Clay confusion at Norbury

Conditions were much better tonight, with the temperature still at 21C when we started trapping at Norbury Park at 9:30! A much more diverse catch than yesterday was achieved, although quality was slightly lacking, but we still had a great time. 60 macros were caught up to 1:00, with the best probably being several Triple-spotted Clays. Although, I think the comparison shot below shows two Double Square-spot (they looked very different at the time)!

Norbury Park, 25th June:

Yellow Shell

Mottled Beauty

Brown Scallop

July Highflyer

Burnished Brass

Riband Wave

Heart and Club

Snout

Treble Brown-spot

Common Marbled Carpet

Common Emerald

V-Pug

Minor Shoulder-knot

Rosy Footman

Flame

Double Square-spot

Large Yellow Underwing

Dark Arches

Double-striped Pug

Common White Wave

Light Emerald

Beautiful Hook-tip

Privet Hawk

Buff Footman

August Thorn

Triple-spotted Clay*

Dark Umber

Small Angle Shades

Iron Prominent

Brimstone

Beautiful Golden Y

Coronet

Light Arches

Peppered Moth

Brown Silver-line

Green Pug

Elephant Hawk

Dunbar

Flame Shoulder

Lobster

Heart and Dart

Reddish Light Arches

Rustic

Clouded Silver

Black Arches

Engrailed

Foxglove Pug

Treble Lines

Turnip

Short-cloaked

Common Wave

Uncertain

Brown Rustic

Swallowtail

Peach Blossom

Willow Beauty

Leopard

Great Oak Beauty

Satin Beauty

Short-cloaked

Festoon

Leopard

Privet Hawk

Coronet

Swallowtail

Clay comparison(?)

Three Leopards stalk us at Smithwood

A half-night at a place called Smithwood Common near Cranleigh yesterday produced the now regulation three lifers for me. We placed one trap in grassland, and the other most importantly, next to a pond, which is the last site where Water Ermine had been seen in Surrey.
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No sign of those unsurprisingly, but we did manage 42 macro species up to o:oo in very good conditions. The three new ones were a Double Kidney, three stunning Leopard Moth, and a Lesser-spotted Pinion, which, thanks to recent discussion, I ID'd immediately.
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Smithwood Common, 24th July:
Large Yellow Underwing
Lime-speck Pug
Small Fan-footed Wave
Dunbar
Smoky Wainscot
Common Rustic
Lesser Cream Wave
Small Rufous
Brimstone
Leopard Moth*
July Highflyer
Lesser-spotted Pinion*
Yellow Shell
Double Kidney*
Yellow-tail
Dusky Sallow
Small Rivulet
Dingy Footman
Single-dotted Wave
Common Footman
Ruby Tiger
Snout
Black Arches
Flame Shoulder
Cloaked Minor
Double Square-spot
Small Phoenix
Oak Hook-tip
Uncertain
Buff Arches
a possible Yarrow Pug (it will be gen. deted.)
Willow Beauty
Scarce Footman
Dark Arches
Coxcomb Prominent
Pale Prominent
Riband Wave
Flame
Common Carpet
Currant Pug
Shaded Broad-bar
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
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Small Rufous

Double Kidney

Cloaked Minor f. latistriata

Lime-speck Pug

Lesser-spotted Pinion

Lesser Cream Wave

Leopard Moth

24th-26th June

It's been a good last few nights with some real stunners turning up in the trap, not least getting my second and third Hawkmoth species for the garden, Elephant and Lime respectfully...

My garden macro list for the year has increased to 67, and combined with the micros (that I have identified), my total garden moth list for the year is 87. Other new moths for the year over the period of 24th to 26th June were:

• Leopard Moth
• Blue-bordered Carpet
• Heart and Club
• Peppered Moth
• Marbled White Spot
• Common Carpet
• Barred Red
• Buff Ermine
• Foxglove Pug
• The Fan-Foot
• The Short-cloaked
• Common Footman
• Middle-barred Minor

Elephant Hawk-moth (a stunner)...

And a close up of that mouth watering colouring...

Lime Hawk-moth...

Leopard Moth...

Common Footman...

The Fan-Foot...