The Dark side

I'm sorry I can't make the 200th blog post more dynamic than trapping in the garden, but its fitting to at least get a garden tick. In decent conditions, numbers were actually a bit down, but luckily quality was good, with several year ticks, a second record, and the new garden species. The new one was the respectable county record of Dark Spectacle (although the reason there are so few records is due to confusion arrising from the changing of nomenclature!). I also got my second record of Suspected, and bizzarely, just like my first record, involves two individuals.

2nd August:
7 Dunbar
7 Shuttle-shaped Dart
6 Large Yellow Underwing
6 Riband Wave
4 Common Rustic
2 Common Carpet
2 Clay
2 Suspected NFY
2 Willow Beauty
1 Rosy Footman
1 Small Phoenix
1 Knot Grass NFY
1 Common Footman NFY
1 Slender Brindle
1 Lesser Yellow Underwing NFY
1 Dark Arches
1 Ear Moth
1 Uncertain
1 Scalloped Oak
1 Small Fan-footed Wave
1 Svensson's Copper Underwing NFY
1 Dark Spectacle NFG

Common Carpet

Suspected

Knot Grass

Dark Spectacle

We go for Gold at Bisley

There was an event on at Sheet's Heath this evening, which is a heathland/woodland site near Woking, right next to Bisley shooting centre. However, the forecast looked appalling, with the rain careering in around 10:00pm. I thought it was worth going just in case. It did cloud over around 9:00, as forecast, but incredibly, we just experienced one or two light showers, until we packed up at 1:00, with no threat to our electronics thank goodness. With the cloud cover at least temperatures stayed constant, although it had not been a hot day. We had four traps running, so normally I would be a little dissappionted with the numbers we got, but considering the forecast, I was happy with anything! As a matter of fact quality was very high, with several scarce species, and three lifers. These included two heathland specialists, with Dotted Border Wave, and the stunning Purple-bordered Gold, as well as three Plain Waves (I was surprised at how striking the latter was, being smaller than Riband, with clear dots, but faint lines).

6th July, Sheet's Heath;

Dunbar

Riband Wave

True Lover's Knot

Swallowtail

Brown Rustic

Double Square-spot

Suspected

Dark Arches

Clouded Silver

Coronet

Iron Prominent

Purple-bordered Gold*

Oak Nycteoline

Mottled Beauty

Poplar Grey

September Thorn

Smoky Wainscot

Elephant Hawk

Buff Arches

Narrow-winged Pug

Heart and Dart

Peppered Moth (including a carbonaria example)

Scarce Footman

Striped Wainscot

Flame

Willow Beauty

Light Emerald

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Marbled White-spot

Grass Emerald

July Highflyer

Pine Hawk

Pebble Prominent

Buff-tip

Uncertain

Purple Clay

Heart and Club

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Rustic

Plain Wave*

Silver Y

Common Footman

Dotted Border Wave*

Total: 44

carbonaria Peppered Moth

Suspected

September Thorn

Grass Emerald

Dotted Border Wave

Plain Wave

Purple-bordered Gold

An Ear against the wall brings more than a Dingy Turnip!

Sorry for the surreal title, but I'm running out of clever puns (were they ever clever?)! What I'm really trying to do is keep it interesting, but in truth, there is no need to as the moths continue to speak for themselves.

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Last night was brilliant, with 80 moths of 36 species including amongst them four new for the year, one new for the garden, and two brand new species to me. Two Suspected were new for the garden, although both were worn, the photographed individual being the fresher! The two brand new species were a Gothic, and a Dingy Shell, although these also had seen better days. Interestingly, both these species are moths of wet woodland (nearest to me about a half mile away).

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23th July:

16 Dunbar

9 Riband Wave

4 July Highflyer

4 Large Yellow Underwing

4 Common Rustic sp.

3 Scalloped Oak NFY

3 Dark Arches

3 Willow Beauty

3 Rustic

3 Double Square-spot

2 Uncertain

2 Suspected NFG

2 Heart and Dart

2 Slender Brindle NFY

1 Common Wave

1 Common Footman

1 Ruby Tiger

1 Small Rivulet

1 Bird's Wing

1 Poplar Grey

1 Ear Moth NFY

1 Gothic NFG

1 Svensson's Copper Underwing

1 Buff Ermine

1 Single-dotted Wave

1 Small Fan-footed Wave

1 Bright-line Brown-eye

1 Copper Underwing

1 V Pug

1 Flame

1 Common White Wave

1 Marbled Beauty

1 Dusky Sallow NFY

1 Dingy Shell NFG

1 Turnip

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Garden Macro Year List: 170

Garden Macro List: 221

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Below is a Silver Y I caught in the garden a day or so ago. I left it in the pot a little too long, and it laid eggs!

Turnip

Suspected

Slender Brindle

Scalloped Oak

Riband Wave

Gothic

Ear Moth

Dusky Sallow

Bright-line Brown-eye (a fresher individual than last time)

Dingy Shell

The Suspects get off (Wain)scot free at Horsell

Even a late night visit from the rozzers wondering what we were up to, failed to put a downer on a marvelous evening at Horsell Common near Woking. I don't blame them for being suspicious about five shapes leaning over three lights in the woodland. Maybe they thought War of the Worlds was coming to life (the book was set there)!

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Anyway, to the moths. Even though it was clear and cold, there was a steady procession of species, that included five brand news ones to me, and final total of 57 macros. The best ones being Great Oak Beauty, Suspected, and Striped Wainscot.

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3rd July, Horsell Common:(Lifers = *)

Small Fan-footed Wave

Peppered Moth

Rosy Footman

Heart and Dart

Brown Silver-line

Engrailed

Buff Ermine

Double Square-spot

Treble Brown Spot

Bright-line Brown-eye

Small Fan-foot

Dark Arches

Marbled White Spot

September Thorn

Common Wave

Common White Wave

Riband Wave

Lobster Moth

Iron Prominent

Tawny-barred Angle

Sharp-angled Carpet

Mottled Beauty

Common Emerald

Miller

Beautiful Hook-tip

Pine Hawk-moth

Buff Footman*

Willow Beauty

Yellow-tail

Dunbar

Brown Rustic

Common Footman

Sandy Carpet

Light Emerald

Brown Scallop

Uncertain

Barred Red

Great Oak Beauty*

Peach Blossom

Large Emerald

Pebble Hook-tip

Knot Grass

True Lover's Knot

Blotched Emerald

Dwarf Cream Wave*

Striped Wainscot*

Scarce Footman

Four-dotted Footman

Scalloped Oak

Brimstone

Coxcomb Prominent

Green Pug

Buff-tip

Heart and Club

Buff Arches

Suspected*

Coronet

Minor Shoulder-knot

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Apologies for the poor shots.

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September Thorn

Buff Footman

Brown Scallop (honest!)

Large Emerald

Yellow-tail

Striped Wainscot

Suspected

Great Oak Beauty