LCD

After another short break, testing some new electrics gave me an excuse to put a trap at either end of the garden.
Amongst the usual orthosias, a bevy of NFYs. Early Thorn, Engrailed, Light Brown Apple Moth, Oak Nycteolene and a fairly poorly marked Lead-coloured Drab.

Lead-coloured Drab

Oak Nycteolene

Engrailed

Upper Caldecote Garden- 2 traps- 07-04-2015- 66 of 13 species

0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  2 NFY

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  8

1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  6

1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1 NFY

1947  Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) 1 NFY

2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  6

2185  Lead-coloured Drab (Orthosia populeti)  1 NFY

2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  19

2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  9

2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  8

2237  Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus)  1

2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  4

2423  Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana)  1 NFY

Home Wood- 25th February 2015

After missing the whole of January, mainly due to the cold and unreasonable weather. It was time to get back into the woods, albeit in the modest form of a single battery powered Actinic/Synergetic Skinner trap. Weather wise, it was probably one of the best nights of the month with temperatures not dipping below 8°C. Not a bad haul, but nothing particularly unexpected. In the garden, it was a bit quieter. However, I did add Common Quaker and March Moth to my list.

Small Brindled Beauty

Early Moth

Engrailed

March Moth

1025 Tortricodes alternella 

Home Wood- 25-02-15 38 of 9 species

1025  Tortricodes alternella  4
1663  March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)  9
1925  Small Brindled Beauty (Apocheima hispidaria)  1
1926  Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)  11
1932  Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia)  1
1934  Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria)  4
1947  Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata)  1
1960  Early Moth (Theria primaria)  1
2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  6

March- so far.........

Well, what a contrast to last year's weather. The start of March really did seem to herald the start of the moffing season. At present I am 7 species in front of this time last year with a few notable absences still to get. I also managed to drop a battery powered trap off in Home Wood on the 14th, unfortunately I picked a less favourable night which is reflected in the list further down the post. Also a list for 16th- the best night of the year so far..........

Oak Beauty

NFY- 6th March, 3 recorded so far

Small Quaker

NFY 6th March

Grey Shoulder-knot

NFY- 3 caught 8th March and another 17th March.

Yellow Horned

NFY- 9th March, 2 caught so far.

Engrailed

NFY- 12th March, not recorded in 2013.

974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana

NFY- 12th March, 2 recorded so far. This is one of the most striking tortrix species and in VC30 at least, one of the commonest.

Home Wood

A little disappointing really. The 14th wasn't great by any means. A strong, cold westerly breeze blowing straight along the woodland rides seemed to have affected the catch.

Shoulder Stripe

Only one caught. Also surprisingly no Dotted Border, a moth that in previous years has been extremely common.

Home Wood- 14-03- Battery powered Actinic/BLB Skinner- 19 of 8 species-

0663  Diurnea fagella  1- NFY

1663  March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)  2

1746  Shoulder Stripe (Anticlea badiata)  1- NFY

1947  Engrailed (Ectropis bistortata)  1

2182  Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)  6

2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  2

2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  2

2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  4

Back in the garden

Twin-spotted Quaker

NFY- 15th March, 2 caught so far

 Early Thorn

NFY- 16th March, 2 records so far.

 Oak Nycteolene

NFY- 16th March. An incredible 3 recorded in one night. Only the 5th, 6th and 7th garden records.

 Pine Beauty

 NFY- 16th March, 2 recorded so far.

Upper Caldecote garden- 16-03-2014- 3 traps- 69 of 13 species

0688  Agonopterix heracliana  1

0998  Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana)  1- NFY

1524  Emmelina monodactyla  3

1663  March Moth (Alsophila aescularia)  3

1862  Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)  1- NFY

1917  Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria)  1- NFY

2179  Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea)  1- NFY

2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  30

2188  Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)  10

2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  11

2243  Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)  3

2258  Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)  1

2423  Oak Nycteoline (Nycteola revayana)  3- NFY

15-07

Slightly warmer than last night and still using just one trap as the unpredictable weather blights the best time of year for mothing. But surprisingly another three macro moths for the year list, including a second generation Engrailed- one I thought I'd missed.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Engrailed

 V-pug

Upper Caldecote Garden- 1 trap- 67 of 29 species-

1063    Celypha striana 1 1293    Chrysoteuchia culmella 12 1294    Crambus pascuella 4 1302    Crambus perlella 1 1344    Eudonia mercurella 1 1413    Hypsopygia costalis Gold Triangle 1 1452    Phycita roborella 1 1653    Habrosyne pyritoides Buff Arches 1 1705    Idaea fuscovenosa Dwarf Cream Wave 1 1713    Idaea aversata Riband Wave 2 1858    Chloroclystis v-ata V-Pug 1    NFY 1937    Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 1 1947    Ectropis bistortata Engrailed 1    NFY 2047    Eilema complana Scarce Footman 1 2050    Eilema lurideola Common Footman 9 2061    Spilosoma luteum Buff Ermine 3 2088    Agrotis clavis Heart and Club 1 2089    Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 1 2107    Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 1 2109    Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 1 2110    Noctua fimbriata Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1    NFY 2145    Discestra trifolii Nutmeg 1 2198    Mythimna impura Smoky Wainscot 1 2199    Mythimna pallens Common Wainscot 1 2284    Acronicta psi Grey Dagger 1    agg. 2321    Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 9 2381    Hoplodrina alsines Uncertain 6 2387    Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic 1 2450    Abrostola tripartita Spectacle 1

Home Wood- 28/03

Trent and I set up an 80w MV Bulkhead light on a tripod with a vertical sheet (Location #1). We also left a battery powered Twin Actinic/BLB Skinner trap further down one of the rides at Location #4 which Trent collected in the morning. 

After a few really warm days, it seemed like a good night to trap. But as night fell the temperatures plummeted in the clear conditions and as a result numbers were surprisingly low. We were beginning to lose heart by about 9.30pm and started to pack up. However just as we did so this turned up, a new species for the survey and a second for me in less than a week!

Dotted Chestnut

One of five species new for the site.

663 Diurnea fagella

This top scored with twelve caught between the two traps including four melanic specimens.

 Brindled Pug

Disappointingly, only one caught.

 Engrailed

 Herald

New for the site.

Home Wood species list- 28-03-12- 61 of 19 species-

0663	Diurnea fagella		12	Including 4 melanic
1663	Alsophila aescularia	March Moth	2
1746	Anticlea badiata	Shoulder Stripe	1
1747	Anticlea derivata	Streamer	1
1852	Eupithecia abbreviata	Brindled Pug	1
1917	Selenia dentaria	Early Thorn	1	NFS
1930	Biston strataria	Oak Beauty	1
1947	Ectropis bistortata	Engrailed	4
2139	Cerastis rubricosa	Red Chestnut	2
2182	Orthosia cruda	Small Quaker	9
2187	Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	3
2188	Orthosia incerta	Clouded Drab	3
2189	Orthosia munda	Twin-spotted Quaker	2	NFS
2190	Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	5
2237	Lithophane ornitopus	Grey Shoulder-knot	1	NFS
2256	Eupsilia transversa	Satellite	8
2258	Conistra vaccinii	Chestnut	2
2260	Conistra rubiginea	Dotted Chestnut	1	NFS
2469	Scoliopteryx libatrix	Herald	1	NFS

The Lodge, RSPB

A  walk round the RSPB's headquarters this morning was vey pleasant in the sunshine. On our way round we had quick look around the buildings. It was a bit windy last night, so numbers were a little low.

Yellow Horned

 Engrailed spp.

The full list-

• Yellow Horned- 3- Year Tick
• Dotted Border- 2
• Engrailed spp.- 2
• Small Quaker
• March Moth

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.

3 more Macros for the year...16/07

I was surprised at the turn out last night, as I wasn't going to do any trapping. But the wind dropped and while I was getting my beauty sleep, (much needed!) the trap produce the goods. Temperature down on recent nights to 12°C and some quite strong gusts at times didn't put the moths off completely. Though numbers were down, with just 1 twin 15w Actinic/UV trap out........

Scalloped Oak

Engrailed

Absolutely brilliant to get Engrailed as I missed out on it's 1st generation. Usually a woodland species, I just didn't think I'd get one.

Common Rustic agg.

The 1st Common Rustic agg.s of the year in 2 very different guises. I find the side on image the most diagnostic for this species, though its not pictured in any of my books.........the full run down-

1. Chrysoteuchia culmella- 7
2. Dark Arches- 5
3. Uncertain- 5
4. Endotricha flammealis- 4
5. Shuttle-shaped Dart- 3
6. Buff Ermine- 3
7. Common Rustic agg.- 2- Year Tick
8. Grey Tortrix sp.- 2
9. Scalloped Oak- 2- Year Tick
10. Riband Wave- 2
11. Clepsis consimilana
12. Clouded Silver
13. Crambus pascuella
14. Acleris forsskaleana
15. Dusky Sallow
16. Common Footman
17. Flame
18. Smoky Wainscot
19. Yellow-Tail
20. Pyrausta aurata
21. Engrailed- 1st Ever
22. Light Arches