Thanks Paul C. I've largely let Wainscots go in the past, but I shall bookmark your pics as a reference in future. Forgive me for gushing, but your pics are getting better and better. For some reason, it's the detail on the L-album Wainscot really caught my eye. I see a few of those on Scilly each October and have had a few at the mainland site i trapped in Cornwall. Never knew that about banded Mottled Beauty.:t:
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May/June Moths (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Farnboro John
- Start date
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
An auspicious start last night, while still reasonably light, and I'd only just turned on the trap, a Small Elephant barrelled into the garden, sat briefly in the ivy, and then scooted off again. I'm not sure it was even attracted to the light, just stopped by out on its rounds. Didn't go great after that though, as intermittent rain set in, which I could live with, but then the thunderstorm started moving in from the Cheshire plain. I hadn't been too concerned when it was way off in the distance, but by the time it seemed to have gotten as close as Buckley I got a bit squeaky bum about leaving an electrical appliance on outside in the rain. So at midnight I turned off the trap, covered it, put it under a garden table where it wouldn't get wet, and went to bed, knowing I had a few goodies in the fridge that I'd already potted off the wall to go through in the morning.
Nicest of these was a Phoenix, which fortunately I got pics of in the pot last night because it was damned uncooperative this morning, shooting straight out the pot and into the brambles in next door's garden! It was one of 5 new garden moths, out of 25 macros of 16 species. The others were Common Swift, Common Footman, Marbled Beauty and Currant Pug. Other highlights included Silver-ground Carpet, Pebble Hook-tip and a Flame, which unlike the last one did its proper rolled up twig-mimic thing.
Phoenix
Common Swift
Marbled Beauty
Currant Pug
Flame
Nicest of these was a Phoenix, which fortunately I got pics of in the pot last night because it was damned uncooperative this morning, shooting straight out the pot and into the brambles in next door's garden! It was one of 5 new garden moths, out of 25 macros of 16 species. The others were Common Swift, Common Footman, Marbled Beauty and Currant Pug. Other highlights included Silver-ground Carpet, Pebble Hook-tip and a Flame, which unlike the last one did its proper rolled up twig-mimic thing.
Phoenix
Common Swift
Marbled Beauty
Currant Pug
Flame
Attachments
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
My oh my, that hawk-moth fence shot is mouth-watering. One can but dream! Loving the onslaught of photos Paul, all helps in the learning process.
Paul Chapman
Well-known member
Andy - confined to a single actinic in the back garden so far this year though occasionally the odd moth dropped off by a friend from his single actinic nearby. That said, I made contact with the local gamekeeper who controls the access to my favourite local site and he is open to me getting back there in July (for peak season).
Graham - L-album Wainscot has colonised my patch in the last ten years and continued to spread north. It hadn't occurred in the county until ten years or so ago and now always raises a smile but is expected. Banded form of Mottled Beauty (ab. conversaria) occurs in all populations as a variable percentage according to Skinner. On photos, I need to sort out flash/lighting to improve. I've spent a good amount of time with Paul Harris as well as Keith Tailby in the past whose photos are stunning. Delighted to see a number of Keith's photos in the recent Atlas including the odd individual that I suspect I was present for.
JWNA - glad they are of interest. My moth mentor always had an expression - 'there's no substitute but to look at a sh#tload of moths'.... Even then something common (or rare) will occasionally trip you up. Always something you've not seen before.
All the best
Graham - L-album Wainscot has colonised my patch in the last ten years and continued to spread north. It hadn't occurred in the county until ten years or so ago and now always raises a smile but is expected. Banded form of Mottled Beauty (ab. conversaria) occurs in all populations as a variable percentage according to Skinner. On photos, I need to sort out flash/lighting to improve. I've spent a good amount of time with Paul Harris as well as Keith Tailby in the past whose photos are stunning. Delighted to see a number of Keith's photos in the recent Atlas including the odd individual that I suspect I was present for.
JWNA - glad they are of interest. My moth mentor always had an expression - 'there's no substitute but to look at a sh#tload of moths'.... Even then something common (or rare) will occasionally trip you up. Always something you've not seen before.
All the best
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Very envious Paul, my catch remains modest at best in both numbers and content.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Odd night here last night,
an incredible deluge, just before it got dark and it remained overcast and fairly mild, great, I thought.
1 Heart and Dart
1 Rustic / Uncertain
1 Commom Emerald
2 Brimstone Moths
2 Privet Hawkmoths.
Privet Hawk is always a treat but the numbers are ridiculous, could the deluge have taken a toll, I mean, it was biblical for twenty minutes?
an incredible deluge, just before it got dark and it remained overcast and fairly mild, great, I thought.
1 Heart and Dart
1 Rustic / Uncertain
1 Commom Emerald
2 Brimstone Moths
2 Privet Hawkmoths.
Privet Hawk is always a treat but the numbers are ridiculous, could the deluge have taken a toll, I mean, it was biblical for twenty minutes?
Rubia
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes
13/06 yielded 23 moths of 18 species over two hours. Box Tree Moth and Phtheochroa rugosana both new for garden. P rugosana is a very pretty micro, superb under the lens.
14/06 brought 52 moths of 33 species over three hours of trapping. Blue-bordered Carpet, White Plume and Red-barred Tortrix NFG.
I'm now at 28 Small Elephants after 2 months of trapping.
14/06 brought 52 moths of 33 species over three hours of trapping. Blue-bordered Carpet, White Plume and Red-barred Tortrix NFG.
I'm now at 28 Small Elephants after 2 months of trapping.
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Similarly subdued showing here. Our torrential rain was from about four, and was followed by light rain until around six, after which it turned into a rather pleasant evening, plenty of bats about at least.
Moth tally was as follows -
4 Heart & Dart
3 Large Yellow Underwing
Singles of Garden & Silver-ground Carpets, Common Footman, Flame Shoulder and Buff Ermine.
Also singles of two new for garden species - a Clouded Border that bailed as soon as I touched the egg-box it was on, and a Common Wave that did likewise, but at least the latter pitched into the Lavender from where it could be retrieved.
So Saturday's drizzly two hours produced more than twice the individuals of twice the species, including 5 NFG, than last night's complete session in fine weather. Go figure!
Common Wave
Moth tally was as follows -
4 Heart & Dart
3 Large Yellow Underwing
Singles of Garden & Silver-ground Carpets, Common Footman, Flame Shoulder and Buff Ermine.
Also singles of two new for garden species - a Clouded Border that bailed as soon as I touched the egg-box it was on, and a Common Wave that did likewise, but at least the latter pitched into the Lavender from where it could be retrieved.
So Saturday's drizzly two hours produced more than twice the individuals of twice the species, including 5 NFG, than last night's complete session in fine weather. Go figure!
Common Wave
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
They used to be scarce in Notts Ken but have become more regular. It took me ten years to get my first and get one or two annually now so they are expanding Northward.
They're both currently sat on the wall in my porch and have just scared the crap out of my post Lady :-O
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Brian Stone
A Stone chatting
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Wow, those Hornet Moths are outstanding!
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Absolutely gripping!
I have got a little behind (oh no you haven't they cried 3
) so here is a catch up:14/6 Dave's garden in Fleet again. 55 moths of 19 species! Widely common Heart and Dart led the field with 14 but Grey Pine Carpet seems much commoner than round me, with 7, and 5 Riband Waves included a banded one. No less than 6 True Lover's Knots were very nice. Year ticks included 3 Tawny-barred Angles, a Broad-barred White, a Barred Red, a Common White Wave and a Clouded Buff whose bright yellow piped in pink impressed Dave and Max. The pick of the day for me was a Great Oak Beauty because it was a tick.
15/6 My own garden: raced through the contents of the moth trap before going to the office on the first day of a proper return to work. Hurrah. Sort of. 28 moths of 12 species none of which was stand-out and quantity-wise Heart and Dart with 13 was well ahead of 4 Uncertains.
However, after work I nipped over to Shackleford to listen to a singing Quail and not only heard two but also photographed a moth that flew across the path in front of me and landed, to find on getting home that it was a Barred Straw and a lifer!
Cheers
John
PS: I do have some pix of various things and hopefully will find time to put some up tomorrow.
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
15th, Again disappointing.
9 Heart+ Dart
3 Brigh-line Brown-eye
2 Brimstone Moths
1 Set Heb Char
1 Rust / Unc
1 Scalloped Oak NFY
1 Small Dusty Wave NFY
1 Coronet, a very dark one, unlike the last two weeks ago, which was at the bright end of the spectrum, both attached for comparison.
9 Heart+ Dart
3 Brigh-line Brown-eye
2 Brimstone Moths
1 Set Heb Char
1 Rust / Unc
1 Scalloped Oak NFY
1 Small Dusty Wave NFY
1 Coronet, a very dark one, unlike the last two weeks ago, which was at the bright end of the spectrum, both attached for comparison.
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JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Pending ID confirmations 49 macros of 28 species last night, 9 Heart & Darts (Hearts & Darts?), 6 Large Yellow Underwing and 3 each of Willow Beauty & Green Carpet the most numerous, with some nice variety (Iron & Lesser Swallow Prominents, Beautiful Golden Y, Common Swift, Spectacle, Elephant Hawk-moth, Blood-vein). Waved Umber (a rather world-worn individual) made its first appearance at the trap, one having previously been attracted to the bathroom light back in April. New additions to the garden list consisted of Small Fan-foot, Cabbage Moth, a rather drab Green Pug and a Barred Red. That last would seem to be particularly associated with pine and spruce, neither of which is that well represented locally, so I guess these things can range pretty widely.
Waved Umber
Small Fan-foot
Cabbage
Green Pug
Barred Red
Waved Umber
Small Fan-foot
Cabbage
Green Pug
Barred Red
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
A late Waved Umber there, my latest ever is the 11th.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
42 moths of 19 species today, with Heart and Darts limited to 12 - they are dropping off a bit.
A Dwarf Cream Wave in my own garden was nice, as was the second Bird's Wing of the year and two more Elephant Hawk-moths (still no Small Elephant though.) The Flame, Box Tree Moth and Turnip Moth were all year-ticks. A Buff Tip was a surprise after a gap.
John
A Dwarf Cream Wave in my own garden was nice, as was the second Bird's Wing of the year and two more Elephant Hawk-moths (still no Small Elephant though.) The Flame, Box Tree Moth and Turnip Moth were all year-ticks. A Buff Tip was a surprise after a gap.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
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