Saturday, 24 December 2016

Moth Review of the Year: Part 3: July 2016

Returning from our Devon trip meant the first trapping day in July was the 3rd. Garden 125W MV Skinner on and off to Suffyldes Wood with the Heath actinic 15W. As previously, it would be a very long list if all new for year moths were mentioned, so I shall concentrate on new for parish records and touch on new for years that are unusual within Little Hadham VC20 parish.
On the 3rd a Lathronympha strigana, Epinotia rubiginosana and Epinotia abbreviana were all new to the parish, as was an Anania perlucidalis in the garden. In total 19 micros were trapped of which 11 were new for the year. Wonder what I missed whilst away?
The 4th was a busy night in the garden whilst a pleasing Aglossa pinguinalis was a new one on the 5th.
A very worn Brown veined wainscot

Catalysta lemnata

Leopard moth

The garden record was again beaten on the 6th with 96 moths of 56 species, including Cnephasia asseclana and Coleophora flavipennella, both new for records. Also, the first July highflier of the year, one of 58 taken, concluding with the final specimen on 16th August. A headtorch visit to Westland Green gave up plenty, including Syncopacma larseniella on the 7th and Hedya salicella to actinic at Valley Fields.
The parish records continued to grow, with Eudonia pallida and Epinotia signatana (garden 7th), Anacampsis populella and Mompha orchaeceella (Ash Valley Golf Course, 10th) Coleophora paripennella and Oidaematophorus lithadactyla (Westland Green 14th) and Small Dotted Buff, Mullein Wave. along with Brachmia blandella and Epiblema foenella (19th Alder Wood). This was indeed a good night  with many new for year species meaning the totals stood at 160 micros and 176 macros by the 20th July, with an Agapeta hamana being the 3000th moth of the year on the 19th.
Maybe one of the year's highlights was the Dusky Plume (Oidaematophorus lithodactyla), not a common moth in Hertfordshire and thanks to GJS for confirming my identification.
Dusky plume (Oidaematophorus lithodactyla.) Possibly moth of the year. GJS photo, Many thanks

The next moth on to my records was a surprise, a leaopard moth to the garden skinner on the 23rd, with a pleasing, if very battered Brown veined wainscot and Helcystogramma rufescens (25th garden), a Catalysta lemnata (Hadham Hall 27th), a Stigmella trimaculella (Garden 28th) and the final new for records was a Tinea trinotella in the garden on the 29th. However, one that had me rushing for the field guides turned up in the garden Skinner on the 26th, a moth I was not at all familiar with. An Olive which, surprisingly, is more common in Herts than I had expected.
A Tawny speckled pug was the 4000th moth of the year and by the end of July the totals were 183 micros and 199 macros. The target of 500 moths looked on but 10,000 moths recorded still seemed to be a long way off considering we were well over half way through the year. A good August and September were needed to guarantee success for both targets.
Epiblema foenella

Hadham Hall trapping site

Olive


Selected first and last dates in July:
Swallow tailed moth: 03.vii.16 - 27.vii.16
Buff tip: 04.vii.16 - 07.vii.16
Small emerald: 05.vii.16 - 25.vii.16
Short cloaked moth: 06.vii.16 - 17.vii.16
Clay: 09.vii.16 - 04.viii.16
Dusky Sallow: 21.vii.16 - 31.vii.16

Numbers this month were supplied by: Large Yellow underwing (180 until 16.x.16), July Highflier (58 until 16.viii.16) Clay (24) Small fan foot wave (43 until 16.viii.16) Dingy footman (155 until 18.viii.16) This total included a quite amazing 43 to the actinic trap in Suffyldes Wood on 25th.

Micro number: Eucosma cana (85) Epinotia nisella (30) Carcina quercana (52), Endotricha flammealis (45) Yponomeuta evonymella (80) Agriphila geniculea (171) Pleuroptya ruralis (116) Crambus perlella (82) and Agriphila tristella (124)

Next installment later in the week, August and September.

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This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander