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

Night of the poisoned Dart 06/05

The best night so far as the 'Spanish Plume' continues. It may be a bit windy, but the hot, humid air is ideal for moths. Temperatures hovered around 15°C all night as the moths kept rolling in. Unfortunately due to early morning birding commitments, I can't patrol all night- like unemployed people can. So it's down to getting up earlier than the Robins and counting whats in the traps. There was also a Brucey Bonus this morning as a Whimbrel flew North over the garden- only my second record in 10 years.......

Shuttle-shaped Dart (deceased)

I know we're all getting sick of 'em- but I don't think it deserves this! Better than getting eaten by a Robin I suppose......

Flame

 Treble Lines

 Grey/Dark Dagger

 Maiden's Blush

 Common Swift

 Lychnis

Hooray! This is new for the garden. I have struggled with these type species. I have still only had one Campion to date too.

Cockchafer

Quite rare these days- so good to see, even if he's missing one antenna.

The results- 72 of 30 species-

• 2092 Agrotis puta Shuttle-shaped Dart 33
• 2333 Apamea anceps Large Nutmeg 7
• 2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 3
• 2087 Agrotis segetum Turnip Moth 3
• 2028 Calliteara pudibunda Pale Tussock 1 NFY
• 2284 Acronicta psi Grey Dagger 1 NFY
• 2063 Diaphora mendica Muslin Moth 1
• 2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 1
• 2173 Hadena bicruris Lychnis 1 Garden 1st
• 1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 1
• 2384 Hoplodrina ambigua Vine's Rustic 1
• 2003 Notodonta ziczac Pebble Prominent 1
• 1835 Eupithecia tripunctaria White-spotted Pug 1 NFY
• 2389 Paradrina clavipalpis Pale Mottled Willow 1
• 2098 Axylia putris Flame 1 NFY
• 0904 Spuleria flavicaput 1
• 2188 Orthosia incerta Clouded Drab 1
• 1680 Cyclophora punctaria Maiden's Blush 1 NFY
• 1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
• 0998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 1
• 0648 Endrosis sarcitrella White-shouldered House-moth 1
• 0974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana 1
• 2061 Spilosoma luteum Buff Ermine 1 NFY
• 2380 Charanyca trigrammica Treble Lines 1 NFY
• 0017 Hepialus lupulinus Common Swift 1
• 2190 Orthosia gothica Hebrew Character 1
• 0649 Esperia sulphurella 1
• 1428 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 1
• 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 1
• 1707 Idaea seriata Small Dusty Wave 1
• 2069 Tyria jacobaeae Cinnabar 1 NFY

Macro catch up Part 1...........

I feel like I'm battling against 1) The unusually warm weather bringing everything out at once. 2) The fact that Trent Duval is unemployed, means he is totally absorbed by Mothing.......this time last year I was killing his year list by 20+ species. It's not going to be the case this year, so it was a good job the garden has been pulling plenty in of late. 3) The height of the bird migration season means I've been spending most mornings 6.30-7.45am at Broom Gps. 4)Work!

At some point over the next few days we also need to get into Home Wood for the BC/FC survey.......it's all go!

Flame Shoulder

Year tick on 15th April, also 4 Ruby Tigers (no photo)

 Lesser Swallow Prominent

A year tick also 15th April.

 Currant Pug

Year tick- 15th April

 Shuttle-shaped Dart

Year tick- 17th April.

 Common Pug

Also 17th April.

 Red Twin-spot Carpet

A year tick 19th April.

 Chinese Character

Year tick- 19th April.

 Coxcomb Prominent

1 of my favourites- year tick 19th April.

Bathroom Light vs. Actinic Traps....27/04

Yellow-barred Brindle Shuttle-shaped Dart Grey/Dark Dagger Mystery Micro????? White-shouldered House moth

A much warmer night than last and some old friends are back. But the star of the show was the Bathroom light........The window was left open for less than 2 hours and it attracted a Yellow-barred Brindle and a Nut-tree Tussock. I don't know why I bother with all this trap nonsense sometimes. Nothing brand new (apart from the unIDed), but a few for the year list none the less........

1. Hebrew Character- 6
2. Shuttle-shaped Dart
3. Early Grey
4. Garden Carpet- Year tick
5. Yellow-barred Brindle- Year tick
6. White-shouldered House moth
7. Mystery Micro??- 1st Ever
8. Common Quaker
9. Nut-tree Tussock
10. Grey Dagger- Year tick
11. Incurvaria masculla

The mystery micro is Epermenia chaerophyllella (483). Thanks to Dean & David for your ID...........

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