Does not seem like winter just yet?

Despite wall to wall sunshine and daytime 18 degrees C this fresh Mottled Umber was in the Warndon Trap yesterday morning. Species more typical of September this week were Brindled Green, Pink-barred Sallow and both forms of Barred Sallow. Micros included Caloptilia semifascia and 2 Rhomboid Tortrix. Numbers generally low though with clear skies and very big moons!

Warndon: Mottled Umber
 



Warndon: Brindled Green

Warndon: Barred Sallow

Little and Large

Rob Hemming and myself went off to Haugh Wood last night as the weather looked mild and promising. Periods of light to heavy drizzle. But it was really quiet and very few Autumnal species putting in an appearance. We did get Oak Lutestring, Bordered Beauty, Sallow, Barred Sallow and Brown-spot Pinion, but in the end, running 4 mv traps for 3 hours, the total was just over 20 species. I spent the last hour staring at my 2 traps waiting in vain for a moth to arrive. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my single mv trap was busy, and I recorded 38 species including Pearly Underwing, Flounced Chestnut, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Brindled Green along with Frosted Orange. The contrast between the 2 sites was huge. Peter Hall

Haugh Wood: Barred Sallow

Bringsty Common: Pink-barred Sallow

Bringsty Common: Blair's Shoulder-knot

Bringsty Common: Frosted Orange

Bringsty Common: Pearly Underwing

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

At last a Convolvulus Hawkmoth has made it into Herefordshire in 2015.
Phil Bradley caught one last night at Maund Common on the edge of Bodenham. Regrettably I didn't trap as I felt it would be too cold. I didn't even bother to check my beds of Nicotiana which no doubt were buzzing with Convolvuli last night.......serves me right!

Maund Common: Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Robin Hemming, Bodenham VC 36

Palpita vitrealis and more



Warndon: Palpita vitrealis

  A relatively bumper night here in Warndon with a Palpita vitrealis here to MV light overnight (NFG and 6th Worcs record); also 2 Silver Y and a Painted Lady which roosted overnight on the garden Whitebeam, was seen to settle there at 15.00 yesterday and still present this morning. Bonus Pale Eggar and Deep-brown Dart also in trap. Who needs the coast when it is as good as this out the back door!

Warndon: Pale Eggar

 

Warndon: Deep-brown Dart

 

Warndon: Painted Lady

 

Bringsty Common September 14-15th

Having been away for 9 days, it always amazes me how fast things change. Whilst Large Yellow Underwings still dominate, numbers are down to under 40 each night. The Square-spot Rustics are just finishing their season and I'm now getting Black Rustic, Autumnal Rustic, Feathered Gothic, Sallow, Red-green Carpet, Small Square-spot, Brown-spot Pinion and Lunar Underwings.  Plus Red Underwings in the trap and also (more typically) on the house walls during the daytime. Second generations also include Light Emerald and Green Carpet. Migrants were limited to a Dark Sword Grass. Few micros and they were dominated by Acleris laterana and variegana. Over the 2 nights, 26 macro species and 7 micro. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Red Underwing

Bringsty Common: Dark Sword Grass

Bringsty Common: Autumnal Rustic

NMN

Two further nights team trapping at Norchard with Mike Southall for NMN was rained on all night Friday then clear and cool on Saturday evening. This scruffy Scarce Bordered Straw on the 11th was not really expected this far inland and was backed up by a nice show of resident Brown-spot Pinions. The Convolvulus did not come in again but several Silver Y's were about the flowers and in traps. A Tawny Pinion on sugar was the real bonus on Saturday. Friday's micros included Cochylis hybridella and 2 Dichrorampha simplicianas. Sallows, Lunar Underwings and Black Rustic gave a more autumn feel to proceedings.

Norchard: Brown-spot Pinion

Norchard: Scarce Bordered Straw

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Following a sighting of a Convolvulus Hawk-moth flying over my Nicotiana plants last night. I have just found this one on the grass next to my Robinson at 9.30pm this evening. I just need one here for my public event on Saturday night. You are all welcome to attend of course. Mike Southall

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Numbers of moths in the trap have dropped off over the past week and there is a predominance of "brown" apart from the yellow of Brimstones and and Sallows. Autumn feels like it is here.

So I was delighted to come across this Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring on the Buddleia and even more delighted to have my camera at hand. A bit of a tricky customer to photograph flitting from one flower head to another and there were very many other shots that went straight to trash.

We have four Buddleia bushes, two purple and two white and interestingly the HHM only went on the purple often flying past the white bushes to get to a purple one despite the white having the more and fresher blooms. The attendant butterflies were not so fussy but were  favouring the white.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Pete Smith - Dodford

Shocking

It has been a long wait for a nice moth here in Bodenham. I was pleased to find this lovely Vestal in the trap this morning. Definitely the pinkest that I have ever seen. Apart from a few of the commoner migrants I feel a little bye passed by the better moths this year.

Bodenham: Vestal

Robin Hemming
Bodenham

Sugaring

Doing some sugaring here at Norchard and thoroughly enjoying it, as are the moths!  Mike Southall