My Moth Season Begins

There has been nothing in the way of moths or mothing on this blog so far this year. That's because I haven't done any!  Our new house and 'garden' just isn't suitable for a 125W MV bulb!!  Saying that though the first moth made it on to the house/garden list the other night, with a Green Carpet resting on the outside of the back door.

So, any mothing I do manage will be at Mum and Dad's, and this is where I set the trap on two occasions within the past few weeks. Both on very suitable mothing conditions, the evenings of 20th May and 2nd June.

The 20th May, although not a bad selection, was a very long way from what I would have expected considering the date and weather.  The final tally was 27 moths of 17 species. And here's some of them...

Least Black Arches

Clouded Border

Scalloped Hazel

Nut-tree Tussock

Pebble Prominent

Swallow Prominent

Sycamore

Waved Umber

Buff-tip side on

Buff-tip head on!

On the 2nd June there were just 12 moths of 11 species, very disappointing. So, although I have missed a lot of mothing opportunities this year, it would appear that I've probably not missed that much!

Before I sign off for the night, just a quick note to say I could well be on the One Show tomorrow (Monday 10th). There's a chance they may change the contents of the show last minute (apparently this happens quite regularly) but as it stands if you watch BBC1 between 7 and 7:30pm there should be a short piece on about Hoopoes.

Two Moth Nights

Well it is certainly about time I got round to writing this post!

My Friday night mothing continues, although the week before last I had to trap on the Thursday night (28th) - with excellent results, but it was certainly a case of quantity and not quality. In total there were 350 moths of 55 species;

91 Dark Arches
46 Riband Wave
20 Large Yellow Underwing
16 Heart and Dart
16 Uncertain
14 Common Rustic
11 Willow Beauty
10 Bright-line Brown-eye
9 Rustic
9 Clay
7 Shuttle-shaped Dart
7 Dingy Footman
6 Common Footman
5 Jersey Tiger
5 Rosy Footman
4 Double-square Spot
4 Brussels Lace
3 Magpie
3 Common Carpet
3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
3 July Highflyer
3 Scalloped Oak
3 Fanfoot
3 Small Fan-footed Wave
3 V-Pug
2 Peach Blossom
2 Pug sp.
2 Single-dotted Wave
2 Dunbar
2 Ruby Tiger
2 Buff Ermine
2 Poplar Hawkmoth
2 Early Thorn
2 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 Light Arches
2 Coronet
2 Spectacle
2 Nut-tree Tussock
2 Small Fanfoot
1 Common Marbled Carpet
1 Scorched Carpet
1 Flame Carpet
1 Swallowtail
1 Brimstone
1 Barred Straw
1 Buff Arches
1 Pebble Prominent
1 Iron Prominent
1 Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 Knot Grass
1 Sycamore
1 Marbled Green
1 Bordered Sallow
1 Mottled Rustic
1 Rosy Minor

And here's a few pics....

I always know it's been a good moth night when the adjacent wall to the trap looks like the above!

Marbled Green

Ruby Tiger

Rosy Footman

Peach Blossom

Bordered Sallow

Two very different Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

And then there was the following week, Friday 5th. Much few moths about with 172 of 36 species;

33 Dark Arches
22 Willow Beauty
14 Common Rustic
13 Shuttle-shaped Dart
11 Rustic
10 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
7 Riband Wave
5 Single-dotted Wave
5 Heart and Dart
5 Nut-tree Tussock
4 Early Thorn
4 Jersey Tiger
3 Small Fan-footed Wave
3 Common Carpet
3 Common Footman
3 Buff Ermine
3 Clay
2 Small Waved Umber
2 Minor sp.
2 Spectacle
1 Maiden's Blush
1 Phoenix
1 July Highflyer
1 Poplar Hawkmoth
1 Sallow Kitten
1 Pebble Prominent
1 Swallow Prominent
1 Lesser Swallow Prominent
1 Rosy Footman
1 Buff Footman
1 Dingy Footman
1 Pebble Hook-tip
1 Dunbar
1 Crescent Dart
1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 Bright-line Brown-eye
1 Uncertain

And here's some more pictures...

Maiden's Blush

Magpie Moth

Sallow Kitten

Pebble Prominent

Swallow Prominent (I think - or is it a faded Lesser?)

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Now I think I deserve a nap - I was in Beer before 6am this morning! To find out how I got on ringing/birding, you will just have to check back here whenever I get round to writing the post...