May/June Moths (2 Viewers)

Andy Adcock · Jun 24, 2020

Rubia said:
I'll whisper in one of their ears (it works for Gandalf)|=)| . Can't be responsible if you get eagles.

I've met moth twitchers who swap stuff in motorway service stations, but somehow that seems to be pushing it to the extreme; happy to see stuff at a site if I'm there anyway and like a bird twitch or natural history day out but moving moths round the country sounds like the edge of madness. Like twitching a caged bird.

I was fogged in at Land End aerodrome, waiting to twitch something or other, when some birders who were staying in the valleys and trapping, brought a Death's Head Hawkmoth for us all to see.

I had a county first two years ago, I asked our recorder if she wanted me to hold it for a few hours for anyone, wanting to twitch it at my home and she said no so nobody got a chance.

On the plus side, I'm the only person with Tree Lichen Beauty on their Notts list.

Paul Chapman · Jun 24, 2020

Rubia said:
I'll whisper in one of their ears (it works for Gandalf)|=)| . Can't be responsible if you get eagles.

I've met moth twitchers who swap stuff in motorway service stations, but somehow that seems to be pushing it to the extreme; happy to see stuff at a site if I'm there anyway and like a bird twitch or natural history day out but moving moths round the country sounds like the edge of madness. Like twitching a caged bird.

Clinically insane.

I flew to Belfast to see one of the first White Prominents in a pot after the rediscovery. 3

That said, I then put a week in at Killarney National Park trying to trap my own, followed by finding a larva on an Irish day trip from Stansted at Caragh Lake, trapping a single at Ard na Sidhe combining it with a weekend away with my wife & then trapping quite a few back at Caragh Lake a few months later with some friends.....

Stay safe all.

KenM · Jun 24, 2020

Envy the White Prominent Paul, has be to be the best!, if not “the”.

Cheers

Steve Lister · Jun 24, 2020

My best catch of the year this morning, for quantity, quality and interest. 57 moths of 29 species with eight NFY:
Lyonetia clerkella
Eudonia mercurella
Yellow Shell
Common Footman (4)
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (earliest ever by 7 days)
Dingy Shears (earliest ever by 10 days)
Rustic (earliest ever by 2 days)
Beautiful Hook-tip

I caught probably the same Leopard Moth as two days ago as it had landed in just about the same spot on my wall. Still there a few minutes ago so I have shifted it now.

Steve

JWN Andrewes · Jun 24, 2020

JWN Andrewes said:
Addendum

Having reviewed my photos again I'm wondering if I haven't finally got myself a Rustic, as opposed to Mottled Rustic. I'm thinking Rustic vs Uncertain on account of wing tip shape, fainter crosslines, and rather indistinct pale edgings to stigmata, but who am I to make such rarefied ID calls....

Also, as I headed out to work, I spotted a rather nicely marked Double-striped Pug on the window that I hadn't noticed previously, another new for garden.

Addendum #2

Overlooked this as a micro (I don't generally do micros; my eyes, camera, sanity and field guide are all ill-adapted to them, but any that look large and obvious enough get photographed to see if I can come up with an ID at some point. Made the same mistake with a Least Black Arches on my first night of trapping, so I've no excuse).

Short-cloaked Moth

Andy Adcock · Jun 24, 2020

Steve Lister said:
My best catch of the year this morning, for quantity, quality and interest. 57 moths of 29 species with eight NFY:
Lyonetia clerkella
Eudonia mercurella
Yellow Shell
Common Footman (4)
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (earliest ever by 7 days)
Dingy Shears (earliest ever by 10 days)
Rustic (earliest ever by 2 days)
Beautiful Hook-tip

I caught probably the same Leopard Moth as two days ago as it had landed in just about the same spot on my wall. Still there a few minutes ago so I have shifted it now.

Steve

I wouldn't be so sure it's the same moth, certain species I catch, always seem to have a preference and sit in the same place whenever I get them.

Rubia · Jun 25, 2020

149 moths of 52 species (so far, some micros lurking in fridge). New for garden - Buff Arches (so smart), Clouded Border, Burnished Brass, Phycita roborella, Clouded Silver (pretty) and Double Square-spot. Some nice moths in the repeats too. Pleased with Clouded Silver, whilst common I really wanted it as people around me were getting them. Not far off 250 for garden now. 11 Elephants and 3 Small Elephants, still no Privet or Eyed. First night of the Water Veneer storm, they were everywhere mostly doing the death thing, stopped counting at 29.
Its really quite exciting at the moment.

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2020

After so many years trapping, I'd only ever had Beautiful Hook-tip once, now, I've had it every day this week and Common Footman seems particulaly common this year. Also my second ever Maiden's Blush last night and a Sycamore which I don't get often, in fact it was my sixth record.

Britseye · Jun 25, 2020

Rubia said:
Its really quite exciting at the moment.

I've only been able to trap nightly in two summers out of the last five but around the new moon in June was undoubtedly the highlight of both years when it came to trapping. I've had 400-plus moths of 60-70 species several times around that period.

Currently limited to checking the lights on the local underpass and last night had my first Map-winged Swift since Fair Isle seven years ago. Also only my third ever Barred Red.

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2020

Britseye said:
I've only been able to trap nightly in two summers out of the last five but around the new moon in June was undoubtedly the highlight of both years when it came to trapping. I've had 400-plus moths of 60-70 species several times around that period.

Currently limited to checking the lights on the local underpass and last night had my first Map-winged Swift since Fair Isle seven years ago. Also only my third ever Barred Red.

A species I've only seen in Russia, living in Nottingham means that there are some species I have no chance of seeing as I only trap at home. Russia was very exciting for that, got a lot of stuff that occurs in the UK but which I'll never see here.

JWN Andrewes · Jun 25, 2020

Given the rich and sometimes inventive variety of moth names it is something of a coincidence that my two new species overnight share the same qualifier - double Dingies, Footman & Shears. They were the pick of 50 macros of 24 species, others I was pleased to see again included two each of Clouded Border (after the last one flew off before I could get a good look), Common Emerald and Poplar Grey, and one of the 4 Peppered was by far my darkest yet.

Farnboro John · Jun 25, 2020

A two day update (yesterday was a bit full-on and I didn't get time).

Yesterday I got a tick: Clouded Silver. That was one of 15 species in the trap: a total of 50 individuals with 16 Heart and Darts not so far ahead of 12 Heart and Clubs. There were four Elephants in the trap!

No ticks today but three NFY: Sallow Kitten, Mottled Beauty and Clay. 19 Heart and Darts miles in front of everything else though 5 Heart and Clubs, 3 Riband Waves and another 3 Elephants were notable among the 47 moths of 17 species.

At work a toilet door had a Small Dusty Wave on it (also NFY). Fortunately nobody came in while I was bending down to look at it.

John

KenM · Jun 25, 2020

Farnboro John said:
At work a toilet door had a Small Dusty Wave on it (also NFY). Fortunately nobody came in while I was bending down to look at it.

John

Yes, but what about the Small Dusty Wave John? :-O

Steve Lister · Jun 25, 2020

Another good catch by my standards, 78 moths of 34 species. Ten NFY but nothing particularly odd about the dates today.

The best probably Coronet, Common White Wave and Notocelia rosaecolona all of which I get very rarely.

My running totals for the year are 800 moths of 120 species.

Steve

Surreybirder · Jun 25, 2020

Going round the garden in the tropical heat I came across two moths. One is a yellow shell but the other had me scratching my head until I realised that it might be a micro (it wasn't obviously smaller than the YS). It seems to be a good match for Endotricha flammealis.

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2020

Surreybirder said:
Going round the garden in the tropical heat I came across two moths. One is a yellow shell but the other had me scratching my head until I realised that it might be a micro (it wasn't obviously smaller than the YS). It seems to be a good match for Endotricha flammealis.

Looks good to me.

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2020

Steve Lister said:
Another good catch by my standards, 78 moths of 34 species. Ten NFY but nothing particularly odd about the dates today.

The best probably Coronet, Common White Wave and Notocelia rosaecolona all of which I get very rarely.

My running totals for the year are 800 moths of 120 species.

Steve

Coronet are up for me too Steve, I rarely get them but have had five already this year comprising of both colour forms.

Allen · Jun 25, 2020

Update of interesting/new ones for last couple of nights

Treble Brown Spot
Festoon
Box Moth (thankfully I don't have any Box bushes!)
Pug sp - help on ID appreciated
? - again help needed, found a few that were close but none seemed to match the kink on the wing pattern on the forewing

Surreybirder · Jun 25, 2020

Allen said:
Update of interesting/new ones for last couple of nights

Treble Brown Spot
Festoon
Box Moth (thankfully I don't have any Box bushes!)
Pug sp - help on ID appreciated
? - again help needed, found a few that were close but none seemed to match the kink on the wing pattern on the forewing

Isn't that mother of pearl?

Farnboro John · Jun 25, 2020

Went out to set up the egg boxes for tonight's trapping and a Miller was sitting on the outside of the moth trap (light not yet switched on). NFY!

John

May/June Moths (2 Viewers)

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Poor Judge of Pasta.

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Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.

Ken Noble

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