Spot On + Crescent and Correct

SPOT ON

Despite the brilliant-looking conditions in recent days, trapping in the garden has been largely disappointing, particularly for numbers. There has been a little bit of quality here and there however. Not least a brand new species to me on the 2nd, a Brown-spot Pinion.

Aggregate list for 30th September, 2nd and 3rd October:

8 Common Marbled Carpet

6 Large Yellow Underwing

4 Sallow NFY

3 Spruce Carpet

3 Yellow-line Quaker NFY

2 Grey Pine Carpet

2 Lesser Yellow Underwing

2 Large Ranunculus

2 Lunar Underwing

1 Snout

1 Svensson's Copper Underwing

1 Copper Underwing

1 Barred Sallow

1 Garden Carpet

1 Red-line Quaker NFY

1 Brown-spot Pinion NFG

1 Chestnut

Yellow-line Quaker

Sallow

Grey Pine Carpet

Brown-spot Pinion

CRESCENT AND CORRECT

Last night was Paul Wheeler's last Pewley Down session of the year, and with the forecast for complete cloud, we were hopeful. As it turned out, the cloud cover was quite thin, and often broken, so as a result numbers were a little disappointing. But, some top quality was caught, including a lifer for me, a stunning Green-brindled Crescent. Also lots of variable Beaded Chestnut (only my second sighting).

4th October, Pewley Down:

Large Ranunculus

Beaded Chestnut

Autumnal Rustic

Red-green Carpet

Barred Sallow

Lunar Underwing

Willow Beauty

Yellow Shell

Brown-spot Pinion

Silver Y

Common Marbled Carpet

Green-brindled Crescent*

Snout

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Dark Sword-grass

Burnished Brass

Beaded Chestnut (pale example)

Brown-spot Pinion

Green-brindled Crescent

underwings arrive

I had a short session trapping in my garden on 24th where I was again hampered by hornets buzzing round the trap. In the end, I decided that I would just cover the trap and deal with it in the morning. So, not surprisingly, I didn't have a large catch. However there were some 'new for year's.
*broad-bordered yellow underwing
*least yellow underwing
*copper underwing (agg)
*pine carpet.
Photos in no particular order:

pine carpet

least yellow underwing

broad-bordered yellow underwing

copper underwing agg

large emerald

gold spot

A few year-ticks

I had the trap on for a couple of hours last night while our daughter was out at a gig (and therefore a late night).
I watched lots of moths flying around the trap with lots of flies and a bat but there wasn't a great catch.
The following were new for the year:
green carpet

shoulder-striped wainscot


dark sword-grass

heart & dart

grey pine carpet

The dark sword-grass is an immigrant species as is the silver_Y


I also found my first large yellow underwing of the year in the garden earlier.

Not a moth but I was interested to see a dragon-fly larva emerge from our garden pond, climb the wall and 'release' a black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).

31st May- NE Surrey

Had my best trapping session of the year last night, with near perfect conditions.

1 Grey Pine Carpet

1 Green Carpet

1 Common Marbled Carpet

2 Triple Lines

1 Silver Y

1 Light Emerald

2 White Ermine

1 Willow Beauty

1 Pale Mottled Willow

1 Heart and Dart

2 Flame Shoulder

In the way of Micros:

6 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

2 Pyrausta aurata- Swept from thyme

Grey Pine Carpet...

Green Carpet...

Treble Lines...

Heart and Dart...

A very worn Flame Shoulder...

Light Emerald...

Cheers, Bill