Moth Night

A good haul (for 2013) last night, with 39 macro moths of 16 species. A scorched wing and green pug were the only new for year ones, along with a white plume micro.

white plume moth

scorched wing

green pug

Saturday walk

Lovely, peaceful wander yesterday morning before breakfasting at Little Hadham Farmers' Market. A red kite breezed its way along the Ash Valley and a family of coal tits were enjoying the local conifers near Home Farm.
Checks on the flower heads on the verges gave views of several bumble bee species, including Bombus terristris, Bombus pratorum and Bombus ruderarius (red tailed bumble bee) as well as Apis mellifera, the honey bee.


Bombus terristris




Bombus pratorum



Apis mellifera (honey bee)

coal tit

Few more moths

A burnished brass, straw dot and double square spot were all new for the year in, yet again, a very empty trap. Few heart and darts, buff ermine, white ermine and several yet to be identified micros were all that was present.

burnished brass

double square spot

straw dot

Few moths

snout

heart and club

Pandemis cerasana (Barred fruit tree tortrix)

After a wet night a few moths new for the year: a snout, heart and club and barred fruit tree tortrix went on to the year list, whilst several other micros await identification. A setaceous hebrew character, brimstone, heart and dart, white ermine and  buff ermine were also present.

Good mothing

A good night last night with several new moths for the year; elephant hawkmoth, clouded silver, bright line brown eye, willow beauty, uncertain and mottled rustic taking the yearly total to 82, some 33 species less than 27th June 2012, which was considered by lepidopterists to be a very bad year!!

willow beauty

uncertain



elephant hawkmoth

clouded silver

mottled rustic

bright line brown eye

Kefalonia 18th - 25th June. A few insects and birds.

A week trip to the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia. As I already knew, not a bird hot spot so very few species seen. However, plenty of butterflies, but with temperatures rising to 40C it was not always possible to be out to photo them.
Bird wise: kestrel, Eleanora's falcon, yellow legged gull, wood pigeon, collared dove, turtle dove, swift, hoopoe, greater short toed lark, crag martin, swallow, red rumped swallow, house martin, wren, robin, blackbird, whitethroat, olivaceous warbler, (ssp elaeica), chiffchaff, woodchat shrike, jay, hooded crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch.

On the butterfly front: cleopatra, southern white admiral, scarce swallowtail, wall brown + plenty of fast flying whites, probably southern small whites and several small brown jobs that refused to settle whilst I watched them.

Moth; a stunningly large surreptitious palm borer on the bonnet of a chevrolet. Just been informed only 2 records exist for the whole of Greece. Strange, as I saw 3 in 2 days, all at different locations, but I suspect, Kefalonia remains somewhat under recroded for moths.

Mammals; goats!! not even a donkey

Reptiles; an Ionian wall lizard

Not a great haul, but then this was a none nature holiday and I only saw what was about as we wandered short distances in high temperatures. Wonderful break and some glorious scenery. Oh, and thousands of cicadas.

Podarcis tauricus ionicus, Ionian Wall Lizard



Podarcis tauricus ionicus, Ionian Wall Lizard

Surreptitious palm borer

southern white admiral

cicada

swallow

wall brown

woodchat shrike

Myrtos beach, 1000 feet below

To the beach

Assos

Fiscardo

Drogorati caves

Good moth haul

Best night of the year, with rivulet and buttoned snout new for the parish list whilst peppered moth, common footman and common wainscot new for the year.
Micros in the form of Plutella porrectella and Epiblema cynosbatella. Regulars came in the shape of herald, common marbled carpet, garden carpet, green carpet, rustic shoulder knot, setaceous hebrew character, flame shoulder, brimstone, mottled pug, common pug, nutmeg and large nutmeg.

rivulet

brimstone

common footman

common wainscot

peppered moth

Moth round up

The return of cold evenings, so consequently, a drop off in moth numbers with nothing new for the garden or year being recorded.
A scorched carpet was the highlight of a poor haul this morning, with an, as yet, unidentified pug also being present amongst the 10 or so regular visitors.

scorched carpet

A trip to Kefalonia tomorrow will curtail updates for a few days, but I do hope to forward a few photos and maybe a round up via email. Hoping for some good butterflies and one or two good birds, although the island is certainly not a birding hotspot.

More new moths

Another reasonable night of trapping, with a buff ermine being new for the year whilst the highlight was this light brocade, a new moth for the garden list.
Also, several nutmegs, large nutmegs, a common carpet, a spectacle, small square spot, brimstone and several heart and dart moths. In all 31 moths.

light brocade

buff ermine

Getting better

A red letter day today with a reasonable selection of moths, albeit mostly solitary representatives.Regulars were: 3 nutmegs, 3 rustic shoulder knots, 2 green carpets, 2 poplar hawkmoths, a treble lines, common swift, mottled pug, white spot pug, clouded border and white ermine.
New for the year were the expected setaceous hebrew character, v pug, light emerald whilst new for me were a good specimen of middle barred minor and a rarity in the form of a May highflyer. Only a handful of these have been recorded within Hertfordshire so an excellent record. This takes my garden total to over 260, not too bad in just 2 years constant trapping. Unfortunately, the May highflyer was far too active in the pot and when removed for a photograph it had become too worn to be of much use. However, I shall forward it for dissection as it will require confirmation.

middle barred minor

v pug

Another improvement

After another warm night, there was a continued improvement in moth numbers. However, this must be weighed up against last year, where an average haul per night was close to 100 moths. This morning 21 moths of 8 macro species plus 2 micros.
New for the year were common white wave, common marbled carpet, silver ground carpet and small square spot. Others that have featured before were large nutmegs, green carpets, red twin spot carpets and spectacles. The 2 micros were Celypha lacunana and  Agonopterix arenella, both common garden species.

common white wave

common marbled carpet

small square spot

silver ground carpet

At last!!

At last, a moth night where more than just a few moths arrived at the trap. First in was a newly emerged lime hawkmoth, the first of a few new species for the year.
This morning, an early check on the trap showed what had been anticipated, the best total so far in 2013. 3 large nutmegs, several flame shoulders, 2 green carpets and a poplar hawkmoth made up the regular visitors. However, of more interest were a treble lines, small magpie, marbled minor and cinnabar moth, all new for the year. I noted that I had omitted the cinnabar from my list, therefore increasing my moth total for the garden to 258 species.
I look forward to another good night, as at present there is a good temperature and overcast skies. Worth an early rise again and perhaps a little time at the trap after dusk.

treble lines

lime hawkmoth

marbled minor

cinnabar

small magpie