First new moth for the garden

A real surprise on checking the trap last night at 11pm. On the fence adjacent to the light trap were oak beauty, early thorn, shoulder stripe and a stunning pine beauty. Latter being a new garden record, making it 280 species in the garden since June 2011.

pine beauty

pine beauty

Other moths taken in the trap at 6 this morning were: 9 common quaker, 2 small quaker, 4 hebrew character, early grey, 20 plume moth and common plume. 22 moths of 10 species is by far the best total so far this year. I suspect that the combination of good overnight temperatures and the changed clocks meaning I get to the trap in the dark are the reasons for this increase. However, 2 robins were knocking about at the trap and suspect they had taken all the moths on the fence and the sheet.