Wednesday 14 June 2017

Amazing Moth Night

Last night, I switched the garden Skinner 125W on and set off for East Wood at TL463214. After carting the trap, net, sheet, pots, chair, bottle of beer and battery for half a mile, I set up next to a large clump of Bird's Foot trefoil in a small, sheltered pasture adjacent to the beech wood.
By 9.30pm the moths began flying with plenty of straw dot, Agapeta hamana and Tortrix viridana. When moths are in such number, I count the first 25 and then disregard those in flight, but do add any that are on the sheet or in the trap at the end of the evening.
Clouded silver

Ghost moths made an appearance as did several blood vein as I wandered through the pasture, netting as I went. Occasionally, I returned to the sheet, potted what was roosting and either put them aside to id at home or took them for a wander to release in a field far from the trap so as not to count them twice.
By midnight, I had a large collection of potted moths for home and a good list. I checked the trap, listing and potting and returned home at 1a.m to find the garden fence next to the trap and the perspex full of moths, which I then just potted to sort out in the morning. By 2.15 I had identified all but 12 of the East Wood moths and these were sorted in better natural light this morning.
In total: 231 moths of 51 species. Nothing new for parish records but a fair few to add to the year list.
13.06
6 Ghost moth
EW


34 Straw dot
EW


40 Agapeta hamana
EW


7 Crambus lathoniellus
EW


4 Common swift
EW


Aphelia paleana
EW
78th micro

6 Snout
EW


Angle shades
EW


5 Blood vein
EW


30 Tortrix viridana
EW


2 Middle barred minor
EW


Riband wave
EW


37 Chrysoteuchia culmella
EW


Silver ground carpet
EW


2 Clouded silver
EW


2 Udea olivalis
EW


Common wainscot
EW


Marbled minor
EW


Barred yellow
EW


Drinker
EW
144th macro

2 Mottled beauty
EW


2 Celypha lacunana
EW


Hofmannophilia pseudospretella
EW


Setaceous Hebrew character
EW


Pterophorus pentadactyla
EW


Light emerald
EW


Treble brown spot
EW


Heart and dart
EW


2 Brown silver line
EW


Foxglove pug
EW


Pseudargyrotza conwagana
EW
79th micro

Pandemis corylana
EW
80th micro

Acleris forsskaleana
EW
81st micro

Archips podana
EW


Aliemma loefligiana
EW
82nd micro

Apotomis turbidana
EW
83rd micro

Notocelia trimaculana
EW


5 Archips xylosteana
EW


Eucosma cana
EW
84th micro

2 Hedya pruniana
EW


Scoparia subfusca
EW


Pandemis cerasana
EW


Blastobasis lacticolella
EW


Single dotted wave
EW
145th macro

Wormwood pug
EW


Brimstone
EW


Aethes smeathmannianna
EW
85th micro

2 Paraswammerdammia albicapitella
EW


Epinotia nisella
EW
86th micro

Ingrailed clay
EW


Anthophila fabricana
EW




This morning, I emptied the Skinner and started identifying all, including those from last night. Incredibly, 2 new for parish records:
Pretty chalk carpet
Grapholita janthinana

Sadly, rather worn, but a Pretty Chalk Carpet. About as unexpected in my trap as the 2012 Jersey Tiger!!

Grapholita janthinana, another new for parish records

Grapholita janthinana


As well as these, 6 new for year records, as noted here:

In total, 86 moths of 51 species. So, 317 moths in total with plenty to add to the year lists that now stand at 2349 moths: 149 macros and 91 micros. This year continues to impress and tonight looks like another busy night. I, however, will just be running the garden trap as long walk planned for tomorrow to record all aspects of the local natural history by walking the entire parish boundary, some 18 miles, beginning near East Wood.
Clouded brindle

Nephopterix angustella

Blue bordered carpet

Phycitodes binaevella


Photos of some of the species to follow this evening.


7 Heart and dart
G


Agapeta hamana
G


Beautiful golden Y
G


2 Flame
G


3 Marbled minor
G


4 Buff ermine
G


2 Dark arches
G


Straw dot
G


Nutmeg
G


Small fan footed wave
G
146th macro

Mottled beauty
G


Silver ground carpet
G


Clouded brindle
G

NFM
Pretty chalk carpet
G
147th macro

Common wave
G


Blue bordered carpet
G
148th macro

Tawny marbled minor
G


Scoparia subfusca
G


2 Ingrailed clay
G


Rufous marbled minor
G


Flame shoulder
G


5 Riband wave
G


2 Common wainscot
G


2 Chrysoteuchia culmella
G


2 Treble brown spot
G


2 Clouded border
G


Privet hawkmoth
G
149th macro

2 Common footman
G


Large yellow underwing
G


Fern
G


2 Beautiful hooktip
G


5 Celypha lacunana
G


Brimstone
G


Emmelina monodactyla
G


2 Scorched wing
G


Udea olivalis
G


Anania hortulata
G


2 Large nutmeg
G


Double striped pug
G


3 Archips podana
G


2 Notocelia uddmanniana
G
88th micro

Rhodophea formosa
G
89th micro

Celypha rosaceana
G


Hedya nubiferana
G


Common pug
G


Nephopterix angustella
G

NFM
Grapholita janthinana
G
90th micro

Phycitodes binaevella
G
91st micro

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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