30/10...........

.............Just a Lesser Yellow Underwing

Y am I bothering?.............29/10

• The trap bore nothing but a solitary Silver Y......

28/10..............

Just 2 last night. Including this very pale November Moth agg., the 1st seen since 19th. Also a single Mallow.

27/10.............

1. Feathered Thorn
2. Green-brindled Crescent
3. Large Yellow Underwing

It's all getting a little predictable now. Hopefully the Crescent and Thorn are different ones. When they are recovered from the trap they are taken to the bottom of the garden out of eye shot from the light. This is a distance of over 100ft.

Satellite..............26/10

This is the 100th Macro Moth for the garden in less than 4 months of trapping. The list has been hovering on 99 for over 2 weeks. The only other moth was another/the same? Feathered Thorn. Another overcast, mild night with a light SE wind. Temp 10°C.

25/10.......

Last night's Feathered Thorn was only the 2nd record so far. Also a forth record for Green-brindled Crescent as well as a Silver Y.

24/10..........

The Worst night in the traps short history with just 1 solitary Blair's Shoulder-knot recorded!

23/10..........

2 Lesser Yellow Underwings were the 1st seen since 10th October. Other than that, a very slow night considering it was overcast and extremely mild (11-12°C);

1. Lesser Yellow Underwing -2
2. Blair's Shoulder-knot
3. Mallow
   
   

22/10......

Not a great deal around. Low cloud with a lot of condensation. Temp, 6-8°C, Light SE breeze;

1. Large Yellow Underwing -2
2. Beaded Chestnut
3. Green-brindled Crescent- a different one than last night's

Trap Craft!

The patented double perspex bracket system (made from 6mm ply for all you trap anoraks!)

21/10............

Mallow - Looks very light in colour, a closer look shows droplets of condensation!

Green-brindled Crescent

Deep-brown Dart

Much better last night with little wind, cloud cover and higher temperature.(8-9°C) 11 0f 6 recorded;

1. Large Yellow Underwing -5
2. Mallow -2
3. Willow Beauty
4. Barred Sallow
5. Green-brindled Crescent
6. Deep-brown Dart

20/10..............instant dividends

After scoring just 3 for the past 2 nights we finally did a little better. This may possibly be due to the trap's increased pulling power!
Large Yellow Underwings (photo) are back on a night seeing 8 of 5 species.

1. Angle Shades
2. Deep- brown Dart
3. SHebrewC
4. Beaded Chestnut
5. Large Yellow Underwing -4

New improved trap!

The trap has now been revamped. The old hinged door has been removed so there is more light shining in. The old acrylic has been replaced by 6mm perspex (supplied inadvertently by Tesco- liberated by Mr. T Duval of We are the Campions!) which is much more rigid. It has allowed me to take out all of the supports, hence making it easier to extract the contents!

19/10................

This Silver Y was the only moth actually in the trap last night!

The top image shows how hard to find November Moths can be! This one has settled on a Pear Tree. Another cold night down to 4 degrees and only 3 Moths again;

• Red-line Quaker
• November Moth agg.
• Silver Y (bottom photo)

18/10.............

A typical Autumnal night with no moon and broken cloud. Temps were well down on previous nights (5-7 degrees). As a result, it was a poor night in the trap.

• Silver Y
• November Moth agg.
• Shuttle-shaped Dart

17/10.......

1. November Moth agg. -2
2. Red-line Quaker- a larger, very well marked individual
3. Barred Sallow
4. La. Yel. Underwing
5. Common Marbled Carpet

Slim pickings last night with a noticeable temperature drop. But a Sallow species every night for the last 4.

Another Dusky-lemon Sallow............16/10

This was last night's highlight. A fairly cold and breezy night with 10 of 7 species;

1. Beaded Chestnut -3, including a dark form specimen
2. La. Yel. Underwing
3. S S Dart
4. November Moth agg.
5. SHebrewC
6. Barred Sallow
7. Dusky-lemon Sallow
   
   

15/10...........

Not as exciting as yesterday, but this Garden Rose Tortrix was new for the trap. It was one of 12 Moths of 9 species;

1. Willow Beauty -2
2. Beaded Chestnut -2
3. La. Y Underwing -2
4. Angle Shades
5. Sallow
6. Silver Y
7. Grey Pine Carpet
8. SHebrewC
9. Garden Rose Tortrix

Caldecopia!......14/10

A superb night with 13 of 9 species recorded. As well as the 2 new ones, Green-brindled Crescent (left)and Dusky-lemon Sallow. There was also another different Merveille du Jour!
This is the best October night so far and brings the Macro Moth total for the garden to 99.

1. La. Yell. Uderwing -2
2. Beaded Chestnut -3
3. Blair's S-k -2
4. Merveille du Jour
5. Red-line Quaker
6. Willow Beauty
7. Angle Shades
8. Green-brindled Crescent
9. Dusky-lemon Sallow (photo right)

Dark Chestnut?............No.......Beaded!

I thinks this is a Dark Chestnut? see above post for the rest of the haul.

Thanks to Melissa this has been confirmed as a very dark Beaded Chestnut! All the others I have had so far have been, well......Chestnut.

November rain.....13/10

This November Moth sp. was a garden 1st, found whilst emptying the trap on a drizzly morning. Plenty of cloud cover and little wind made for another fairly warm night.
As well as this, a second generation Blood-vein (bottom), much smaller than the ones found in June and July. Also-

• Willow Beauty
• La. Y Underwing
• Red-line Quaker
• Pale Mottled Willow

Knot much about.....12/10

I moved the trap down the garden in the hopes of getting more coverage. But I failed to consider the lack of shelter; the result being, the trap was soaked by morning dew. Difficult to know if this made a difference to the haul. But I think I'll just use the more sheltered position near the house again. It was a cold, clear night with only 3 species recorded.

• Grey Shoulder-knot- only the 3rd time noted (photo).
• Setaceous Hebrew Character
• Common Marbled Carpet

The French Connection.......11/10

Bonjour! Another couple of new editions to the garden list. By far the best was this Merveille du Jour (above), it looks even more striking in real life than in any field guide!
As well as this, a Feathered Thorn (right) was skulking beside the trap.
Other trappings;

• SS Dart -2
• Lunar U -2
• Black Rustic -2
• Beaded Chestnut
• Garden Carpet
  

............10/10

Nothing as good as yesterday, but numbers were up on a cloudy, fairly warm night. Another 3 Beaded Chestnuts (photo) and another Spruce Carpet were the pick of the bunch;

1. Shuttle-shaped Dart -7
2. Lunar Underwing -3
3. Beaded Chestnut -3
4. Large Yellow Underwing -2
5. Lesser Yellow Underwing
6. Garden Carpet -2
7. Common Marbled Carpet
8. Spruce Carpet
9. Willow Beauty
10. Vapourer- male seen during the day
    

Red letter day!..............09/10

This rather tatty individual is the garden's 1st Red Underwing. Modelled by Louie, you can just about see how big it is! The fore wing measured at least 1 1/2 " and is the largest Underwing we have seen so far.

The photo to the right is a Red-line Quaker and again is a garden 1st. I manged to get a quick picture before it flew.

It was another good night for variety with 10 of 9 species recorded;

1. Large Yellow Underwing -2
2. Red Underwing
3. Lunar Underwing
4. Shuttle-shaped Dart
5. Black Rustic
6. Spruce Carpet
7. Blair's Shoulder-knot
8. Setaceous Hebrew Character
9. Red-line Quaker
   
   

Spruce & Grey Pine- the final solution?

The top image looks to be a Grey Pine Carpet, the wing is generally plainer towards the outer edge and the central band is much narrower. This gives the 3 segments on each wing a much rounder look.

This is a Spruce Carpet (trapped on 09/10), the central band is much broader giving the segments a triangular look. The rear of the wing is clearly marked with an extra band just inside the outer edge and is more striking in appearance.............I think?

The Pits....08/10

Worst night so far with just 3 Moths recorded. Even the Shuttle-shaped Darts have dried up;

1. Angle Shades- most probably last nights specimen
2. Mallow
3. Lunar Underwing

......07/10

.....and the mighty Angle Shades puts in an appearance for the first time in months. A good night for variety with 8 moths of 7 species. Counts are in general, now in decline;

1. Lunar U -2
2. Angle Shades
3. Black Rustic
4. Blair's S-k
5. Barred Sallow
6. Mallow
7. Willow B
   

Knowing your Spruce from your Pine.....06/10

No, not trees but Carpet Moths! This latest Carpet species (top) turned up to throw doubt in to my mind about my passed identifications of other such Moths. This along with 2 other photos (that I thought were Spruce Carpet) go back into the 'mystery' folder.

Anyway the rest of the trappings were as follows;

1. Lunar U -5
2. SS Dart -2
3. Blair's S-k -2
4. Spruce? Carpet
5. C M Carpet
6. Black Rustic
7. Mallow
8. Beaded Chestnut
   
   

A slight upturn........05/10

Surprisingly, 15 moths of 11 species on a fairly warm and wet night. Spruce Carpet, Mallow, Large Ranunculus and another different Large Wainscot were all notable. The Wainscot being much smaller and lighter than the previous night's one;

Mallow

1. Lunar Underwing -3
2. Shuttle-shaped Dart -2
3. Garden Carpet -2
4. Spruce Carpet
5. Mallow (photo)
6. Black Rustic
7. Willow Beauty
8. Pale Mottled Willow
9. Large Wainscot
10. Lesser Yellow Underwing
11. Large Ranunculus- found at 3.30pm by Louie!

Trappings for 04/10

Things are beginning to slow up now, as we get into the Autumnal months. Shuttle-shaped Darts seem to be the only regular visitor these days. Only 9 of 4 species, with Large Wainscot the highlight;

• Shuttle-shaped Dart -6
• Beaded Chestnut
• Garden Carpet
• Large Wainscot- photo HERE

Bare Trap..........03/10

An extremely scant night after strong wind and rain for much of it. 14 of 6 species, the best being a brief stop from a Large Ranunculus;

• Shuttle-shaped Dart -7 (photo)


• Willow Beauty -2


• Beaded Chestnut -2


• Lunar Underwing


• Large Yellow Underwing


• Large Ranunculus

Shown the Carte Dor............. 02/10

A rough night last night with gusting winds, not great for moths. But this Dor Beetle was a welcome distraction. I can't recall ever seeing one before. The moth count was just 16 of 9 species;

• SS Dart -3
• Lunar U -3
• Pale M Willow -2
• Beaded Ch. -2
• LYU -2
• Less. YU
• Willow B
• Grey S-k
• Turnip Moth
  

Grey Shoulder-knot..........01/10

At last!, another blocker falls.........The fabled Grey, now firmly in my clutches! Other highlights were the 2 Sallows and my highest count of Beaded Chestnuts to date. The quality was again good, but on a clear night amounts were down. 22 of 15 species;

Lunar U -4

Beaded Chestnut -3

SS Dart -3

Willow B

Pale M Willow

C M Carpet

Sallow

Barred Sallow

LYU

Black Rustic

Mallow

Blair's S-k

Grey S-k

Large Wainscot- same one as last night?

Turnip Moth- 1st for over a month (photo right)

Verging on the Ranunculus..........30/09

This is 1 of 2 Large Ranunculus (top & middle) found in the trap, this being the slightly darker of the 2. It was a very good night with record breaking traps for both Willow Beauty and Black Rustic. Along with the 2 L R's, another brand new one was the Brindled Green, (bottom) also found lurking under the egg boxes. The full run down is as follows;

• Willow B -10
• Lunar U -8
• Black Rustic -7
• SS Dart -6
• P M Willow -2
• Garden Carpet -2
• Large Ranunculus -2
• Comm. Wainscot
• Large Wainscot- 2nd Record
• Brindled Green
• Less. YU
• C M Carpet
• Mouse Moth
• Mallow
• Blair's Shoulder-knot