500 up..............

For the 2nd year in a row I've managed to record 500 species in the garden. I haven't trapped quite as much this year, but even so would have struggled to beat last year's 522 species. These are my last four NFY's.

Sprawler

Only the 2nd garden record on 14th November. Last caught, 9th November 2009.

Mottled Umber

This is the 5th record of this species. One per year since 2010. NFY, 15th November.

Winter Moth

Common in the garden and usually seen first at the beginning of the year. NFY, 15th November 

Scarce Umber 

 Only the 3rd record. NFY, 18th November. Last seen 28th November 2011.

Half a Monkey o' Macros..........

...........and for those outside East London, that means 250 macros up for the year! After persevering with the trap(s) every night, it has finally paid off. I did think I had the total on 2nd when I found a Sprawler in the conservatory. But it could have been a stowaway from Home Wood as that is where I left the battery light rig.
Migrants have been in evidence for the last week or so, with a few Rusty Dot Pearls and Silver Ys. So it was a relief when this showed up just after 9.30pm.

Dark Sword-grass

At last!

 Sprawler

Smuggled from Home Wood me thinks.........

Silver Y

2 records in November so far.........

 A Witch and a Pumpkin!

Sending the kids out begging for sweets is OK when they're this age I suppose. Halloween wasn't really done when I was a kid. We used to beg for money with an effigy of Guy Faulkes  instead!

.............and this is my grand effort to impress the kids with some Pumkin Carving..........But I'll have to go a long way to compete with these guys! 

The result- 05-11-11- 2x Twin 15w Actinic/UV, Twin 25w Actinic skinners- 7 of 6 species-

•  1524 Emmelina monodactyla 2 
•  1795x Epirrita dilutata agg. November Moth agg. 1 
•  2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass 1 NFY 
•  2109 Noctua comes Lesser Yellow Underwing 1 
•  2259 Conistra ligula Dark Chestnut 1 
•  2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 1

Home and Away. 30/10

Although warm, the wind persists. This renders the garden pretty useless at this time of year and as a concequence, only three moths were recorded- Yellow-line Quaker, Pale Mottled Willow and a Feathered Thorn.

I chose to dump a battery powered Twin Actinic/BLB Skinner in Home Wood. The salvaged 40 amp car battery certainly keeps the lights burning bright, still going strong after 13 hours. A good night temperature wise with a steady 15°C throughout, just a shame the wind was at times a little gusty.

Sprawler

New for the year and very common in Home Wood.

The result- Home Wood- 71 of 8 species-

• 0658 Carcina quercana 1 
• 1048 Acleris variegana Garden Rose Tortrix 1
• 1795x Epirrita dilutata agg. November Moth agg. 6
• 1795 Epirrita dilutata November Moth 6- Gen Det A. Banthorpe
• 1796 Epirrita chistyi Pale November Moth 8- Gen Det A Banthorpe 
• 1923 Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn 6 
• 2227 Asteroscopus sphinx Sprawler 14 
• 2245 Allophyes oxyacanthae Green-brindled Crescent 21-  5 of which ab. Capucina 
• 2258 Conistra vaccinii Chestnut 6 
• 2262 Agrochola circellaris Brick 2

Urban Sprawl............09/11

This very faded Sprawler is another garden 1st and the only moth in the trap.

T.T.O.S on Tour at The Lodge..........07/11

And a very successful outing it was too! The photo at the top is a November Moth agg. One of 13 found around the buildings.
Next down is a Spruce Carpet found on the main building.

The last 2 photos are of a Sprawler, 1 of 2 found. Louie also found a deceased Yellow-line Quaker (example on previous post). Not a bad haul really as we were only at The Lodge to see the Firecrests!
The garden trap in Upper Caldecote produced just a Silver Y.