Putley joins the club

 I was very envious when I read that Mike Bailey had received a visit from a Clifden Nonpareil and didn’t expect to only have to wait a fortnight before one reached my garden - possibly attracted by the black poplars? When I checked my trap in the early hours of Sunday morning, my suspicions were aroused by the size of what at first glance, looked like a very large Red Underwing. On looking closer, there was something quite different about the markings. A glimpse of blue as it briefly flashed opened it wings confirmed that I too had a special visitor.

I released it back into the trap at dusk yesterday evening to move on in its own time – all the other moths had flown by this morning, but it stuck around most of the day, resting on the inside wall of the box before leaving mid afternoon Sally Webster