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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

March Moths (1 Viewer)

Pete Haynes

Pete H
Hi all,

Out of hibernation at last. The last two nights it has stayed a half decent temperature till mid-late evening due to the cloud cover remaining longer than forecast. Unfortunately I didn't take full advantage on Sunday night. However, last night, despite dropping to -0.3C late in the night before it clouded over and started drizzling just after dawn, there were a few moths around.

Sunday, 5th: 3 moths of 3 species - March Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty, and Dotted Border.

Monday, 6th: 28 moths of 8 species

March Moth (1)
Small Brindled Beauty (1)
Pale Brindled Beauty (5)
Oak Beauty (1)
Sprong Usher (1)
Common Quaker (1) - new for year |=)|
Satellite (6) - I'll send you some up Brian!!
Chestnut (12)

It will be interesting to see if the Quaker totals can match last year's at
Small Quaker (31st Jan) - 1,757
Common Quaker (3rd Feb) - 1,229

All the best
Pete H
 
Found my first Red Sword-grass this morning sitting openly on a wall complete with raindrops on it's head.
 

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charly streets said:
Found my first Red Sword-grass this morning sitting openly on a wall complete with raindrops on it's head.

Hi Charly,

One species I'd be very lucky to find here in Surrey. It's quoted as "during most of the present century (19th) it has only been seen at a rate of one or two a decade" and then only as a vagrant. Still you never know your luck!

Pete H
 
Pete Haynes said:
Monday, 6th: 28 moths of 8 species

March Moth (1)
Small Brindled Beauty (1)
Pale Brindled Beauty (5)
Oak Beauty (1)
Sprong Usher (1)
Common Quaker (1) - new for year |=)|
Satellite (6) - I'll send you some up Brian!!
Chestnut (12)


All the best
Pete H

Pete. Not only am I jealous of this quantity, you have also sprung a new sub species of spring on us all!! ;)

Or is this another vagrant of 'one or two a Century'!!?

All we got here last night was more snow. Spring is definitely spronged here.

Cheers Pete

Jim
 
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Positively tropical night last night but the MV was on all night for the sake of 2 Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria this morning. Hardly worth it really.
 
brianhstone said:
Positively tropical night last night but the MV was on all night for the sake of 2 Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria this morning. Hardly worth it really.

Hi Brian,

Put three traps out last night and, fortunately, it was well worth it. Even a few micros thrown in, including one I should be able to find given time but would be grateful for any suggestions.

6.8C min, rain until about midnight then just plain cloudy, balmy and calm.
48 moths of 16 species:

March Moth (7)
Small Brindled Beauty (3)
Pale brindled Beauty (1)
SprIng Usher (2) - note Jim, just the same old species
Dotted Border (2)
Engrailed (1) - on upstairs bedroom window, new for year
Satellite (5)
Chestnut (16)
T. alternella (7)
A. ferrugana (2)
A. cristana (1)
plus unid'd micro (1)

All the best
Pete H
 

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I finally got some moths last night - 3 small brindled beauties, inc one melanistic one.
Ken
 

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Pete Haynes said:
SprIng Usher (2) - note Jim, just the same old species

All the best
Pete H

Oh Pete, just when I was getting excited for the mothin' World! ;)

But the good news is we have a thaw at last, fair blows the wind from somewhere. The trap will be out tonight if it stays like this.

Cheers for now.

Jim
 
9th March

A bit cooler last night at 2.5C min, showers till mid-evening then sky cleared, a bit breezy at times too. 22 moths of 11 species:

Yellow Horned (1) - first of the year
March Moth (1)
Small Brindled Beauty (2)
Pale Brindled Beauty (6)
SprIng Usher (1)
Dotted Border (1)
Satellite (4)
Chestnut (2)
Angle Shades (1) - first of the year
Tortricodes alternella (2)
Acleris ferrugana (1)

I've attached a piccie of a micro that I found by my computer as I typed in yesterdays catch - obviously didn't want to be left out! It is only 5mm long. Has anyone got any ideas? All help gratefully received.

All the best
Pete H
 

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Friday night proved an absolute success, 2 moths of 2 species!!!

March Moth (1)
Pale Brindled Beauty (1)

Since then we went back to winter like everyone else. BTW a 2 tonne truck was lifted off the ground by a mini tornado yesterday, in Kärnten, South Austria! The news reader confirmed there were no casualties, just 8 shocked witnesses.

I think I would drink to that. :eek!: :eek!: :eek!: :eek!: :eek!: :eek!: :eek!: :eek!:

B :)

Jim
 
I had 10 species on 14th March last year--judging from the forecasts it looks as if my year total will stay at 3 for a little while longer yet.
I did find a larva yesterday while gardening (the day wasn't too cold), which I'm almost certain was an angle shades.
Ken
 
Well despite the winter conditions, I did get a chance to do abit of 'recording'.

A 'fresh' male Plumed Prominent was collected on the outside wall on Monday, and a Small White larva(18mm) was found in the Bio brocolli yesterday. I worry when the Bio brocolli doesn't have them in it! It was having raw brocolli for breakfast when I left this morning, every creature to it's own I suppose.

Have a great day.:hi:

Ciao

Jim
 

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Another Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria on the kitchen window last night despite continuing cold weather. Spring still seems a long way off.
 
14th March Wicklow list 28 species

Took the opportunity of relatively mild, cloudy and calm weather to put out 3
traps. Temp started at 10C and gradually dropped to 6C. Clear sky for a while
meant a bright moon for some of night.

They're all practically new for year as only about 4th time to have trap on.
Also, it wouldn't surprise me to find another couple micros lurking in the shady parts of trap when I insepct them again...

Garden 125w MV 101 moths of 19 species
Farmyard 125w MV 77 moths of 17 species
Garden 15w actinic 71 moths of 14 species.

0282 Caloptilia elongella 1
0461 Ypsolopha ustella 1
0663 Diurnea fagella 7
0671 Depressaria ultimella 1
0688 Agonopterix heracliana 4
0696 Agonopterix propinquella 1
0697 Agonopterix arenella 1
0701 Agonopterix ocellana 2
1044x Acleris ferrugana/notana 1
1053 Acleris hastiana 5
1524 Emmelina monodactyla 1
1663 March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) 39
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
1881 Early Tooth-striped (Trichopteryx carpinata) 1
1917 Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 9
1926 Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) 9
1930 Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) 3
1934 Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) 3
2187 Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 67
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 28
2189 Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda) 2
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 50
2236 Pale Pinion (Lithophane hepatica) 1
2237 Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis) 1
2241 Red Sword-grass (Xylena vetusta) 1
2243 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 4
2256 Satellite (Eupsilia transversa) 1
2258 Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii) 5
 
Angus T said:
Took the opportunity of relatively mild, cloudy and calm weather to put out 3
traps. Temp started at 10C and gradually dropped to 6C. Clear sky for a while
meant a bright moon for some of night.

Hi Angus,

I was thinking about you last night as I watched the weather forecast, with your mild airstream and our cold from the continent, thinking I bet you have a few tonight. Bingo. I haven't put a trap out for 3 nights now until last night and then only one. Forecast was a little warmer than previously - turned out to be a min of 1.0C, showers early then cloudy/clear and dry. Only 9 moths of 3 species here:

March Moth (2)
Small Brindled Beauty (3)
Chestnut (4)

Looking forward to the next warm spell and a surge of Quakers! Is that the collective noun?

All the best
Pete H
 
Um?

Birds are seen 'flocking', warplanes are seen in 'waves', midges and locusts in 'clouds', bees in a 'swarm', the general gathering of a group is 'massing', the general sudden movement of a group is a 'surge'.

I don' know Pete, but the picture that builds up of local Quakers coming together in singles and pairs, massing up behind your garden boundary, whispering amongst themselves, (the odd cough down the line) waiting for the right night to surge and 'descend' upon the traps, I don't know, but I think you had better extend the trap bases downwards, or your in for a lot of trouble.....I think I have finally cracked with the lack of moths :'D

How about the descent of the Quaker masses!

BTW, we got more snow yesterday.

Jim
 
Wandered Scot said:
Um?

Birds are seen 'flocking', warplanes are seen in 'waves', midges and locusts in 'clouds', bees in a 'swarm', the general gathering of a group is 'massing', the general sudden movement of a group is a 'surge'. Jim

Perhaps it's a silence of quakers?

Pete H
 
I saw my first butterfly of the year today. I think it was a small tortoiseshell but it went past rather quickly. It's lovely and sunny with a biting wind, so I doubt there'll be many moths around tonight.
Ken
 
Surreybirder said:
It's lovely and sunny with a biting wind, so I doubt there'll be many moths around tonight.
Ken

Hi Ken,

There were a few around last night. I've come to the conclusion that a rise in temperature is as important as the absolute temperature so when the weather forecast said min 2-3C I decided it was worthwhile trying. Unfortunately, it was windy nearly all night here and I've found that wind is more of a nuisance than rain. However, 3 traps produced 15 moths, 5 each, of 8 species with a min temp of 2.6C, cloudy and windy - exactly as it said on the tin! First Small Quaker and Hebrew Character of the year plus a couple of Common Quakers. Is this the start of the SURGE?

March Moth (2)
Small Brindled Beauty (2)
Small Quaker (1) - first of the year
Common Quaker (2)
Hebrew Character (1) - first of the year
Satellite (1)
Chestnut (5)
Tortricodes alternella (1)

I reckon its going to be bedlam here when the weather eventually warms up and they decide it's time to hatch out!

All the best
Pete H
 

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