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

.........15/03

After a day off, the lights were back on for the 15th March. The usual stuff was recorded until I found this under the last egg box in the Twin Actinic/UV Skinner!

Twin-spotted Quaker

I also put on a 15w BLB bulb at the bottom of the garden, on the shed. Early in the evening this proved productive with a NFY Double-striped Pug and a new micro in the form of Diurnea fagella. They both absconded before a photo could be taken.

 Small Quaker

Loads of these around this year, with 18 trapped so far. This is a nice well marked one.

Upper Caldecote Garden- 15-03-2012- 24 of 10 species-

0663	Diurnea fagella	Diurnea fagella	1	NFY
0688	Agonopterix heracliana	Agonopterix heracliana	1
0695	Agonopterix alstromeriana	Agonopterix alstromeriana	1
1524	Emmelina monodactyla	Emmelina monodactyla	1
1862	Gymnoscelis rufifasciata	Double-striped Pug	1	NFY
2182	Orthosia cruda	Small Quaker	3
2187	Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	8
2188	Orthosia incerta	Clouded Drab	5
2189	Orthosia munda	Twin-spotted Quaker	1	NFY
2190	Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	2

At last............

..........some warmer weather and some new moths. After a week of not bothering due to cold nights and blustery winds, the lights went back on on 8th March. Six new species in three nights, the best of which was last night. Thirteen species on 10th was very unseasonal indeed.........at least for my garden. Could be another good one tonight.

Clouded Drab

 Common Pug

My earliest record- 8th March 2012

 Small Quaker

Three recorded so far. NFY, 9th March 2012.

Early Grey

NFY, 10th March 2012.

 Early Thorn

NFY, 10th March 2012.

 1497 Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

NFY, 10th March 2012.

Upper Caldecote Garden- 10-03-2012- 31 of 13 species-

0688	Agonopterix heracliana		4
0998	Epiphyas postvittana	Light Brown Apple Moth	1
1497	Amblyptilia acanthadactyla		1	NFY
1524	Emmelina monodactyla		5
1663	Alsophila aescularia	March Moth	2
1917	Selenia dentaria	Early Thorn	1	NFY
1934	Agriopis marginaria	Dotted Border	1
2182	Orthosia cruda	Small Quaker	2
2187	Orthosia cerasi	Common Quaker	6
2188	Orthosia incerta	Clouded Drab	1
2190	Orthosia gothica	Hebrew Character	4
2243	Xylocampa areola	Early Grey	3	NFY
2259	Conistra ligula	Dark Chestnut	1

Blow ins.....09/03

As I haven't been trapping recently due to the cold, I decided to half heartedly put out the trap. I also washed the shed wall with the 25w BLB bulb down the bottom of the garden. This time it wasn't the temperature that was the problem as a constant 5-6°C was recorded throughout the night. The trouble was more the gusting wind which was quite clearly blowing across the garden from the west. But surprisingly this didn't put off the moths and there was a fairly decent haul waiting for me in the morning...........

Yellow Horned

I was well pleased to get this in the garden. I have previously only seen them at The Lodge, RSPB.

Early Grey

Like the Yellow Horned, this was also found under the 25w BLB bulb and is the 2nd record of the year.

The Rest!

This is the majority of the haul and it is no surprise that Common Quaker was again the most populous. Also hiding in there is a single Small Quaker and a Clouded Drab (bottom left).

The Count-   key: 30w Skinner / 25w BLB bulb.

• Common Quaker- 7 (6-1) 46 so far this year.
• Clouded Drab- 2 (1-1)
• Small Quaker- 1 (1)
• Early Grey- 1 (1)
• Yellow Horned- 1 (1)- Garden 1st!

At the moment the BLB bulb seems to be a real draw. I wish I had put it on a bit more last year........

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

Under leaden Skies......24/03

Early GreyLead-coloured Drab
Small Quaker

March Moth

Grey was the order of the day,(or the night) with a bumper crop of 25 of 9 species on a very mild evening. Temperatures hovered around 11-12°C helped no doubt by the heavily overcast, rainy weather.

Highlights were my 1st Early Greys and another different Lead-coloured Drab. The list is as follows-

1. Common Quaker- 6
2. Clouded Drab- 5
3. Early Grey- 4- New for the garden
4. Agonopterix heracliana- 3
5. Hebrew Character- 2
6. March Moth- 2
7. Small Quaker- 1
8. Emmelina monodactyla- 1
9. Lead-coloured Drab- 1- 2nd Record!

I had 2 traps out last night and once again the 30w twin out performed the portable 12v trap.

Warm but Windy......18/03

Not as good a night as previous and I only put 1 trap out. Our area in East Bedfordshire can be a little exposed at times and any wind(up to 17mph) seems to hamper the mothing somewhat.

Having said that, Small Quaker (top) and Acleris kochiella/logiana? were new for the garden-

1. Common Quaker- 2
2. Dark Chestnut- 1
3. Small Quaker- 1
4. Acleris kochiella/logiana?- 1

Thanks for the heads up on the Micro ID Ben.
NB....."I think this is Acleris logiana.
Andy Banthorpe recorded this at Flitwick Moor, on 5 July 2009.
This was until recently a "Scottish highlands" species. You may recall, at the Lower Stondon meeting,
that I mentioned that it has moved into southern England in the last few years (probably spread west from
Europe, rather than south from Scotland)
Acleris kochiella is white in the first (summer) generation, but more grey in the autumn/over-wintering generation"
David Manning