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

A Warm Spell..............

...............gave me a chance to turn the lights on again. Though as I write this, its back down to 2°C. Most productive was the nights of 15th and 17th, though macro moths are certainly slow. By this time last year I had double my current tally, so targets for the next week or so are Pale Brindled Beauty, Early Moth and Dotted Border.

March Moth

1 of 3 caught so far...........

688 Agonopterix heracliana

695 Agonopterix alstromeriana

1025 Tortricodes alternella

Combined catch for 15/16/17-02-12. Upper Caldecote Garden- 12 of 6 species

• 0688 Agonopterix heracliana  5 NFY
• 0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana 1 NFY 
• 1025 Tortricodes alternella 1 NFY 
• 1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1 NFY 
• 1663 Alsophila aescularia March Moth 3 NFY 
• 2259 Conistra ligula Dark Chestnut 1

The last 2 days......9th-10th

At last! The weather has finally turned, the wind has dropped and the temperature has become more stable during the nights. So tonight (11th Feb) will be the 4th trapping session in as many days.

Pale Brindled Beauty

These 2 were the only catch on 9th February.

The 10th was slightly warmer with less wind, so as a consequence did fairly well. The micros caught were the first to come to light this year.

 Satellite

 Dark Chestnut

This is the 2nd record this year, I was hoping it was a Chestnut. The 'sharp corners' give it away though.

 Agonopterix heracliana (688)

The 1st of many, I would presume.

 Tortricodes alternella (1025)

Although common, this usually woodland species is a garden 1st- touché Trent!

This was the best night of the year so far- which wouldn't be hard!, 19 moths of 8 species so far this year..........