On time Early

With the temperature at minus 1, I was surprised to see my first Early moth flying at the living room window this evening. That brings the total for the year to 3 species. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Early moth

 

Bringsty Common January 15th 2017

Inspired by Steve's Warndon Wood effort, I dusted down the large MV trap and set it up at the bottom of the garden, close to the line of trees that runs along the dingle. The minimum night temperature was 8.7, so I expected a few moths to appear and hoping to add Spring Usher to the garden list. I got one moth, so the trap has been moth-balled again for a while. Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: Pale Brindled Beauty

 

Warndon Wood Actinic

With tales of Pale Brindled Beauties and Spring Ushers elsewhere on Facebook and with another OTT BBC weather forecast of 'arctic blasts' imminent,  I decided to put the 15watt battery actinic Skinner in nearby Warndon Wood last Tuesday evening. The result confirmed it is still truly mid-winter here in VC 37. 2 Winter Moths, 4 Mottled Umbers and a Chestnut. One of the umbers was the plainer 'rich brown' variety. Four Acleris schalleriana's at home in the last few nights, Ypsolopha ustella and a single Agonopterix heracliana last week are about par for micros the first half of January.

Top Chestnut, middle A. schalleriana, bottom Mottled Umber

E-moth

The latest issue of "E-moth", the regular newsletter from Butterfly Conservation's Moths Count team, is available at this link.

Hope to see some of you in Birmingham later this month. Peter Hall

2017

Early moths will be out soon no doubt and the new season will begin again. I'm looking for a new cover image to replace the Rosy Footman for 2017. If anyone would like to submit a photo for the cover you can contact me directly (melanthia18 at gmail.com). It should be a photo of exceptional quality please and your name will appear on the bottom part as a credit. Peter Hall

Trench Actinic on 9th

With the garden being rather poor in recent nights it was off to Trench Wood NR on Friday with the 15watt battery actinic skinner stashed for 6 hours in a quiet corner. 12.5 degrees, overcast with drizzle at end. 5+ Scarce Umber, 16 Mottled Umber, 4 December Moths, 9 Feathered Thorn, 
19+ Winter Moths and what looks like a Northern Winter Moth made for a great last field session of the year.

Bringsty Common December 7th

With such mild nights forecast, I thought I would venture out of the house into the garden and run a moth trap. The minimum temperature was 11 degrees, but after that low point at 8pm, most of the night was above 12. The rain didn't start until around 9am. The first few hours were quite busy, and the latter part of the night less so. The trap was sighted near to one of my hedges. I will run another tonight nearer the wooded strip at the bottom. 8 species with December topping the bill as expected with 53 individuals. One late Red-line Quaker, otherwise the list was Scarce Umber (1), Feathered Thorn (1), Yellow-line Quaker (1), Winter (3), Red-green Carpet (2) and Northern Winter (1). Peter Hall

Bringsty Common: December moths