Friday 23 February 2018

NE Worcester 19th February

The best forecast of the month deserved various efforts last Monday night. A quick look at the Nunnery Wood CP cafĂ© lights produced a Dark Chestnut and an Agonopterix alstromeriana.

Agonopterix alstromeriana
The actinic skinner left in Warndon Wood was buzzing with no less than 63 Small Brindled Beauty by 23:00!
Small Brindled Beauty
Micros included Acleris schalleriana and the local Ypsolopha mucronella .

Ypsololopha mucronella
 An early Small Quaker, one Common Quaker, 15 Dotted Border, 3 Pale Brindled Beauty, 3 Spring Usher and 5 Chestnuts made up the rest of the trap count.
Dotted Border (Male)
 A Red Green Carpet was torched on the western perimeter hedge. The garden Robinson had Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Common Quaker, Double-striped Pug and a Tortricodes alternella. 15 species in mid-February was quite a good result.



Sunday 4 February 2018

Worcestershire Moth queries

I am very sad to report that our Worcestershire County Moth Recorder, Tony Simpson, has recently suffered a close family bereavement. Naturally, he does not wish to be contacted for any reason at this difficult time so I would ask that all Worcestershire moth related queries be sent my way for the time being.

Oliver Wadsworth


oliverdotwadsworthatskydotcom

Saturday 3 February 2018

Warndon Wood Actinics

The garden trap has been hopeless since Christmas, so I used the mild nights of January 23rd and 28th to 'air' the mobile Actinic Skinner in the tiny oak wood nature reserve near my house. Finishing before midnight there was great variation amongst 39 Spring Ushers recorded. Pleased to watch them coming in within minutes of lighting up. Quite a few settled on nearby tree trunks.
Spring Usher
Spring Usher
 Both nights a single Pale Brindled Beauty came in early.
Pale Brindled Beauty
10 Chestnuts and a dozen Tortricodes alternella were par for course.
Tortricodes alternella
Three male Winter Moths were hanging on nearby twigs and on the side of the trap. Single Dotted Border and Early Moths were torched in the boundary hedge. The only rather 'brown' Mottled Umber was looking tired at the end of his long flight period.
Mottled Umber