Surreybirder's lep blog (3 Viewers)

[Surreybirder]

Found this Esperia sulphurella while walking the dog this evening.
Ken

 

[Nerine]

I'll attach one or two that weren't too bad.
Ken

I like your Angle Shades on that background, Ken, nice capture.
Nerine

 

[MikeWall]

The first pale prominent was in a strange shape - I think it might have had an encounter with a spider's web or something. The second one (from last night) was normal.
I also found a nice butterfly in the garden this a.m.
BTW, I find that I can see thumbnails of the photos I put up and one or two others but mostly I just see a list of attachments. Is that part of the new site 'look' or have I got a problem?
Not much else last night except a couple of micros I'm struggling with and what could conceivably be a very worn chestnut??
Ken

Hi Ken,

Bit confused by your pic labelled 'poss subpurpurella'. Don't look anything like one! It's a Parornix sp., but they're not id'able from a photo. The Chestnut is one.

Mike

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi Ken,

Bit confused by your pic labelled 'poss subpurpurella'. Don't look anything like one! It's a Parornix sp., but they're not id'able from a photo.
Mike

Sorry about the confusion... I thought it looked about the right shape for subpurpurella but clearly it's a different family. I sent it to my CR who just wrote 'record from mines'.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

I found this larva dangling from a thread from an oak tree today -- about one inch long (the larva not the tree!). Does anyone recognise the brand?
Also, if it is coming down from the tree, does that mean that it is looking for somewhere to pupate or will it need to carry on feeding? (There were lots of larvae on threads but most were smaller and much brighter green than this one.)
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

27April

I got my first "first ever" macro of the year last night - foxglove pug. I'd be grateful if someone could confirm it. It's a bit early, but what isn't this year!
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

Lots of larvae everywhere at the moment. I don't have the patience to rear many, but most of them seem to be short and green (green oak tortrix is a poss. for some).
Anyone recognise the attached - about 1" long?
I also found an Adela reaumurella but haven't managed to get a decent photo of it yet.
Ken

 

[wendelio]

Foxglove Pug looks good to me, but you know my track record with pugs.
Looks like it had a narrow escape from a bat!

W.

 

[Surreybirder]

Foxglove Pug looks good to me, but you know my track record with pugs.
Looks like it had a narrow escape from a bat!

W.

thanks, W. I 'rescued' it from a spider's web and I think I may have damaged it at the same time. But it flew off happily enough.
I was a bit worried that the trailing edge of the median fascia didn't look kinked near the costa - but surely it cannot be a toadflax pug in April!
Finally managed to get a shot of the Adela reaumurella.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

28 April

Not very productive last night, not helped by full moon.
The only new ones for the year were shuttle shaped dart and a tortrix.
Ken

 

[Brian Stone]

That second pic looks more like a Gelechid to me. Is it Scrobipalpa costella?

 

[Surreybirder]

That second pic looks more like a Gelechid to me. Is it Scrobipalpa costella?

Thanks, Brian. It's an incredibly active beast but I did manage a better shot and I'm sure you are right.

My wife spotted this grey/dark dagger in the garden this pm. It had its wings up, rather as carpets sometimes do. Does that mean that it recently emerged?
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

1st May

A couple of new ones for the year last night:
heart and dart (the palest I've had, as far as I can remember)
bright-line brown-eye.
Only 4 cockchafers this time
and a smart alder fly found in the garden this a.m.
Ken

 

[steve covey]

A couple of new ones for the year last night:
heart and dart (the palest I've had, as far as I can remember)
bright-line brown-eye.
Only 4 cockchafers this time
and a smart alder fly found in the garden this a.m.
Ken

Hi Ken/All,
not posted for awhile; probably because I don't trap anymore! But on Tuesday I saw a hat trick of dayflyers, one of which was a new species for me. This was Small Yellow Underwing, a diminutive macro but very attractive for all that. Unfortunately it was too skittish to obtain a photo. Likewise the other two which were a Burnet Companion [quite early I think] and Pyrausta purpuralis. All these were on limestone grassland near Castle Coombe in Wiltshire.
Dragonflies in the county are emerging early too. Ten species on the wing so far, the latest, a Downy Emerald, was seen today. I have a feeling it'll all end in tears though (
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi, Steve,
I must look out for the small yellow underwings. There was a field near here where I found them two summers ago but unfortunately the farmer decided to tidy up the field and cut the 'weeds' before they flowered last summer. I've noticed several broad-bodied chasers near here (including the garden) and there has been a big emergence of what I think are azure damselflies - not very good on the tenerals.
I had my first hawkmoth of the year last night - lime. I'll post a pic when there's more light. Also, first common marbled carpet of the year.
Perhaps it's time you got another trap?! There's someone on UKmoths experimenting with LEDs - more planet-friendly.
Ken

 

[Surreybirder]

5th May

Very small catch last night:
pale tussock,
flame shoulder
turnip (new for year).
At first I thought I'd got a heart and dart, but noticed there was no black 'collar' on the thorax. It shows you shouldn't leap to conclusions. (I'll attach a front-on shot of heart and dart of 1st May for comparison.)

The oak trees round here are covered in larvae at the moment. I picked a small sprig to feed the ones I'm rearing and found that there were at least two larvae on it - one in a rolled up leaf and one 'loose'. I've got six that I'm rearing now!
Ken

 

[steve covey]

Hi, Steve,
I must look out for the small yellow underwings. There was a field near here where I found them two summers ago but unfortunately the farmer decided to tidy up the field and cut the 'weeds' before they flowered last summer. I've noticed several broad-bodied chasers near here (including the garden) and there has been a big emergence of what I think are azure damselflies - not very good on the tenerals.
I had my first hawkmoth of the year last night - lime. I'll post a pic when there's more light. Also, first common marbled carpet of the year.
Perhaps it's time you got another trap?! There's someone on UKmoths experimenting with LEDs - more planet-friendly.
Ken

My reasons for not trapping are more security than environmental! My last trap was stolen from out of the garden ( I have a public footpath running along the side of the house....
Still seeing moths though. On a butterfly expidition to Morgan's Hill, a Wilts Wildlife Trust chalk downland reserve, I saw Yellow Shell, Latticed Heath, Muslin Moth and several Fox Moths barrelling around at 100mph!! Oh! and 16 species of butterfly ;o)
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Surreybirder]

On a butterfly expidition to Morgan's Hill, a Wilts Wildlife Trust chalk downland reserve, I saw Yellow Shell, Latticed Heath, Muslin Moth and several Fox Moths barrelling around at 100mph!! Oh! and 16 species of butterfly ;o)
Cheers,
Steve.

Hi, Steve,
I'm impressed!
I went looking for nightingales last night (unsuccessfully) and picked out several moths in my torch. I think they were silver ground carpets but not positive.
Ken

 

[steve covey]

Hi, Steve,
I'm impressed!
I went looking for nightingales last night (unsuccessfully) and picked out several moths in my torch. I think they were silver ground carpets but not positive.
Ken

Visited Swillbrook Lakes, CWP, this afternoon even though not ideal conditions. Managed to see an adult Mother Shipton plus several larvae of the Drinker Moth. Also at least 5 singing Nightingales heard from one spot [10-12 pairs breed there!!].
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Surreybirder]

6th May

12 nightingales - I'll be happy if I manage to hear one. At least I finally saw my first sand martin of the year this a.m. Also, three waders flew over - either curlews or whimbrels. Waders of any sort (apart from lapwings) are scarce round here.
Despite a windy night, I did get a few moths last night. The cloud cover undoubtedly helped. Once I'd fought my way past a hornet and various cockchafers, my list included:
flame shoulder
pale tussock
iron prominent
angle shades
green carpet
oak hook-tip (new for year)
broken-barred carpet (nfy)
prob. red-barred twin-spot carpet (though it does have a bit of notch on the leading edge of the median fascia) - nfy whatever it is!
maiden's blush
coronet (nfy)
common pug (nfy)

also: a rather smart weevil on the back of the piece of bark that I was using as a photographic background ... it was about 1cm long. I'm afraid it's not fully in focus due to very poor light levels.
Ken