Lean.......15/06

Not a great deal around with the wind still blowing from the North East and a minimum temperature of just 5°C. Heart & Dart is still the dominant species at the moment.

Willow Beauty

Willow Beauty is now abundant in the area. My maximum count so far is 6, the rest of the count is as follows-

1. Heart & Dart- 6
2. Large Nutmeg- 2
3. Crambus pascuella- 2
4. Buff Ermine
5. Willow Beauty
6. Brown House-moth

Grey Pug??

I know Pugs are notoriously difficult....but this didn't seem to fit for a Common........

A few more recent highlights.....

Treble Brown-spot1st ever Seen 9th June, 2 caught so far.....

Poplar Grey 1st ever caught 10th June.

Figure of Eighty1st of the year caught 11th June.

Burnished Brass1st of the year caught 11th June.

Orange Footman1st ever caught 11th June.

Clouded Silver2 so far, this is the 2nd record from 11th June.

Yellow Shell1st of the year caught during the day on 11th June.

Foxglove Pug1st ever seen 9th June- photo of 1 on 13th June.

Common Wave1st Garden record- 13th June.

More Micro Management?......

I've been a bit too busy for blogging of late. So have decided to categorise a few highlights, starting with Micros. This is a job lot of newbies for the garden including a couple of Un ID'ed....do correct me if you think any are wrong!

Marbled Orchard Tortrix

1st caught on 9th June, 3 caught in all.

Scoparia ambigualis

1st caught on 9th June.

Celypha striana

1 caught on 10th June.
Clepsis consimilana1 caught on 10th June.

Ephestia parasitella

1 caught on 10th June.

Cochylis atricapitana 1 caught on 10th June.

Crambus pascuella1st caught 10th June, 3 recorded so far....

Ringed China-mark 1st caught 10th June- 4 recorded so far....

Micro D- pos. Rush VeneerBad photo- flew moments after.....12th June. A probable Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella 1398- Many thanks David.

Micro C- Cnephasia sp.Recorded 12th June. A Grey Tortrix sp. (1020-1024) difficult to be exact without dissection. Thanks David!

More Micro Management?- part 2

Udea Olivalis

1st caught on 13th June.

 Crambus perlella

Recorded in the garden and at Broom, 12th June.

Better,......08/06

A much better night with less rain! Unlike last night, we managed another few debutant's for the garden......

Mottled Rustic

When I saw this, I thought it was another Pale Mottled Willow. They do look similar, but this is darker with a larger stigma..........

Silver-ground Carpet

After seeing a few at Broom GPs, it was nice to finally get it in the garden.

Choristoneura hebenstreitella

I potted this and got an acceptable photo- I think it's Choristoneura hebenstreitella (983) but I'm open to a more learned diagnosis?- Thanks David!

Codling MothI think..............?

Light Brown Apple Moth

The complete list is as follows, we doubled last night's total. Let's hope the rain holds off tonight.....

1. Heart & Dart- 9
2. White Ermine- 2
3. Buff Ermine- 2
4. Turnip Moth- 2
5. Light Brown Apple Moth- 2
6. White-shouldered House Moth
7. Choristoneura hebenstreitella?- 1st ever, what ever it is?
8. Codling Moth- 1st ever?
9. Crambus lathoniellus
10. Brown House-moth
11. Shears
12. Flame
13. Cinnabar- 2nd in the trap
14. Silver-ground Carpet- Garden 1st
15. Common Swift
16. Large Nutmeg
17. Mottled Rustic- 1st ever
18. Shuttle-shaped Dart
19. Willow Beauty
20. Flame Shoulder
21. Silver Y- Year tick
22. Marbled Minor agg.
23. Small Dusty Wave

Not so good........07/06

Heart & Dart

These are the most common moth in the trap at the moment. All in all quite a poor night with heavy rain for most of it. Most notable was another Garden Pebble-

1. Heart & Dart- 6
2. Turnip Moth- 5 High Count
3. Large Nutmeg- 5
4. Common Wainscot- 3 High Count
5. Common Pug
6. White Ermine
7. Treble Lines
8. Pale Mottled Willow
9. Crambus lathoniellus
10. Vine's Rustic
11. Garden Pebble- 2nd Record

A Minor Success...06/06

Only 1 trap out over the passed couple of nights as work and mothing 'paperwork' have become extremely hectic! Still, there was enough light out to pick up 3 more for the garden...........

Middle-barred Minor
Small Square-spotA battered example.

Large Yellow UnderwingFinally a snap of it- the kids normally disturb these before a photo.

Privet Hawk-moth

Not a massive haul but some good numbers....Weather wise, it doesn't look too good for tonight.

1. Large Nutmeg- 14
2. Heart & Dart- 10 High Count
3. Common Pug- 5 High Count
4. Marbled Minor agg.- 5 High Count
5. White Ermine- 5
6. Turnip Moth- 3
7. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 2
8. Treble Lines- 2
9. Pale Tussock
10. Flame
11. Privet Hawk-moth- 2nd Record
12. Peppered Moth
13. Large Yellow Underwing
14. Spectacle
15. Flame Shoulder
16. Common Swift
17. Light Brocade
18. Crambus lathoniellus- Garden 1st
19. Buff Ermine
20. Small Square-spot- Year tick
21. Middle-barred Minor- 1st Ever
22. Garden Carpet
23. Bee Moth

Any Ideas?.......

Pea Moth

This is a deceased micro collected from the garden trap a couple of days ago. I would be grateful if anyone can ID it.

The moth is #1257 Pea Moth- many thanks Dean!

4 more to the good....05/06

A very muggy night and well worth a little reccy. at 11.00pm as I would have missed a few....I often wonder what would turn up if I was out there all night?

Green Silver-lines Straw Dot

Brown Rustic

Buttoned Snout

A very battered example, so I'm not totally sure?

Confirmation by A&M Banthorpe.....Thanks!

19 species last night and of note was my 3rd different May Highflyer. Also another Large Yellow Underwing, but once again it was off like a shot as the egg boxes were lifted.....

1. Large Nutmeg- 9
2. Heart & Dart- 4
3. Garden Carpet- 2
4. Turnip Moth- 2
5. White Ermine- 2
6. Flame- 2
7. Marbled Minor agg.
8. Large Yellow Underwing
9. Shuttle-shaped Dart
10. Common Swift
11. Straw Dot- Garden Year tick
12. Brown Rustic- 1st Ever
13. Snout?- 1st Ever?
14. Green Silver-lines- 1st Ever
15. May Highflyer- 3rd Different record
16. Vine's Rustic
17. Small Dusty Wave
18. Knot-grass
19. White-shouldered House Moth

Another Scorcher.......04/06

A very warm night as temperature didn't drop below 11°C. I once again put 2 traps out and scored a few new ones.......

Scorched Wing Small Dusty Wave Willow Beauty

Bee Moth

Another good haul with 30 species recorded. Nice to see the return of the Large Yellow Underwings, unfortunately it was quicker than my camera!

1. Large Nutmeg- 15 High Count!
2. Treble Lines- 6
3. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 6
4. Heart & Dart- 4
5. Pale Tussock- 2
6. Common Swift- 2
7. Buff Ermine- 2
8. Turnip Moth- 2
9. Marbled Minor agg.- 2
10. Scorched Wing- 2 1st Ever
11. Shears
12. Common Pug
13. Small Dusty Wave- Year tick
14. Elephant Hawk-moth
15. Setaceous Hebrew Character
16. White Ermine
17. Common Wainscot
18. Common Marbled Carpet
19. Green Carpet
20. Flame Shoulder
21. Flame
22. Willow Beauty
23. Knot-grass
24. Vine's Rustic
25. Large Yellow Underwing- Year tick
26. Pyrausta aurata
27. White-shouldered House Moth
28. Small Magpie
29. Bee Moth- 1st Ever
30. Brimstone Moth

Still Flying High.......03/06

As last night went so well, I decided to put out the 2 garden traps and drop a 12v 15w Actinic trap in some scrub land just North of Peacock's Lake at Broom GPs. The garden traps were once again full.

May Highflyer

I managed a much better picture this time. This is a 2nd record for the garden and lacks the green tinge that the last specimen had. The garden list is as follows-

1. Large Nutmeg- 9 High Count
2. Heart & Dart- 6
3. Rustic Shoulder-knot- 3
4. Common Wainscot- 3
5. Common Pug- 2
6. White Ermine- 2
7. Treble Lines- 2
8. Buff Ermine
9. Buff-Tip
10. Micro?- Another of the same (micro B)
11. Small Magpie- Year tick
12. Vine's Rustic
13. Flame
14. Pale Mottled Willow
15. Elephant Hawk-moth- Garden 1st ever
16. Peppered Moth- 2
17. Privet Hawk-moth- Garden 1st Ever
18. Shears
19. Blood-vein
20. Shuttle-shaped Dart
21. May Highflyer- 2nd record
22. Grey Pine Carpet

Small Magpie

Broom GPs

1. White Ermine- 8 High Count
2. Treble Lines- 4
3. Common Swift- 4 High Count
4. Silver-ground Carpet- 3 High Count
5. Brimstone Moth
6. Rustic Shoulder-knot
7. Cinnabar
8. Light Emerald
9. Straw Dot- Year tick
10. Poplar Hawk-moth- Year tick

This certainly bolstered the Broom list, which was miles behind the others- it's just finding time for other visits!

Night Hawks.......

After a slow start with just a single Lime Hawk-moth before 2nd June, we suddenly had a flurry of activity from these impressive beasts!

Elephant Hawk-moth

1st caught on 3rd June.

Privet Hawk-moth

1st caught on 3rd June.

Poplar Hawk-moth
1st caught at Broom GPs on 3rd June.

Eyed Hawk-moth

2 caught in the garden trap on 2nd June.

Up a Gear....02/06

The mothing has really picked up with the good weather. We started our day at Broom GPs where we found plenty of Cinnabar, a single of both Silver Y and Silver-ground Carpet and a Marbled Minor agg.

Silver-ground Carpet

Then as night fell it was time to put out the traps in the garden........And what a night it was as we recorded 31 species, easily the highest of the year.

Buttoned Snout

Although the photo is a bit iffy, I think that's what this is. Down in the book as an Nb Nationally scarce species. I would have got some better shots if I'd known!

ID confirmed by A&M Banthorpe.......Thanks!

Light Emerald Peppered Moth

Green Pug

Micro A- Dichrorampha acuminatana (1279)Micro B- Scoparia ambigualis (1334)

I recorded all that I could, including a couple of dodgy shots of 2 micros. The 1 that got away was a suspected Small Angle Shades that landed on the shed wall briefly but was gone before a snap. The rest of the list was as follows-

1. Silver-ground Carpet-1 Broom GP 1st Ever
2. Silver Y- 1 Broom GP, Year tick
3. Treble Lines- 11 High Count
4. Large Nutmeg- 8
5. Heart & Dart- 5
6. Turnip Moth- 3
7. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 2
8. Buff Ermine- 2
9. Spectacle- 2
10. Common Pug- 2
11. Rustic Shoulder-knot- 2
12. Common Wainscot- 2
13. Buff-Tip- 2
14. Peppered Moth- 2 1st Ever
15. Eyed Hawk-moth- 2 1st Ever
16. Garden Carpet
17. Oak Tree Pug?- probable, very faded
18. Light Brocade
19. Green Pug- 1st Ever
20. Willow Beauty- Year tick
21. Lime-speck Pug
22. Clouded Silver- 1st Ever
23. Light Emerald- Year tick
24. Setaceous Hebrew Character- Year tick
25. Angle Shades
26. Micro A?- ID per David Manning
27. Micro B?- ID per David Manning
28. Bright-line Brown-eye
29. Flame
30. Small Angle Shades?- probable, not enough for pos. ID
31. Common Marbled Carpet
32. Buttoned Snout?- A good one if confirmed
33. Marbled Minor agg.

All in all a great day and night- with a whole load of new ones..........