Pages

Saturday 5 June 2010

One Mighty Moth Night!

As I went to bed I knew it was going to be a good night for moths - there seemed to be plenty around and the conditions - aside the clear skies - were perfect. Still, this morning I wasn't expecting as many as I got... 235 moths of 58 species! Totally incredible!!!

This mega total included SIX new species for the garden...

Two stunning Scorched Wing

Five Alder Moth; another VERY attractive moth

Brown Silver-line; very much a heathland species with its food plant being Bracken

Ingrailed Clay

A rather faded White Pinion-spotted

And two Middle-barred Minor

The rest of the whopping list looks like this: 76 Heart and Dart, 16 Flame Shoulder, 12 Vine's Rustic, 11 Common Marbled Carpet, 10 Bright-line Brown-eye, 5 Green Carpet, 5 Pug sp., 5 Treble Lines, 5 Brimstone, 4 Cream Wave, 4 Common Carpet, 4 Common Pug, 4 Spectacle, 4 Marbled Minor, 3 Peppered Moth, 3 Waved Umber, 3 Elephant Hawkmoth, 3 Grey Dagger, 2 Yellow-barred Brindle, 2 Muslin Moth, 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Sycamore, 2 Light Brocade, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Rustic, and singles of: Figure of Eighty, Oak Hook-tip, Lobster Moth, Mullein Wave, Small Waved Umber, Blood-vein, Silver-ground Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Rivulet, Small Rivulet, Scorched Carpet, Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawkmoth, Buff-tip, Buff Arches, Cream-spot Tiger, Iron Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Least Black Arches, Large Yellow Underwing, Flame, Clouded Drab (very worn), Knot Grass, Small Square-spot, Silver Y and Burnished Brass.

And breathe....

There are three species on that list that I've only caught once before, on the first night of trapping in my garden nearly a year ago. It was great to see them again, I just had to take some snaps...


Lobster Moth - STONKING!

Figure of Eighty

The Flame

And a few random photos...

Burnished Brass are always good value

The greenest Green Carpet I've ever seen!!!

But this is not the end of the post....not quite.... SHOCK HORROR there is some bird news to mention!!

A
Spoonbill has been on our Estuary for most of today, I watched it mid afternoon from Coronation Corner. Thanks for the text Ian :-)

2 comments:

  1. Fantastic collection Steve,well done.
    The Burnished Brass looks amazing,my Moth trap is out of action at the mo,must try to fix it.
    John.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks John. Get it fixed, this hobby is just SO exciting!!! :-)

    ReplyDelete