, Andrew is a wierdo. But Andrew offered me a £100 a day if i went and even though i am a fool i am not that big of a fool, i was off like a shot!! First surprise was Andrew had bought an ice cream van and Ed arrived with a trailer full of moth traps (see photo above) Andrew says there is money in pokes and no better place to sell than in Ballyvaughan selling to the Yanks!! So off we set, the Ice Cream van only does 40 mph so it took us six hours, it was grim

 We arrived at the BB (its in the middle of the picture, it was a lot bigger in real life, the photo is just taken from far away) Andrew paid for my stay so all i had to do is go out and find some orchids and birds!!

 Common Tawyblade, not very common at all, i seen two of these!! I also seen 4 Med Gulls from the BB, the first record for the BB apparently!

 Moth trappers in action

 Andrew below, he has just realised that he hates moths and is wondering why he brough 32 moth traps with him

 Broad Leaved Helloborine, a Burren tick for us all

 The Burren Green Butterfly the reason we wennt, its not very green

 A Slow Worm, Andrew called it Larry, apparently its a reptile (the worm, not Larry)

 A Moth under a leaf, some moths live their whole lifes under a leaf, Andrew told me, i learned a lot about Moths

 A Frog, we called this one Larry as well as its very slimy

Mine host at the BB, Belinda, she works as a podium dancer in Kinvarraa International Nightclub, but she was never home until 9 am, we reckon it was more pole dancing than podium danceing. More sometime.....

Cross Border Moth Raid

Seeing as the other week was the twelth of July Derk bribed myself and Ed to go down south on a moth trip but we knew he was really on another of his missionary trips. We had to take two cars as we wanted to bring some moth traps and Derk's car was filled full of Portavogie Brethren bibles.

So off we went, following Derk in his little Lada - panic set in as it became quite clear he was taking us to the town of Kilcock

We tried to lose him but he eventually found us down in Co. Clare. Thankfully Derk spent most of his time in the middle of Kinvarra on top of a milk crate spoutin some rubbish about the end of the world.

 Just what I like - travel halfway across Ireland to see the same old muck I get at home. Dark Arches. My favourite.

 More muck - except this is the Irish subspecies odiddlyii of Single-dotted Wave

Deplanquiea dilutella. Plonker to the initiated

A Magpie Moth. How boring is this moth? No, seriously. It's pretty rubbish. Derk likes putting these in his underpants. I wasn't aware of this until Ed caught him at it. We don't talk to Derk anymore.

 Oooh, very camp. Eucosma camopliliana.

 Brunished Barse or Burnished Brass? Depends how drunk you are.

Dipso moth or The Drinker to normal people. You hear that Dave? You're a normal person.

Hemp Agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla. Skeletor is a much better name.

 Up to the Buffers with Buff-tips.
 

 Satan's moth. Brimstone Moth - apparently this moth is the most common moth to be found drinking teardrops out of the corner of your eye when you're asleep

 The most exciting moth in the world....and it's an orphan snf snf. Scoparia subfusca - it has an english name now but I refuse to use it.

whacky-lackey moth - you can smoke these. Actually, you can't and it's just called a Lackey moth. 

 It's purple. A purple nurple maybe? Pyrausta purpuralis is what it says in the book but I would doubt that. I mean, just because it looks like it in every single detail and was found in the right habitat at the right time of year doesn't convince me.

Brown-trousers Brown-thing moth. No, hold on a minute it's a Bright-line Brown-eye, I mean Brown-line Bright-eye. No, Bright-line-line Brown-eye. Yes that's it. Or is it? Aaaaargh - it's definitely Brown-line Bright Eye.....I think. Aye, it is. Definitely is. Trust me.

Agadoo doo doo Agapeta zoegana.

 Catflapia pinecone.....or something like that. Or perhaps something like Catroptia pinella? I should really stop lying about things.

Some silly auld fleurs. I dug some of these up for me Ma's garden. Anybody want a couple of buckets of Dark Red Helleborines? Otherwise I'm going to chuck them out

 Stalking Father Ted. All that wasted time - it turns out he's dead.

Derk liked touching  this one on it's horn. It's a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth with issues now.

So there ye are now, so ye are. We left Derk to evangelise and as we left we saw him in the wing mirror fighting a couple of priests. What a crap holiday.

Moths are great, Derk is crap

Yet another new moth for Murlough NNR - Beautiful Snout.

Species No. 615 for the site.

And what is Derk up to? He's filming a promotional video for his country and western band 'The Trouser Snakes'. Apparently he's quite big in Estonia.

Isn't it great there's no birds about?

Epic Cock?! No, 1st for NI

Only part-cock. thankfully I told Ed McGuiggan to take good care of Hemp Agrimony moth.It died in his care. no poo through MY letterbox please ALF

i told you to TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT ed!!!!

did you like the way I did that? I'm available for divorces, biopsies, dole interviews, pet funerals.......I spin the discs, Derek does incidental dancing when the notion takes him.

What does a hobby eat?

Why of course a H0bby eats MALE Fox Moths. Well done Nobirds - I'm not sure but did you verify one..... or two records there with your 'Hobby eating male Fox Moths' record?

Of course, you would know exactly what a male Fox moth looks like wouldn't you? And be able to verify it as such? You must have access to super-duper lenses but then you guys know what the coolest optics are and tell the best jokes (someone told me you have an inside man who is really funny)

Hmm, have to get that old 'male Fox moth' record past the Macro Moth verifier for Northern Ireland wouldn't you? Incidentally, how many fox moths were there- just to make it a proper record, ye know?


So, pray tell me, Nobird Rarities Committee - how do you clinch the ID of a male Fox moth......in flight?....being munched by a Hobby? Explain.....to verify the record. While you're at it Take me to the bridge.

You need help knobirds, Where's the 2009 bird report?! Derek's nearly finished 2013. This isn't one of our stupid 'oooh, report looming' stream of conciousness lies. he has. haven't seen a knobirds report since 2008. It'll soon be the centenary.

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nothing wrong with a bit of cheese..........

I'm a cock!!!

Just when I thought Upland Sandpiper dipping was my epic fail I get informed of two in one day

Hemp Agrimony Plume Adaina microdactyla. I trapped beside a Hemp Agrimony bush - could be a first for NI. I let the wee fella go. Potential 1st for NI.

Choristoneura hebenstreitella. I let two of them go. 1st for NI.

The rules say - 'New for NI? You have to have  a specimen, otherwise it doesn't count'.


Here's one from during the week - a Crocicephalus monopis. Species No. 315 for Murlough - 3rd for Northern Ireland.

I feel sick. I'm a cock.

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One of the greatest songs ever written

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Hobbys on the loose!

 There are apparently 3 Hobbys on the loose in NI! One at Montaighs pictured here, one at Murlough eating Moths (we like this one!) and one in the Mournes!!

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Orchids at Work

 A few shots from a lunchtime walk!

rahdeeooh nienbirdingscheisser

raaaaaadio neebeardshaving