Bringsty Common and National Moth Night

One of the guarantees of any public moth event including NMN, is that the weather is likely to be sub-optimal. So I have run a moth trap in the garden for the past 2 nights and will pack it away now as this evening looks wet and windy. Last night was poor. The 2 nights accumulated 22 species and the only moment of excitement, apart from removing hornets, was when I saw a huge moth resting on the side of the house as I went outside to investigate what turned out ot be Agonopterix heracliana on my study window. Hoping to join the Clifden Nonpareil group, I potted it up to take a closer look, but it was a Red Underwing. Still a nice sight. House walls are a good place to look for these during the daytime as well. In no particular order: Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow, Barred Sallow, Snout, Lunar Underwing, Red Underwing, Large Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Deep-brown Dart, Rosy Rustic, Black Rustic, Brown-spot Pinion, Green Brindled Crescent, Light Emerald, Common Marbled Carpet, Burnished Brass, Grey Shoulder-knot, Frosted Orange, Acleris laterana, Agonopterix heracliana, Epiphyas postvittana and Acleris variegana. Not a Clifen Nonpareil in sight (as expected). Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Red Underwing

Bringsty Common:Sallow and Green Brindled Crescent

Bringsty Common:Deep-brown Dart

Bringsty Common:One of the many Lunar Underwing variations

 

The Doward turns Blue

Following on from a Clifden Nonpareil being trapped in Dorstone by Ray Birchenough a couple of days ago, Ian Draycott managed to get 2 in one night last night on the Doward by his home. Well done! We now have 3 people in the county who have caught 2. Peter Hall

Clifden Nonpareil: White Rocks

 

Bringsty Common update

Catches of late have been hovering around the 25-30 species a night level with very little to excite apart from hornet numbers. Last nights catch did provide a single Dark Sword-grass and Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) otherwise it was all the expected fayre. I remember Rob H saying he had to pack up recently due to hornet numbers and probably last night in the garden I should have done the same as I had upward of 20 in the trap, the majority I removed around midnight, but others came in afterwards and the moth and general invertebrate catch looked like it had been through a blender this morning. I'll try and different spot tonight, otherwise Nationl Moth Night will be abandoned here. On the lid, and safe from chomping mouths, was a third generation Willow Beauty, about half normal size. Peter Hall

Unusually late Dotted Clay

A Dotted Clay was caught in my moth trap, in my Hereford garden, on Sunday September 22nd and I decided to get a second opinion of it because of its lateness. Both Peter Hall and Martin Townsend confirmed the record. Apparently there are about 150 records in the Herefordshire database and of those, all but 2 are from July and August. There is one dated September 5th 1998 by John Dodd from Bringsty Common and another from Mike Harper at his home dated September 7th 1972. So this is the latest record by some distance. Robbie Ledlie

The Holy Grail

I have been waiting for this moment for 60 years. A rather battered Clifden Non-Pareil on the outside of the trap this morning here in Longtown, Herefordshire (Sunday 22nd September). And the day before, a Vestal flopping its way across a field nearby. Clearly the warm weather has encouraged some migration. Paddy Matthews

 

Dotted Rustic - Hereford

This turned up last night in my Hereford garden, apparently the first for the county since 1987!

regards, John

You don't have to rare to be good looking...

Very quiet since our exciting find on Tuesday...just this very smart Autumnal Rustic on the windowsill this morning....

Another Clifden Nonpareil !

Delighted to find this moth near Pershore last night - seemingly spreading north and west quite fast now...

In West Malvern this morning - Clifden Nonpareil...found and photographed by Steve Avery - very exciting for our first post...

Recent Migrants

A few recent migrants to my Worcs garden have included Palpita vitrealis, 2 Scarce Bordered Straws, and 2 Small Mottled Willows.  6 Rusty-dot Pearls arrived on Friday night and a Rush Veneer.