Off the Mark............

A really good start to the New Year. Very mild all evening with very little wind, a rare thing indeed at this early stage. Friday night looks pretty good too, with night time temps set to hit 13°c!

Mottled Umber

A record count of 3 in one night, all to Actinic light.

Upper Caldecote Garden- 2 Traps- 05/01/15- 8 of 5 species.

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1 NFY
1926  Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)  1 NFY
1935  Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria)  3 NFY
2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  1 NFY
2259  Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula)  2 NFY

500 up..............

For the 2nd year in a row I've managed to record 500 species in the garden. I haven't trapped quite as much this year, but even so would have struggled to beat last year's 522 species. These are my last four NFY's.

Sprawler

Only the 2nd garden record on 14th November. Last caught, 9th November 2009.

Mottled Umber

This is the 5th record of this species. One per year since 2010. NFY, 15th November.

Winter Moth

Common in the garden and usually seen first at the beginning of the year. NFY, 15th November 

Scarce Umber 

 Only the 3rd record. NFY, 18th November. Last seen 28th November 2011.

06-01

I put out two Skinner traps and three moths were found on the shed wall by the trap at the bottom of the garden. With the two pictured was a single Winter Moth, but no hoped for Early Moth.

Mottled Umber

NFY

Pale Brindled Beauty

 A second record for the year

Mottled Umber 24-11

Another one for the year list in the shape of the third garden record of Mottled Umber. Also, three Winter Moths on the lit windows of my workshop were notable. One of my only realistic targets left is Northern Winter Moth, but this  hasn't been seen in the garden for almost two years...........

Mottled Umber

 Winter Moth

...........16-11

On the 15th November, I had the dubious honour of recording my first blank of the season. However, just one moth on the 16th proved to be a good one. Another NFY, the first for ten days- I suppose the only target I can possible attain now is to reach 460 species for the year. There's not too much more I can get now though........

Mottled Umber

Only my second record, the first was 18th January 2010. This one was found in the trap, under the egg boxes.

More from the Woods and Garden

Once again, I took the battery powered twin Skinner into Home Wood and secured a couple more species. It was an almost perfect evening; overcast and warm but with wind picking up towards midnight. No December Moth yet, but I can try again before the year is out.

Scarce Umber

 Mottled Umber

 November Moth agg.

A very dark specimen- retained for the recorders.....

The Result- Home Wood- 12-11-11- 38 of 6 species-

• 0874 Blastobasis lacticolella 2 
• 1795x Epirrita dilutata agg. November Moth agg. 5 
• 1933 Agriopis aurantiaria Scarce Umber 6 NFS
• 1935 Erannis defoliaria Mottled Umber 1 NFS
• 2227 Asteroscopus sphinx Sprawler 22 
• 2259 Conistra ligula Dark Chestnut 1

Surprisingly, a very good night in the garden too. I put 2 traps out to maybe add to this years species list. Highlights were another unusually late Vine's Rustic and Large Nutmeg.

The Result- Garden- 12-11-11- 8 of 8 species-

• 0998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 1 
• 1288 Alucita hexadactyla Twenty-plume Moth 1 
• 1395 Udea ferrugalis Rusty Dot Pearl 1 
• 1923 Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn 1 
• 2109 Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 1 
• 2258 Conistra vaccinii Chestnut 1 
• 2333 Apamea anceps Large Nutmeg 1 
• 2384 Hoplodrina ambigua Vine's Rustic 1

Get 'em while you can!.....10/12

Before it gets unbearably cold again next week I decided to look around The Lodge (The RSPB's headquarters) for Winter flying moths. High on the priority list was the Mottled Umber, which I found 3 of. All clinging to the sides of the many buildings on the complex. The one pictured was on the Avocet building on a window.

Mottled Umber

 

As the temperature was stable all night at 6°C I also put out a 30w Actinic/UV at home. This resulted in my 2nd December Moth as well as another Winter Moth. I've put 2 traps out tonight in the hopes of finding a Mottled Umber for the garden.

 December Moth

This could be about it for a little while as we're back in the freezer again next week!

A Winter flurry.........18/01

A Really amazing catch considering it is January. After so much cold weather, a sudden temperature rise(6-8°C) and perfect conditions must have done the trick! No less than 3 new ticks for the garden starting with an Early Moth (top) which was found near the trap on some tarpaulin. Next down was 1 of 4 Winter Moth sp. caught, all preferred to settle near the trap rather than in it. Pictured is the lightest and largest of the 4, but to be honest compared to others I've seen they all looked quite light to me?..........any ideas?-

3rd down is only the second Satellite found in the garden, this one was on the side of the conservatory.

2nd from bottom is a very dark Mottled Umber- finally trapped after endless blanks, a welcome garden 1st.

Bottom is another shot of the Dark Chestnut.

On balance, well worth putting out the trap!

N.B. 1 of the Winter Moths (photo above) now confirmed as a 'Northern' and so is the 6th species so far this year and yet another debutant for the garden. Thanks to Andy & Melissa for confirmation.

Xmas Moths at The Lodge...........Boxing Day

A stroll around The Lodge grounds on Sunday 27th proved good hunting for Winter flying moths. I think we did well to record 3 species, obviously these will be recorded for 26th.

The top photo is an extremely well marked Mottled Umber; our 1st ever!

Middle has to be a Northern Winter Moth, probably the 2nd we've found at The Lodge. This one showing the large, pure white hindwings and light overall colour very well.

The bottom photo is the smaller and darker Winter Moth, the comparison is striking once studied side by side........All in all a very productive visit.