Garden Wildlife

We seem to be in the middle of a really good spell of moth-action.  The mild nights are great for moths in general, but there's also plenty of insect migration going on at the moment so there's been a good and steady arrival of migrant moth species too - making it forever tempting to stick the moth trap out when the conditions are half decent.

This post won't just be about moths though, I thought I would update on how the garden wildlife is getting on in general - although I can't top the Nighjar when it comes to the birds! 

Our back garden.  The lawn looks a bit dry in this pic, but I am thrilled with the diversity within it as it's full of mosses and wild flowers. The large hedges that enclose our garden are mix of several species as well.

I'll kick off not with moths, but with a surprise I got whilst mothing the other night.  I could hear it rustling for about ten minutes before it appeared, but when I did, I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see a Hedgehog in our garden! 

Not seen a live one in Seaton for at least five years, and that one was my first for several years

 

Another creature I was really happy to see in the garden a couple of weeks ago was a Slow worm, actively feeding in an area of bare earth.  Any time we turn the earth over I am always delighted with how many worms and other creepy crawlies it reveals.  We really do seem to have a wildlife-rich garden, and we haven't really done all that much yet we've only been in the house for seven months!

Of course with so many mini-beasts, there are plenty of birds to eat them.  It seems like Starling and House Sparrows have had a good breeding season in the local area, especially the latter as at any one time there can be up to  25-30 in the back garden.   All the usual garden species have got young at the moment, especially Blackbirds and Robins who have both fledged their second broods now.  Such a thrill to see so much bird life!  

On the butterfly front, really happy to see a Marbled White in the garden today. Otherwise just the usual expected species like Meadow Brown, Large White, Small White, etc.  The only Odonata species I have seen here so far is a single male Large Red Damselfly.  Mind you I wasn't even expecting that as we don't have a pond (yet!). 

And now to the moths. Wow.  Last night needs a special mention, with an impressive 237 macro moths of 54 species in the trap.  Otherwise over the last few weeks whenever I have had the trap out I've been catching around 150 macros moths of 30-40 species each time.   The highlights...

A new moth for me, and there were two of them last night.  Small Marbled, a usually fairly scarce migrant species but there's a real influx of these underway at the moment.

 

A silky smooth White Satin, another migrant species that I caught on 21st. Love those zebra-striped legs!

The first Bordered Straw that I caught 20th, but I have had six more since!  A migrant.

One of two Small Mottled Willows from 21st - another migrant

 

Not a migrant species but a beautiful one - Beautiful Golden Y.

Was pleased to catch this Crescent Dart on 25th, a species I did well for at Mum and Dad's.

Another nationally uncommon moth that I got used to catching at Mum and Dad's, so pleased to have caught three of these Four-spotted Footman in my garden so far.

 

Another nationally uncommon moth that I used to do well for at Mum and Dad's suggesting they breed locally - a Portland Ribbon Wave

 

True Lover's Knot - a resident but never seem to be numerous.  I have caught two so far here.

 

A striking one from this morning - Cloaked Carpet

Honestly, I could keep going with the photos, the quantity and variety of moths has really blown me away.  I wasn't expecting results anything like this.  

I am one happy man.