Crumpled Tissue........

...........I don't think I've ever been more underwhelmed about a garden tick before. It is certainly getting harder to add species to the list, especially macros. But if moths were cars, this would be an MOT write-off; just look of the state of it! But after getting Tissue last year, this is another important gap filled. The 65th record for the vice-county (VC30)- not seen for 2 years...............

Scarce Tissue

Garden 1st, 26th May.

22-05

The only New for Year recorded.............

986 Syndemis masculana

 A cold night meant not a lot in the trap. The only other highlight was a single Puss Moth, otherwise quiet.

A few Highlights.........

The warm nights have certainly boosted the tally of late, but where are the micros? I think the cold, extended Winter could have affected their numbers or at least delayed their emergence by a good few weeks.

Swallow Prominent

NFY, 16th May.

Mullein

Absent in 2012- NFY, 19th May.

 Pale Tussock

NFY- 19th May.

Cinnabar 

NFY- 20th May.

 Sallow Kitten

NFY- 20th May.

 Currant Pug

Probably.......but not well marked- NFY 20th May.

 Foxglove Pug

NFY- 20th May.

 White-spotted Pug

NFY- 20th May.

1428 Bee Moth Aphomia sociella

NFY- 20th May.

 Poplar Kitten

Best of the bunch and only my 2nd ever record- 21st May. 

Nut-tree Tussock 19-05

This is the first of the melanic form f. melanotica I have recorded this year. In VC30 (Bedfordshire), the most abundant form is f. medionigra. I have yet to record the light form f. avellana.

Proms............ 18-05

An improved catch last night and for the first time in a week, no sign of a biting wind at night. Prominents were the order of the night with three different species caught. Also of note was a Lychnis, a moth that I very seldom catch.

Iron Prominent

Pale Prominent

Common Pug

Lychnis

Waved Umber

974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana

697 Agonopterix arenella

Upper Caldecote Garden- 3 traps- 37 of 18 species-

0697  Agonopterix arenella  1
0808  Platyedra subcinerea  1
0974  Argyrotaenia ljungiana  4
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  3
1724  Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)  3
1728  Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)  3
1834  Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata)  3
1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  3
1936  Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria)  2
2000  Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)  1 NFY
2003  Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac)  1
2011  Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina)  1 NFY
2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  5
2173  Lychnis (Hadena bicruris)  1 NFY
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  1
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  2
2284x  Grey Dagger / Dark Dagger (Acronicta tridens/psi)  1
2450  Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)  1

Back to Winter?

There was a few decent nights at the beginning of the month, but other than that it has been generally quite cold and surprisingly windy for the time of year. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the amount of Orthosias still flying. Powdered Quaker I would expect, but four Hebrew Character and two Common Quakers on 17th May I certainly wouldn't.

Poplar Grey

NFY- 15th May

 Bright-line Brown-eye

NFY- 16th May

 Hebrew Character

I thought I'd seen the back of these. But still turning up fresh specimens in the second half of May.

 Red Twin-spot Carpet

.....unless it's the rare red form of Dark-barred? Apparently never recorded in VC30! NFY- 17th May.

 Rustic Shoulder-knot

NFY- 17th May

1288 Twenty-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla 

Love these!

Upper Caldecote Garden- 17-05-13- 3 Traps. 18 of 14 species.

0648  White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)  1

1288  Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla)  1

1724  Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)  1 NFY

1852  Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata)  1

1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1

1883  Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)  1

1906  Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)  1

2007  Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)  1

2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  1

2186  Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis)  1

2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  2

2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  4

2306  Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)  1

2334  Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens)  1 NFY

Puss Moth...... 12-05-2013

Despite a very windy evening, I managed two new ones. A single Common Pug and this-

Puss Moth

Dark-barred?...........

..............Probably, though it has been taken away by Andy Banthorpe (recorder, VC30) along with the pug that I strongly believe to be an Oak-tree.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

I've caught many red versions, but my interest was aroused when this one turned up. The image is a bit 'flashy' but you can clearly see the the bar is indeed dark!

Oak-tree Pug

........Or so I believe. Andy took this for further analysis too. A bit of an odd pose, having just been refrigerated. But small and compact (wingspan 19mm). Has to be a good candidate, especially as the garden is flanked on two sides by Hawthorn. Confirmed female Oak-tree Pug, gen det. by A. Banthorpe- VC30 Moths

New

More to follow..........

Chinese Character

Brindled Pug ab. hirschkei

Knot-grass

New Day, Old(new) Camera........

..........and having heard good things about the exceptional performance of the now ageing Nikon Coolpix 4500. When a BNIB one came up for sale for just £25! (thank you Robin!) I had to have it and luckily I got in just before his inbox was deluged with offers to buy.

So after charging the battery, I took a few experimental shots with last nights catch. Although harder to use than modern cameras, I can see with a bit of practice those noisy Lumix close ups could be a thing of the past. OK the screen is small, it's only 4 mega pixel and it takes ages to focus- but what a piece of kit. It's only a mystery why this model wasn't developed any further........

See what you think about my initial efforts.

 List at the bottom of this post-

Yellow-barred Brindle

NFY- 4th May. A little out of focus- but pleased with it as a 1st effort.

Muslin Moth

 Nut-tree Tussock

I'm really please with the definition you can achieve. I've barely cropped this image.

 Powdered Quaker

 Shuttle-shaped Dart

 NFY- 4th May

Also notable was a 2nd female Emperor Moth attracted to light in the early evening. Unfortunately Louie moved it and when we went back for a closer look, it was gone. Hopefully it's in my back garden hedge somewhere and will attract mates later today. Trent has now taken the pupa back to his for another go at assembling- he'll do anything for a garden tick!

Upper Caldecote- 04-05-2013- 3 traps, 25 of 12 species-

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  3

1643  Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)  1

1883  Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)  1 NFY

2063  Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica)  1

2092  Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta)  1 NFY

2186  Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis)  2

2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  5

2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  3

2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  4

2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  1

2306  Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)  1

2425  Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli)  2

Garden Update 03-05

A quick update with nothing too startling to report. Notable was a haul of  3 Powdered Quaker and the only other new moths recently have been Brindled Pug and Muslin Moth. The real surprise is the Orthosias are still going strong into May!

Powdered Quaker

NFY 28-04, six caught so far this year.

974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana

Louie and his sweep net were responsible for this year tick.

Upper Caldecote- 3 traps- 22 of 10 species-

0974  Argyrotaenia ljungiana  1 NFY
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1
1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1
2063  Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica)  1
2186  Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis)  3
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  3
2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  4
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  6
2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  1
2306  Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)  1 NFY