The Pink Elephant

A completely clear night last night, but I was hoping the warm day temperature would encourage a bit of a hatch.  As it was, it was only just a little better than two days ago in numbers, but no garden ticks (is my trap loosing its mojoo?!).  Eight year ticks were all rather expected, although a Straw Dot was only my second garden record, and an Elephant Hawk-moth always puts a smile on my face.

19th June:
5 Heart and Dart
3 Minor sp.
2 Dark Arches
1 Clouded Border NFY
1 Buff-tip
1 Foxglove Pug NFY
1 Dagger sp.
1 Lesser Swallow Prominent
1 Common Rustic sp. NFY
1 Common Wave
1 Grey Pug NFY
1 Common White Wave
1 Peppered Moth
1 Elephant Hawk-moth NFY
1 Beautiful Golden Y
1 Mottled Beauty NFY
1 Straw Dot NFY
1 Flame Carpet NFY


Micros:
1 Celypha lacunana
1 Small Magpie
2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix
1 Scorparia ambigualis
1 Lozotaenia forsterana
1 Chrysoteuchia culmella
2 Light Brown Apple Moth
1 Cherry Bark Moth

Elephant Hawk-moth

Dagger sp.

Foxglove Pug

Clouded Border

Coppers, Horses, and Pines

The night of the 8th was not particularly good in the garden, so I had to put it into the same post as last nights, although that really deserves its own!

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5 nights ago, the only thing of any note in a catch of 70 moths of 23 species was the first Copper Underwing of the year. Looking at the features that once identified them, it looked like a Svennson's.

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8th July:

10 Flame

9 Heart and Dart

9 Riband Wave

6 Dot Moth

6 Buff Arches

6 Dunbar

4 Uncertain

3 Dark Arches

2 Rustic

2 Coronet

2 Double Square-spot

2 Willow Beauty

1 Buff-tip

1 Scorched Wing

1 Elephant Hawk-moth

1 Beautiful Hook-tip

1 Clay

1 Foxglove Pug

1 Common White Wave

1 Clouded Border

1 Sycamore

1 Common Emerald

1 Svennson's Copper Underwing NFY

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Clouded Border

Svensson's Copper Underwing

Last night however, was miles better, with the second highest numbers of individuals ever (92) and good variety too (36 species), thanks to cloudy conditions, and a heavy shower. The only garden tick was a Pine Hawk-moth, but unfortunately, the rain had got to it and was worse for wear. Two new for the year were Rosy Footman, and a Horse Chestnut - the only officially notable species on my garden list. I have also started to notice micros a little more, and there were some nice ones in the trap, including the migrant Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, but it got away before I could get a shot.

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12th July:

19 Flame

9 Dark Arches

8 Riband Wave

5 Uncertain

5 Dunbar

4 Heart and Dart

3 Coronet

3 Rustic

2 Double Square-spot

2 Peppered Moth

2 Green Pug

2 Mottled Beauty

2 Dot Moth

2 Large Yellow Underwing

2 Dagger sp.

2 V-Pug

1 Willow Beauty

1 Minor sp.

1 Buff Arches

1 Flame Shoulder

1 Small Seraphim

1 Light Emerald

1 Elephant Hawk-moth

1 Common Lutestring

1 Pine Hawk-moth NFG

1 Beautiful Hook-tip

1 Barred Red

1 Rosy Footman NFY

1 Clay

1 Double-striped Pug

1 Horse Chestnut NFY

1 Minor Shoulder-knot

1 Pebble Hook-tip

1 Lobster Moth

1 Poplar Grey

1 Miller

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Garden Year List: 150

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Argyresthia brockeella (Thanks to Ken for the ID)

Acleris forsskaleana

Hedya salicella

Horse Chestnut
Rosy Footman
Pine Hawk-moth (view 1)
Pine Hawk-moth (view 2)

Carpet Challenge

I was a bit disappointed with last night's catch considering how warm the day had been. But a clear sky again meant a limited no. of moths (although it didn't seem to stop the cockchafers arriving - there were about a dozen of them).
List as follows:
Orange Footman 2
Flame Carpet 2
Brimstone
Swallow prominent
Blood-vein (nfy)

Clouded Border (nfy)

May highflyer (nfy)

Poplar Hawk-moth
White Ermine
Muslin Moth 2
Broken-barred Carpet (nfy)

Common White Wave (nfy)

Pale Prominent
Celipha lacunana (nfy)

There was also a carpet which I'm struggling to ID. I think it's probably a faded common carpet but could it possibly be the rare wood carpet? I've asked for comments on www.birdforum.net so I'll probably know soon. Edit: It's just been pointed out that it's a Sharp-angled Carpet... Doh!


Today there was a lovely Pyrausta aurata flying around the mint in our garden. But I couldn't get a photo.