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(?)

Festooned with success

As the weather has turned so warm, Paul Wheeler decided to do some trapping at Pewley Down last night. Although it was clear, the warm still air remained in situ, right up to 1:00 when we packed up. Under the light of Saturn, we kept a vigil on both traps, and they were almost constantly heaving with moths. Loads of highlights but I got two new species (the latter was even a lifer for the experienced Mr Wheeler!), which were a fantastic Festoon, and a stunning fresh Netted Pug. The other stars were heaps of Reddish Light Arches (50+), a few Lace Border (an also-ran now!), a Privet Hawk, and 7 Small Elephant Hawks.

Pewley Downs, 2nd June:
Small Dusty Wave
Middle-barred Minor
Common Swift
Clouded Silver
Barred Yellow
Reddish Light Arches
Light Brocade
Straw Dot
Heart and Dart
Treble Lines
Satin Wave
Green Carpet
Willow Beauty
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Scorched Carpet
Mottled Beauty
Light Arches
Small Elephant Hawk
Varied Coronet
Common Marbled Carpet
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Large Yellow Underwing
Iron Prominent
Dark Arches
Snout
Tawny Marbled Minor
Vine's Rustic
Privet Hawk
Clay
Cinnabar
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Light Emerald
Mottled Pug
Festoon*
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Blotched Emerald
Small White Wave
Peppered Moth (carbonaria)
Flame
Bright-line Brown-eye
Engrailed
Netted Pug*
Brimstone
Lobster Moth
Marbled Minor
Total macros: 47

White Point

Varied Coronet

Reddish Light Arches

carbonaria Peppered Moth

Mottled Beauty

Light Brocade

Lace Border

Engrailed

Cinnabar

Blotched Emerald

Netted Pug

Festoon

Small Elephant Hawk

Privet Hawk

Some new friends!

The Shade at Box Hill brings Triple lifers

Last night I ventured onto one of the best examples of chalk downland in the country, Box Hill. Trapping at the Zig Zag Road with David Gardner until 0:00 (I had to leave early), we got 51 macros in warm, but clear, conditions. These did include some real quality though, with two, perhaps three, new species. The best was an unconfimed Surrey Rarity - two Triple-spotted Pug.

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9th July, Box Hill (lifer=*):

Kent Black Arches

Barred Yellow

Brown Scallop

Clouded Silver

Light Emerald

Riband Wave

Dark Umber

Beautiful Hook-tip

Common White Wave

Clay

Reddish Light Arches

Brimstone

July Highflyer

Brown-line Bright-eye

Rosy Footman

V-Pug

Heart and Club

Smoky Wainscot

Treble Brown Spot

Short-cloaked Moth

Small Purple-barred*

Flame

Dunbar

Marbled White Spot

Burnished Brass

Willow Beauty

Scarce Footman

Small Fan-footed Wave

Double-striped Pug

Swallow-tailed Moth

Fern

Common Marbled Carpet

Flame Shoulder

Small Waved Umber

Privet Hawk-moth

Haworth's Pug

Shaded Pug*

Common Footman

Buff Footman

Snout

Small Fan-foot

Coronet

Double Square-spot

Beautiful Golden Y

Common Carpet

White-point

Dark Arches

Clay Triple-lines

Bordered White

Common Lutestring

Triple-spotted Pug* (very rare in Surrey - these two will need to be gen. deted before they are confirmed)

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Brown-line Bright-eye

Privet Hawk-moth (I just love these!)

Kent Black Arches

Shaded Pug

Small Purple-barred

Brockham leaves me speachless

What an incredible night, I don't have any superlatives left. I went trapping at Brockham Quarry near Dorking last night with David Gardner, hoping to get some chalk specialists.

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I must admit I expected there to be a few moths, including lifers, at this honey-pot site on a warm night, but I was not prepared for the onslaught we experienced. To seasoned moth'ers, this was probably only an above-average night at best, but for me it was incredible, with 65 macros recorded by the end of the night.

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In the end, I managed to see seven new species, including some specialists such as Reddish Light Arches and Galium Carpet. Nice to get a visit from only my second Privet Hawk-moth too. Plenty of pretty micros were seen as well, such as Oncocera semirubella.

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By morning we got (* = lifer):

3 Brown Rustic

2 Common Carpet

6 Brimstone

5 Riband Wave

8 Mottled Beauty

10 Willow Beauty

3 Barred Yellow

3 Beautiful Hook-tip

2 Common Emerald

9 Light Emerald

4 Peach Blossom

1 Small Yellow Wave*

7 Coronet

2 Flame Shoulder

5 Common Marbled Carpet

5 Fern*

2 Marbled White Spot

4 Pretty Chalk Carpet

1 Mullein Wave

2 Large Yellow Underwing

1 Small Phoenix

1 Privet Hawk-moth

1 Clay

2 Buff Arches

3 Double Square-spot

2 Currant Pug (as well as a large amount of unidentified pugs!)

1 Setaceous Hebrew Character

1 Common Wainscot

2 Clouded Brindle*

1 Reddish Light Arches*

3 Treble Brown Spot

2 White Ermine

1 Lobster

2 Dark Arches

5 Heart and Dart

1 Swallow-tailed Moth

1 Middle-barred Minor

1 Light Feathered Rustic*

2 Green Carpet

4 Grey Arches

1 Lilac Beauty

1 Purple Clay

1 Uncertain

2 July Highflyer

1 Shears

1 Silver-ground Carpet

1 Barred Straw

1 Orange Footman

1 Treble Lines

1 Galium Carpet*

3 Peppered Moth

2 White-pinion Spotted

1 Short-cloaked Moth*

2 Mottled Rustic

3 Purple Bar

5 Common White Wave

2 Clouded Border

1 Clouded Silver

2 Scarce Footman

4 Common Wave

1 Heart and Club

1 Marbled Minor

1 Small Blood Vein

3 May Highflyer

1 Green Pug

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Small Yellow Wave

Short-cloaked Moth

Oncecera semirubella

Reddish Light Arches

Privet Hawk-moth

Peach Blossom
Mullein Wave
Lobster Moth
Light Feathered Rustic
July Highflyer
Galium Carpet
Fern
Common Emerald
Clouded Brindle