Muslin

So far this March, numbers have been relatively low compared to those experienced last month, in February. I did catch this Muslin Moth back on the 13th March, a first for the garden, and certainly the earliest record of this species I've ever heard of, unless anyone can beat it?

Dark Chestnut is also a new one to appear in 2012, with this individual being the 3rd record for the garden since the first turned up on the 25th February of this year...

Double-striped Pug...

More than a Little success in the garden

Back to the garden last night, where conditions were excellent, and I was relieved we didn't get the forecast thunderstorms. By far the best variety of the year to date included a Little Emerald which is new to the garden, along with a load of new for the years.

27th June:

14 Heart and Dart

10 Light Arches

9 Riband Wave

6 Rustic

5 Uncertain

5 Beautiful Hook-tip NFY

3 Buff Arches NFY

3 July Highflyer

3 Flame

3 Light Emerald

3 Dot Moth

2 Tawny-barred Angle

2 Mottled Rustic NFY

2 Minor sp.

2 Brimstone

2 Dark Arches

1 Fan-foot

1 Little Emerald NFG

1 Poplar Grey NFY

1 Iron Prominent NFY

1 Mottled Beauty

1 Engrailed NFY

1 Common White Wave

1 Heart and Club

1 Double-striped Pug NFY

1 Double Square-spot

1 Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 V-pug NFY

1 Brown Silver-line

1 Treble Brown-spot

1 Dunbar NFY

1 Willow Beauty

1 Common Lutestring NFY

Total: 33

V-pug

Engrailed

Buff Arches

Dot Moth

Double-striped Pug

Poplar Grey

Tawny Barred-angle

Little Emerald

March Round-off

A few more odds and ends from March in the garden.

Emmelina monodactyla, caught on the 22nd. An almost prehistoric looking micro moth...

Double striped Pugs fly throughout most of the year in mild weather, but it is the first generation, emerging during March and April, that are the smartest looking (sorry for the horrible camera focusing, they are not easy to photograph!). Caught this individual on 22nd March...

On a field trip to the bathroom on 14th, this Mompha subbistrigella decided to fly in through an open window. Its the smallest moth I've ever seen- only 4mm in length- and new for the garden. Provided a real challenge for the macro lens...

Probably the most stunning moth I've caught yet this year, I caught my first Oak Beauty on the 11th, and since then small numbers have been turning up to lit windows now and then- always a pleasure to see...

Not easily told apart from Dark Chestnut (which is coming to the end of its flight period), I caught this typical looking Chestnut on the 11th. Told apart from Dark Chestnut by the more curved edge to the forewing, as opposed the more straight edged and sharp 'apex' of the Dark Chestnut...

Mild weather brought this worn Oak Nycteoline out of hiberation slightly earlier than usual on the 10th March. Like the Double-striped Pug, it can be seen throughout most of the year...