There's no place like Home...23/02

After turning up at Broom GP's main gate in September last year and realising that my key, issued to me by the estate didn't work. I knew that time was up for mothing at this site. During last year I also tried to arrange a field survey in Sheerhatch Wood. This, like many others in the area is an estate run shooting wood. So after talking to the warden (a man more suited to Victorian times than the present day), realised that I wouldn't be making many inroads here either and it's worth mentioning that the same estate controls both sites!
But Hallelujah, we now have a new site to trap- Home Wood, run by the Forestry Commission though is still a private site. Although separated from Sheerhatch by just over a mile, attitude wise they are poles apart! There is now a page dedicated to Holme Wood under 'Lists and Info' on the right of the page- HERE.

Home Wood

The trap on the morning of 24th Feb- looking west along the main ride.

So this was the 1st outing at a new site.  It was decided to start with just to drop off a battery driven twin 15 watt Actinic/UV trap and collect it in the morning. The results were better than expected........photos courtesy of Trent Duval- (We are the Campions)

Small Brindled Beauty 

Spring Usher

Engrailed spp.

  March Moth

  

 Dotted Border

Clouded Drab

The list is as follows-

1. Small Brindled Beauty- 7
2. Dotted Border- 5
3. March Moth- 5
4. Tortricodes alternella- 2
5. Spring Usher
6. Engrailed spp.
7. Hebrew Character
8. Pale Brindled Beauty
9. Clouded Drab

24 moths of 9 species is pretty good for an unmanned Actinic trap.

Cloudy.......19/02

It was very murky outside when I had a look around the trap. All I found was 1 A. heracliana. But while I was out dipping to my knowledge Bedfordshire's 1st Rustic Bunting, the kids were very busy looking around the sheds and fences. They managed to find this little gem low down underneath the trap on part of a log roll.  I looked at my records and my 1st one last year was trapped 15th March. I haven't heard of any recent local sightings, so it could be the earliest in the county (VC30) this year.....I will find out.

Clouded Drab



Quaker Mass........17/02

After a fair few blanks, the Upper Caldecote contingent hits back. I upped my game last night by putting out 2 twin 30 watt Actinic/UV traps. I placed 1 in the usual place near the house and the other c120' away at the bottom of the garden. Although the temp. wasn't that high, for once it was fairly still.

Common Quakers

These 3 Amigos are out early, last year I had to wait until 12th March!



 Chestnut

It's nice to compare a 'real' one to last weeks Dark Chestnut!

So, the results-

In the main trap near the house-

• Common Quaker- 2- Year Tick
• Chestnut- 1- Year Tick
• Agonopterix heracliana- 1

Trap at the bottom of the garden-

• Common Quaker- 1

The last 2 days......9th-10th

At last! The weather has finally turned, the wind has dropped and the temperature has become more stable during the nights. So tonight (11th Feb) will be the 4th trapping session in as many days.

Pale Brindled Beauty

These 2 were the only catch on 9th February.

The 10th was slightly warmer with less wind, so as a consequence did fairly well. The micros caught were the first to come to light this year.

 Satellite

 Dark Chestnut

This is the 2nd record this year, I was hoping it was a Chestnut. The 'sharp corners' give it away though.

 Agonopterix heracliana (688)

The 1st of many, I would presume.

 Tortricodes alternella (1025)

Although common, this usually woodland species is a garden 1st- touché Trent!

This was the best night of the year so far- which wouldn't be hard!, 19 moths of 8 species so far this year..........

Another EM.....09/02

Nothing much of note lately as the weather continues to plot it's unpredictable course. Either too cold or warm with blowing Atlantic born gales. The 1 moth from last night was caught early evening before the temperature dropped to below 2°C.

Early Moth

I am still behind last years totals. So a grand total of what's been caught so far this year is as follows-

• Winter Moth- 6
• Early Moth- 4
• Alucita hexadactyla (20 plumed Moth)- 1
• Dark Chestnut- 1
• Pale Brindled Beauty- 1

Just 13 moths of 5 species.............

3 in 1 Tree......24/01

Well, it's not moths and there's no photo. But when Mark Thomas told me about an Arctic Redpoll that he'd seen near Coronation Pit- mid Beds a week previous, I was anxious to get over there. I couldn't get out of work and visit until Sunday so had my fingers crossed. Soon after we arrived Mark located a distant flock of c30 Repoll sp. which unfortunately were very flighty. They were flying between 2 stands of birches, so after waiting for 15 minutes or so the birds finally arrived. As luck would have it we located the Coue's Arctic Redpoll almost immediately, even beside 1 of a few Mealys the frosty white plumage and stocky build really did prove 100% diagnostic. After some lengthy observations, I finally got a view of the pure white, unstreaked rump. So there it was, 3 species of Redpoll in 1 birch tree, Mark is hoping to go back for photos in better light as it might be a while till we see that again, especially in Bedfordshire.

Winter Beauty...........22/01

A slight rise in temperature gave me reason to power up the trap for the 1st time in a few days. The reward was almost instant as I found this on the shed wall at 8.00pm. Nothing else to report as the trap was empty this morning..........

Pale Brindled Beauty

The Earlier the better........14/01

Putting the trap out early in the year is sometimes a bit tedious. But it does give you a chance to see what would otherwise slip under the radar as a few of the Moth bloggers have found out in the last few days. As my garden is surrounded by Hawthorn, I can more or less expect this pink-tinged geometer every year.

Early Moth

New Wave!.........

...........Well, more like misidentification really. On 2nd July 2010 this rather battle hardened moth turned up in the trap. Due to the lack of black markings around the trailing edges I originally called Satin Wave. However, once submitted, the VC30 recorders immediately correctly identified a very faded Small White Wave. To be honest either way it's a winner as Satin Wave with 6 records hasn't been seen in the county (Beds) since 2004. But SWW is almost as rare, after not being seen in the county since 1985, two were found in Chicksands Wood in 2010. Of the 13 records in VC30 so far (including this one) this is one of the only examples that hasn't been caught in woodland..........

Small White Wave

The New Year..........12/01

The 1st meaningful Mothing of 2011 and after the addition of Winter Moth early in the month, I managed to add a couple more. I don't get many of these, so it's a welcome early scalp!

Dark Chestnut

During the day I also caught my 1st micro of the year too! A single Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) was found in the workshop- probably disturbed from hibernation. This brings the year list to......well, 3!

The Last, last post.............

I must learn to be a little more patient! It's not all my fault though,the forecast said it was going to be really cold. In practice the conditions are very similar to last night, so a quick reccy produced this. It's the first one since 18th January and a welcome surprise...........

Northern Winter Moth

The Last Post...........28/12

................Well, for this year at least. The temperature was at a virtually tropical 6°C after dark, so I was lucky enough to find 2 of these by the trap this morning......Happy New Year to all and good luck for 2011.

Winter Moth

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!

World's Hardiest Moths........4/12

These have to be some of the toughest moths alive after a week where temperatures have barely risen over freezing. After Karen found 1 on the outside of the glazed kitchen door I decided to put the trap on. Later on another appeared in the same place, though there was nothing in the trap the next morning. At the time they were found it was no warmer than 3°C so maybe after so much exceptionally cold weather they decided to come out as it felt comparatively warm? If you believe in reincarnation, you wouldn't want to come back as a Winter Moth! Imagine living through the festive period without being able to drink or eat..............

Winter Moth

These are the 1st ones I've seen since I caught a few in January and could well be the last moths of any species caught this year. Other than some indoor micros they are also the only moths I've caught in December.