Chocolate surprise

Last night I went on the first field trapping session of the year, which was at Hagthorne on the edge of the Ash Ranges. The temperature was ideal (so the mossies were out in force!), so we knew we were in for a busy night, and at close of play at around 1, we had had 49 macro species in four traps - not bad considering we are still in May. No lifers amongst these, but I did see the adults of Fox Moth and Pine Beauty for the first time, having only seen thier caterpillars before. We also got some notable scarcities, including a Small Chocolate-tip. Bizzarely, I have now seen two of these, but not yet encountered normal Chocolate-tip (except in a pot on a table at Dungeness visitor centre, which doesn't really count)!

24th May - Hagthorne, Ash Ranges:

21 Green Carpet

5 Sharp-angled Carpet

6 Brown Silver-line

2 Common White Wave

2 Poplar Lutestring

2 Oak Hook-tip

2 Sharp-angled Peacock

2 Mottled Pug

4 Brimstone

1 Narrow-winged Pug

9 Small Seraphim

3 Flame Shoulder

5 Fox Moth

2 Iron Prominent

2 Grey Pine Carpet

1 Ruby Tiger

3 Grey Birch (my 2nd, having seen my first just a few hours earlier, in my garden trap)

5 Pale Tussock

1 Small Chocolate-tip

1 Silver-ground Carpet

1 Least Black Arches

1 Common Swift

1 Spectacle sp. (see photos)

3 Pebble Hook-tip

1 Pine Hawk-moth

2 May Highflyer

3 Scalloped Hook-tip

2 Small Yellow Wave

1 Peacock

1 Tawny-barred Angle

1 Treble Lines

1 Pale Prominent

1 Lesser Swallow Prominent

1 Red-green Carpet

1 Common Carpet

1 Silver Y

2 Dingy Shell

1 Poplar Grey

1 Pine Beauty

1 Marbled Brown

1 White Ermine

2 Horse Chestnut

2 Peppered Moth

1 Common Lutestring

2 Great Prominent

3 Cinnabar

1 Pebble Prominent

1 Orange Footman

1 True Lover's Knot

Poplar Lutestring

Fox Moth

Small Chocolate-tip

Grey Birch

Pale Tussock

Least Black Arches

We debated whether this was a Dark Spectacle for ages, but we are still undecided.  Any opinions? (sorry for the unhelpful shot - the ground colour was sandy brown)

Sharp-angled Peacock

Small Yellow Wave

Dingy Shell

Pine Beauty

Sweet success at Chobham

The event on the 6th August brought me to a place I have never been to before, the famous Chobham Common. Accompanied by the calling of Nightjars, we set up the trap near a wet boggy area, and it came up trumps. I managed two new species, and they were both hum dingers! First, a Small Scallop arrived, and shortly after, a Small Chocolate-tip. A very scarce species, with only a few known colonies in Surrey (only one seen at Chobham before). Loads of Straw Underwing were a surprise too.
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Chobham Common, 6th August:
Straw Underwing
Currant Pug
True Lovers Knot
Small Fan-footed Wave
Turnip
Straw Dot
Small Chocolate-tip*
Rosy Footman
Small Scallop*
Ruby Tiger
Small Rufous
Yellow Shell
Scarce Footman
Scalloped Hook-tip
Double-striped Pug
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Drinker
Copper Underwing
Large Yellow Underwing
Flame Shoulder
Pale Prominent
Iron Prominent
Smoky Wainscot
Dusky Thorn
Pebble Hook-tip
Dark Arches
Peppered Moth
Horse Chestnut
Dagger sp.
LBBYU
White Point
Canary-shouldered Thorn
Pebble Prominent
Poplar Grey
Willow Beauty
Brimstone
Maiden's Blush
Vine's Rustic
Common Carpet
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Straw Underwing

Small Scallop

Small Chocolate-tip