A real barnstormer of a session last night – stuff was coming in thick and fast and I stayed up to 01:30 collecting some of the choicer specimens for closer examination later, although not that much later, with an 05:00 alarm set! Pick of the bunch for me was a Buff Arches, a moth that friends over in Chester have been trapping a fair bit of late, and rather a fabulous beast, so I was very pleased one finally decided to pay me a visit. Others new for me were a Small Rivulet, Early Thorn, and what I first considered might be within variation for Riband Wave, but had confirmed on the ID sub-forum (thanks Andy) as a Clay Triple-lines. Then there was a Grey/Dark Dagger. It’s funny, but while I would be beyond frustrated, for example, to pick up an unattributable Fea’s-type Petrel on a sea-watch, or to see an Orphean Warbler sp without it being settled to either Eastern or Western, I can cheerfully add all sorts of aggs & indistinguishable species pairs to the garden moth list. Go figure. Other highlights amongst the 39 species included an immaculate Poplar Hawk, Swallow & Lesser Swallow Prominents, a Spectacle, Small Angle Shades and yet another Peach Blossom. Large Yellow Underwing ran away with the numbers, contributing 30 to the total of 93 individuals. Then while at work today Arch discovered a second Early Thorn when he took the covers of the bikes. He managed to pot it for me, and when I got home it treated us to excellent photo ops down in the grass. He also spotted what turned out to be our sixth NFG in the form of a Small Dusty Wave on the kitchen wall!
Buff Arches
Small Rivulet
Clay Triple-lines
Grey/Dark Dagger & Peach Blossom
Poplar Hawk