Lazy Grey

Well, what an appaling spring we've had in terms of weather.  As a result, I have not trapped at all this year (although to be honest, I have also been a little lazy too!).  That was until last night, where, in my new garden, I got a modest first catch of 28 moths of 8 species.

Here's to a good mothing year!

14th April:

Macros:
11 Common Quaker
6 Hebrew Character
4 Early Grey
2 Clouded Drab
2 Small Quaker
1 Brindled Pug

Micros:
1 Diurnea fagella
1 Light Brown Apple Moth
(+ 1 Common Plume whilst setting up)

Early Grey

The moths are Blossoming!

A night which was completely clear, didn't promise much, but the day had been warm, so I thought it was worth trying. Boy was it, as I got a total of 200 Small Quaker (with my previous trap, the most individuals of all species I got in one night was 107)! I also got a brand new species. I actually counted 199 Small Quaker, but I made a point of searching all the surfaces outside, in order to get that 200th, which I managed! The new one was a lovely Blossom Underwing.

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24th Mar:

200 Small Quaker

9 Common Quaker

4 Hebrew Character

3 Clouded Drab

3 Twin-spot Quaker

2 Brindled Pug NFY

2 Early Grey NFY

1 Dotted Border

1 Red Chestnut

1 Chestnut

1 Blossom Underwing NFM

1 Oak Beauty

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Brindled Pug

Early Grey

Blossom Underwing

Summer in Spring

The weather has been glorious this last week (perhaps too glorious, as I found out for not wearing suncream!), and not just during the day. Cloud cover has been minimal, but the mild, almost summer like night temperatures have been keeping the moths coming. So far this April, highlights from the garden trap have included...

Lunar Marbled Brown- A fairly common mid-spring species in Surrey, caught on 8th...

The Streamer- A real stunner, and my first ever, taken on 7th. Possibly one of my new favourite moths!

Nut-tree Tussock- A more expected addition to the year list on 7th, although I have only ever had a fleeting glance at one, this time last year when one landed briefly on the trap just in time for me to identify it, before disappeared off into the night...

Esperia sulphurella- This one had me scratching my head when I first caught it on 8th, but thanks to the 500 odd micro photos covered on my newly acquired Chris Manley's Moths and Butterflies photographic guide, I managed to pin it down. A common and widespread species across the whole of Surrey...

Pale Mottled Willow- It was great to finally catch the first PMW of the year on 1st, but the novelty will soon wear off, and this can be one of the commonest species in the trap in throughout the spring, summer and autumn.

Early Grey- Caught on 1st, a first for me. The name doesn't really do the moth justice though, I think it looks quite smart.



The Twin-spot Spring

Last night seemed ideal once again with nice cloudy skies following a hot day, and I managed to get more than yesterday. Again nothing ground breaking, but it was nice to get two Twin-spotted Quaker. Otherwise I got the same 6 species as the previous night, but 41 individuals this time. I also got a nice plume, but as usual I don't have a clue at the species (now identified as Emmelina monodactyla, thanks Dean).
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15th March:

17 Common Quaker

10 Small Quaker

6 Hebrew Character

4 Clouded Drab

2 Twin-spotted Quaker

1 Early Grey

1 March Moth

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Common Quakers

Emmelina monodactyla

Early Grey

Twin-spotted Quakers

Species steadily building up

New species are beginning to appear more frequently now. I had about 60 moths last night. A couple of oak beauties, small brindled beauty, umpteen small quakers, several common quakers and the following new for the year:

Yellow horned


Hebrew character

Early grey

clouded drab