In with a roar..............

Well it's March already and I haven't blogged for a while. So after a record breaking January in the garden, recording 12 species by the end of the month (double my previous best). It seemed like there was nothing going to get in the way of an equally impressive February. But the weather did finally turn and after just two trap nights and only a handful in March so far. The early head start has now been pegged back and I am nine species down on my best ever on the same date (2014).
As I type the temperatures are still slightly below average.

Brindled Pug

 Caught 18th March.

Dotted Border

 After one on 23rd January. This was the second record for the year, 16th March

Yellow Horned

After an absence from last years records, caught 12th March

October & March on December 27th.............

..........as the wacky Winter weather continues, there seems to be no end to the unusual records. As well as record breaking early emergence, there seems to be evidence of some migrant activity too. I also have a query on a possible Acleris kochiella and have included a species list at the bottom of this post. 

Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

 Previous latest garden record, 22nd November in 2014

Silver Y

Previous latest garden record, 8th November in 2011. 

Dotted Border

 This was a real surprise. Earliest previous garden record 21st February, 2011. All time earliest in VC30 (Beds), 7th January. 

Hebrew Character

 No need to say really, but another early garden record. Previous earliest garden record 22nd February in 2014. This is an equal VC30 earliest record (27th December)

Pale Brindled Beauty

 Previous earliest garden record was 3rd January in 2013. Another record breaker as the earliest ever in VC30 was 1st January.

Acleris kochiella

 Has been retained, but looks like a good candidate. The Winter flight of this species always looks grey compared to the Summer flight, which is often extremely pale with prominent markings. If it does turn out to be one, it will be new for the garden and only the 2nd I have ever seen. Confirmed as A. kochiella, Gen Det AM Banthorpe

Acleris kochiella

For comparison, here is an example caught in Home Wood 2nd July 2014. The strong markings point towards kochiella, though this one was Gen. detted just to make sure. (photo: Ben Sale)

Acleris logiana

A second record for the year after one trapped 10th July. 

27-12-2015- 2 traps, Upper Caldecote Garden- 14 of 11 species-

1050  Acleris kochiella  1- Confirmed, gen det AMB
1051  Acleris logiana  1
1395  Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)  1
1524  Emmelina monodactyla  1
1799  Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)  4
1926  Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)  1
1934  Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria)  1
1935  Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria)  1
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  1
2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  1
2441  Silver Y (Autographa gamma)  1

Dotted Duos............

Aren't the traps busy lately? I've had my best ever start to a campaign with 42 species by the end of March. I haven't recorded many micros so far, but have done incredibly well for macros.
I will post a few lists if I get a chance to catch up on my records. So just as a taster, I will offer these..........

Dotted Chestnut

 Finding one is great. But finding two is pretty unbelievable! Recorded for the third year running in the garden. NFY 31st March

 Dotted Border

 Well, it took a while. But just as I was beginning to give up hope- two turned up 31st March.

Garden.......24/02

Best night of the year so far..............

Common Quaker

 Dotted Border

 Hebrew Character

 Pale Brindled Beauty

Upper Caldecote Garden- 12 of 8 species-

0688	Agonopterix heracliana		3
1524	Emmelina monodactyla		1
1926	Phigalia pilosaria	Pale Brindled Beauty	1
1932	Agriopis leucophaearia	Spring Usher	1
1934	Agriopis marginaria	Dotted Border	1	NFY
2187	Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	2	NFY
2190	Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	2	NFY
2259	Conistra ligula	Dark Chestnut	1

Garden catch up...........

Well, hasn't it been tropical lately compared to the bleak Winter of discontent we've all just endured? After a week as busy as this, it reminds me I need to win the lottery so that I can concentrate on important things such as birding and mothing full time! Anyway, I've got round to putting in a few highlights taken from the last 4 nights.

Dotted Border

1st caught 21st Feb- 3 caught so far

Hebrew Character

1st caught 22nd Feb- 10 caught so far.

 Early Grey

1st caught on 24th Feb- 1 caught so far. 

 March Moth

1st caught 24th Feb- 1 caught so far.

 Small Quaker

1st caught 24th Feb- 4 caught so far.

 Oak Beauty

1st caught 25th Feb- 1 caught so far.

 Engrailed spp.

My only Winter/Spring record- caught 25th Feb.

 Grey Shoulder-knot

My only Winter/Spring record- caught 25th Feb.

Other significant counts so far-

• Common Quaker- 38
• A. heracliana- 11
• Dark Chestnut- 4
• Clouded Drab- 2

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.

Winding up to Spring!.....15/03

Yes it looks like Spring is finally on it's way with an impressive 10 moths of 7 species. New this year was 1 0f 2 Emmelina Monodactyla found in the trap, as well as a Garden 1st Clouded Drab (top photo). The list is as follows- All in the 30w Twin, the 8w portable in the more exposed area of the garden blanked!

1. Clouded Drab- 1(top)
2. Satellite- 1 (middle)
3. Common Quaker- 1
4. Dotted Border- 2 (bottom)
5. Emmelina Monodactyla- 2 (click for photo)
6. Agonopterix Heracliana- 2
7. Micro?- 1 Awaiting ID...........

The micro is probably an Acleris hastiana, but is impossible to tell without dissection! Many thanks David.

The Lodge......13/03

A few moths on a morning visit. Top is a Small Brindled Beauty found on the Osprey building. Bottom is 1 of 4 Dotted Border also seen on the Osprey. The only other moth was a Chestnut.
The other highlight was a Peregrine flying high over the quarry car park accompanied by 8 soaring Common Buzzards!