After the coldest snap for quite a while when even turning the garden trap on was a waste of time and energy, we seem to have turned the corner and are now heading towards Spring. Temperatures are still lower than average but at least the temps are encouraging a few moths to fly.
Between 20th Feb and 3rd March I took no moths, my longest barren spell since 2011. This was eventually broken on the 4th when there was a marked increase in the evening temperature, so I set the actinic heath 15watt trap up in Millennium Wood. 6 species were taken, including a new for year Shoulder stripe, along with a Small Brindled beauty, a new site record and only my 3rd record for the parish.
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| Small Brindled Beauty |
On the 5th a Common quaker was at the garden 125watt skinner trap and the following evening I set the trap along a green lane in Pig's Green and then visited several local woods with headtorch and net. All I got were 2 Agonopterix heracliana whilst back at the trap: March moth (2), Satellite (2) and a Dotted border. The home trap gave up 2 Common quaker.
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| Agonopterix heracliana |
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| Spring usher |
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| Common quaker |
Last night I just ran the garden trap and was rewarded with another Common quaker and my 13th macro for the year, a magnificent Oak beauty.
This takes my total to 161 moths of 15 species for the year. Even after the long cold snap, slightly up on 2017.
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| Oak beauty |
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