Surreybirder's lep blog (1 Viewer)

[Surreybirder]

It was v mild last night but the clear skies kept the catch low. I had two species that were new for the year:
merveille du jour
feathered thorn

Also, a red-green carpet that thought it would imitate a tent.

I should probably have left the trap on o/night as it was raining by dawn!

 

[MikeWall]

It was v mild last night but the clear skies kept the catch low. I had two species that were new for the year:
merveille du jour
feathered thorn

Also, a red-green carpet that thought it would imitate a tent.

I should probably have left the trap on o/night as it was raining by dawn!

Raining is an understatement, at least for my part of Hampshire! Thunderstorms started at 5.30 and continued, off and on, for two hours. I cycled to the station this morning and was wet through within a minute; like being in Bangladesh during the monsoon. Any trap left out in that, covered or not, would have been drowned and I would have feared for the bulb!

 

[Surreybirder]

It wasn't that heavy with us, Mike. But I'm glad to learn that you are lessening your ecological footprint (by cycling) - Just been to a talk on the subject!!
Ken

 

[MikeWall]

It wasn't that heavy with us, Mike. But I'm glad to learn that you are lessening your ecological footprint (by cycling) - Just been to a talk on the subject!!
Ken

You've seen my avatar presumably? I don't drive anywhere locally unless I have to - carrying a generator on a bike is beyond even me !

 

[Surreybirder]

You've seen my avatar presumably? I don't drive anywhere locally unless I have to - carrying a generator on a bike is beyond even me !

I wish I could draw cartoons!
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

11 Oct

It was very mild last evening with cloud cover. I trapped until about 10.30 and got
satellite (slightly odd one with white 'satellite' and orange 'moon')
angleshades
common marbled carpet (2)
merveille du jour
feathered thorn (4)
lesser yellow underwing
brindled green (3)
Blair's shoulder-knot
E postvittana (2)
rush veneer
Beautiful hook-tip (new for me)
chestnut
barred sallow
Lozotaeniodes formosanus (new for me if correct)
figure of eight


Ken

 

[Nerine]

Ken, good to know there are so many moths still around. Not having a trap I’m unaware of what may possibly be lurking about at night in my garden but wandering around with the torch I’ve found masses and masses of plume moth (I think Emmelina monodactyla).
When mowing the grass the other day and knocking into the bushes I disturbed literally hundreds of them. Haven't seen anything else interesting lately but I'm well pleased with ones I've spotted during this year considering I haven't got a trap.

Nerine

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi, Nerine, yes there are still some moths around... though I haven't seen a plume for a while. They're obviously all in Guernsey. I'll leave Brian to ID it for you!
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

Any views on the possible Lozotaeniodes formosanus ?

 

[Brian Stone]

Can't see it anything anything else but then I keep fouling up at the moment. Not paying the moths enough attention at the moment, the birding's been too good.

 

[Brian Stone]

Hi, Nerine, yes there are still some moths around... though I haven't seen a plume for a while. They're obviously all in Guernsey. I'll leave Brian to ID it for you!
Ken

Why me! Cock-up a minute at the moment.

From what I can tell the spurs look unequal, which would make it a monodactyla here.

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Brian, I'm glad the birding is good. Cannot say the same in darkest Surrey! A sparrowhawk took a house sparrow in our garden a couple of days ago which is about the best excitement I've had for quite a while!
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

I trapped until 11.15 this evening but it was less cloudy, though still reasonably mild, and I only had:
green-brindled crescent (nfy)
m du j
satellite
chestnut
figure of eight
E postvittana
? shoulder-knot (2) (probably Blair's)

Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

V quiet tonight:
Blair's shoulder-knot
M du J
Chestnut (2)
Acleris rhombana
green-brindled crescent.

 

[Surreybirder]

14th Oct

chestnut (3)
red-green carpet (3)
Carcina quercana
mother-of-pearl
gold triangle
lesser yellow underwing
satellite
sallow
barred sallow
common marbled carpet
snout
one v small unided micro

Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

17Oct06

I didn't have time to finish processing my catch last night but at least two new sp for year:
red-line quaker (nfy)
large wainscot (nfy)
Epirrita sp. (3) (nfy)
m du J
satellite
large yellow underwing
brindled green
chestnut (2)

Also what may be an odd chestnut.... or not. I'll have to try and photo it tonight.

Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

I was a bit hasty with my early morning diagnoses... the 'satellite' is clearly something else. Unfortunately I chucked it out into the darkness so I cannot get any better pix. I'm tending towards scarce bordered straw but would be grateful for a second opinion.
I think my other 'mystery' moth is just a dark example of a chestnut, but again I'd be grateful for confirmation.
Ken

 

[MikeWall]

I was a bit hasty with my early morning diagnoses... the 'satellite' is clearly something else. Unfortunately I chucked it out into the darkness so I cannot get any better pix. I'm tending towards scarce bordered straw but would be grateful for a second opinion.
I think my other 'mystery' moth is just a dark example of a chestnut, but again I'd be grateful for confirmation.
Ken

Agree with both of those, Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Mike.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

Nothing unexpected last night...
M du J
E postvittana
brindled green
figure of eight
lesser yellow underwing
chestnut (2)
Epirrita sp
common marbled carpet
red-green carpet (2)

I stopped at about 10.15 pm

PS I keep trying to turn my chestnuts into dark chestnut without success. I'm pretty sure that some of the 'dark chestnuts' on the Polish website
http://www.lepidoptera.bai.pl/start.php?lang=UK
are mis-named. Does anyone agree?
Ken