Bringsty Common update

Not a lot of excitement this way of late.  The late Summer lull is in full swing now and my trap is beginning to heave with the usual suspects for late Summer.  Last night Large Yellow Underwings reached a count of 75, just pipped by Square-spot Rustic at 78. And with the Forest Shieldbugs disturbing the moths on the egg trays it looked a bit frantic in the trap at times.  No signs here of any migrant activity.  the few Silver Y's all look past their best and even Plutella xylostella (Diamond-back) have stopped appearing.  I am getting "waves" of Acentria ephemerellas (Water Veneer) appearing around the trap with a best count just 2 shy of 100.  But it is erratic, last night just 3 counted, the night before it was 53, with most fluttering apparently helplessly in the grass, always on one side of the trap, even when there's no apparent wind.  Pale Eggar has been arriving - 2 so far and last night the first Frosted Orange. Still getting a few Centre-barred Sallow.  I'll have to check the records, but Poplar Hawk has been almost ever present this year with the 2 broods overlapping.  1 last night.  It is the best second brood Heart and Dart season I can ever remember with 47 recorded on the 17th. As for species counts, they are slowly falling away (with moth numbers increasing).  Last night 29 macros and 13 micros, on the 21st 31 macro species and 13 micros, the 20th 34 macro species and 19 micros.  It cools down now, so the traps will get a rest.

On the 18th I went out ot Moreton Wood near Ullingswick (Herefordshire) which is a wood sitting on a limestone outcrop.  Here I did get one migrant - a Dark Sword Grass - and other than plenty of Pretty Chalk Carpet and a few Fern, the list was as you would exepct anywhere. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Frosted Orange 22/8/2018

 

Bringsty Common: Pale Eggar 20/8/2018