Saints and Cinnabars

Yet another warm day yesterday (getting bored of them yet?), so thought it was worth a punt with the trap.  It was, as this new trap seems to be able to glean new moths for my tiny garden left, right, and centre.  Another two today bringing my garden macro list to 265 in (nearly) three years.  These were a White-pinion Spotted and a surprise Cinnabar (usually a day-flyer, but does still come to light traps occasionally), but still not great numbers in the trap though.

26th May:
4 Brimstone
3 Peppered Moth
3 Scalloped Hazel NFY
2 Green Carpet
1 Angle Shades NFY
1 Red Twin-spot Carpet
1 Pale Tussock NFY
1 White-pinion Spotted NFG
1 Minor sp.
1 Poplar Grey
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
1 Mottled Pug
1 Garden Carpet
1 Heart and Dart NFY
1 Cinnabar NFG
1 Muslin Moth NFY
1 Orange Footman NFY
1 Common Pug
1 Silver Y NFY
1 Dagger sp. NFY
1 Common Marbled Carpet NFY
1 Dwarf Pug
1 Silver-ground Carpet

White-pinion Spotted

Cinnabar

Muslin Moth

Silver-ground Carpet

Scalloped Hazel

Orange Footman

Dagger sp. (prob Grey)

Angle Shades

Dwarf Pug (I think - quite worn)

A Dwarf Catch

I thought the warmer temps would increase the numbers of moths immediately.  Wrong!  Presumably they need a little time to hatch out - I'll certainly be trapping later on in the week.  The total of 12 moths was pretty disasterous, but perhaps the 20 odd Cockchafers in the trap didn't help (they don't eat moths, but they fly around the trap constantly disturbing them, increasing the chances of them escaping)!  Four year ticks included a pristine Shears and two Dwarf Pug.

21th May:

2 Dwarf Pug NFY 

2 Brimstone

2 Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 Pebble Prominent NFY

1 Mottled Pug

1 Nut-tree Tussock

1 Shears NFY

1 Garden Carpet NFY

1 Green Carpet

 

Dwarf Pug

Pebble Prominent

Shears

Sorry it has nothing to do with moths, but I just have to post this photo somewhere (the mainstream birding websites do not allow shots of nests), which was taken by my Mum the other week.





A Moorhen Mother

31st May- Dwarfs Alders come before

Normally, I would do a post for the last two nights, but with cloudy skies, and no rain until dawn, I just knew tonight would produce a lot, and I was right. 49 moths of 27 species is the best catch this year, and it had plenty of stunners amongst them.

Not only did I get two more Light Brocade, but I also got the garden ticks of Small White Wave and May Highflyer, as well as a brand new species for me in the shape of two Alder Moths. There was a considerable size difference between the two, which is not particularly obvious in the photo (maybe male and female?). Also a Dwarf Pug which is only the second ever.

31st May (NFY = new for year, NFG = new for garden)

8 Heart and Dart (oh, the fun to come)
5 Treble Lines
4 Shuttle-shaped Dart
3 Common Pug
3 Red Twin-spot Carpet
2 Common Marbled Carpet
2 Light Brocade
2 Alder Moth NFG
2 Brown Silver-line
1 Oak Hoop-tip NFY
1 Small Phoenix
1 Clouded Drab
1 Common Carpet NFY
1 White-spotted Pug
1 Yellow-barred Brindle
1 Orange Footman
1 Small White Wave NFG
1 Poplar Hawk-moth
1 Brimstone
1 Bird's Wing NFY
1 Shears
1 Oak-tree Pug
1 Coxcomb Prominent NFY
1 Scalloped Hazel
1 Heart and Club NFY
1 May Highflyer NFG
1 Dwarf Pug NFY


Small White Wave
Oak Hook-tip

May Highflyer

Dwarf Pug

Coxcomb Prominent

Bird's Wing

Alder Moths