WINE RACE 2016 .. MATTc380 .. TRENT 353 .. BEN 347 ...... Garden species:- Macros 357, Micros 365, Total 722

Wednesday 28 July 2010

26th July......OAK EGGAR !!

A warm evening with heavy cloud, clearing later to reveal a bright full moon. 44 macro species caught with two traps running and the shed illuminated for my half hourly patrols armed with camera. A garden "first", a wonderful Oak Eggar female, to which I have dedicated my pics for this blog.
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OAK EGGAR....(female)









Not sure about this one, it looks a little different to my usual Double Square spots, maybe a Triple -spotted Clay ? Pic sent to VC30 recorders for ID
No verdict on this one....and a lesson learnt......I could have seen the difference myself had I checked out the hindwing. Pale for Triple-spotted Clay and much darker for the commoner Double Square-spot. The Oak Eggar flew down to my illuminated shed early evening, around 2230 hrs, and ruined the rest of the nights mothin'. There was no way I could better that ! The best of the rest was, a Campion, Mouse Moth, Spectacle, 2 x Sallow Kitten, Nut-tree Tussock, 2 x Scalloped Oak, 2 x July Highflyer, Mere Wainscot, Brown-line Bright-eye, Red/Dark Twin-spot Carpet, a high count of 7 Small Waved Umber, an intermediate Peppered Moth, 4 x Ruby Tiger plus the usual hundreds of Dark Arches and Shuttle-shaped Darts, Underwings and a few others that would be expected. Also around 25 micros were recorded that I could name, with a few for Mr Mannings email box.




Monday 26 July 2010

25th July......Flying High !

The early cold gusts abated and the evening remained still and damp with intermittent drizzle. Not quite enough to soak the trap. 33 species of macro were recorded including this.......
.......JULY HIGHFLYER, a Dells garden debutante, merci beaucoup
DUSKY SALLOW..... 3 of these little beauties in the trap this morning.

My 16th SMALL RANUNCULUS of the year, on the house wall near the trap after a 5 day absence.


DUN-BAR.....a frequent visitor. I have now had 3 different colour forms



COPPER UNDERWING (not Svensson's) Last nights tally :-
16 S.S.Dart
15 Dark Arches
7 Riband Wave
5 Cloaked Minor
5 Silver Y
4 Marbled Beauty
4 Least Carpet
4 Lime-speck Pug
3 Scarce Footman
3 Dun-bar
3 Dusky Sallow
3 Small Waved Umber
3 Common Rustic agg
2 Willow Beauty
2 Lesser Yellow Underwing (no Large Yellow !)
2 Dark/Grey Dagger
2 Ruby Tiger
2 Buff Ermine
2 Uncertain
2 Scalloped Oak
Copper Underwing
Garden Carpet
Bordered Pug
Nutmeg
Small Ranunculus
July Highflyer
Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing
Sallow Kitten
Heart & Dart
Small Dusty Wave
Privet Hawkmoth
Lackey
Red/Dark Twin-spot Carpet





Sunday 25 July 2010

24th July....A night at the Proms

Temperatures were back up last night and two new species for the garden were added to the list. Both Coxcomb and Swallow Prominents.
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COXCOMB PROMINENT
SWALLOW PROMINENT

MOUSE MOTH


YELLOW SHELL



LACKEY Results from 3 traps :-
18 Dark Arches
17 Shuttle-shaped Dart
7 Common Rustic agg
6 Silver Y
6 Riband Wave
5 Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing
4 Ruby Tiger
3 Grey/Dark Dagger
3 Nutmeg
2 Lesser Yellow Underwing
2 Lesser Broad Bordered Underwing
2 Toadflax Pug
2 Turnip Moth
2 Cloaked Minor
2 Least Carpet
2 Small Waved Umber
2 Willow Beauty
2 Buff Ermine
2 Bright-line Brown-eye
2 Pale Mottled Willow
2 Uncertain
2 Scarce Footman
Lime-speck Pug
Large Yellow Underwing
V-Pug
Dingy Footman
Mouse Moth
Yellow Shell
Brimstone Moth
Dun-bar
Straw Dot
Swallow Prominent
Knot Grass
Scalloped Oak
Cabbage Moth
Bordered Pug
Double Square-spot
Blood-vein
Light Arches
Dot Moth
Single-dotted Wave
Coxcomb Prominent
Lackey





Saturday 24 July 2010

22nd & 23rd July...Hark the Herald

Heavy showers on Thursday and a cold night for Friday slowed things down. 3 traps were set for my usual Friday night blitz and an illuminated sheet but my half hourly patrols didnt produce too much. Plenty of Common Rustic aggs. and the next generation Buff Ermines, which are a richer colour than the last white batch. My 2nd Herald for the year was a welcome sight, one of my favourite moths................
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HERALD
LEAST CARPET

SCARCE FOOTMAN...again no Common Footman


BUFF ERMINE



LIME-SPECK PUG




A brace of POPLAR HAWKMOTHS...ready for the off





FLOUNCED RUSTIC






NUT-TREE TUSSOCK







Thursday 22 July 2010

21st July.....Wormwood scrubs up well !

The unique duo Blacklight/actinic (an early experimental "Ratface" trap) is certainly accounting for a lot of species in The Dells garden.
And last night was no exception as it bagged a ......................................................
............................... WORMWOOD !
a garden first for the Dells, and after Mr Blain's 14th last week, this is the 15th vc30 record.

MERE WAINSCOT....first appearance in the garden


Red Twin-spot Carpet X



SCALLOPED OAK.......2nd record for the year A cool breeze developed as the night went on keeping numbers down.
29 species of macro moths recorded.




Wednesday 21 July 2010

20th July.......14th Small Ranunculus !

Another good night with my 14th Small Ranunculus of the year. Also had about 10 Common rustic aggs of various ground colours.
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SMALL RANUNCULUS
MAPLE PROMINENT

a garden first for this....
DINGY FOOTMAN
also had a few Scarce Footman and unbelievably NO Common Footman recorded.


an absolutely cracking LARGE EMERALD...my 2nd for the year Find Emerald eyes in the night. Gleaming shiny and bright......... Emerald Eyes... from the album, Mystery to Me, by Fleetwood Mac...1973



19th July......Perfect !

Perfect conditions produced 50 species of Macro moth. Two garden "firsts".
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WHITE-LINE DART.....confirmed by recorders....Thanks Melissa..That old white line is a friend of mine and it's good times we bin makin'. Right now I'm rolling down the road and the daylight will soon be breakin'.......White Line, by Neil Young 1973
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GOTHIC....garden first

BLOODVEIN......first for year


Monday 19 July 2010

18th July .........Call a copper

A real "mothing" night last night..warmer, with just a hint of a breeze, so I fired up 3 traps and recorded over 50 species including micros.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING......just the one, lots more to come.(first for year)
COPPER UNDERWING X
in fresh, pristine condition........lots more of these to come as well (first for year)

The curiously shaped...CHINESE CHARACTER


And a garden "first" for WHITE SATIN MOTH



17th July.......Cold night keeps numbers down

Just 16 macros recorded on a very cold night for the time of year........
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KNOT GRASS
NUTMEG

SILVER Y


16th July'.........Nothing new...

The wind dropped a nd temperature rose and the moth tally got back to 40+ species including micros...Highest count was the usual Dark Arches, but some of these are looking a bit worn and tired now...bit like me !
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BUFF ERMINE........ 6 of these in the trap was the highest count
EARLY THORN

15th July.... Wet and windy

It was a miracle anything could fly last night in the strong wind and showers, but 17 species of macro turned up in and around the trap including this game little LEAST CARPET
CLAY

LACKEY....a regular in my garden


SALLOW KITTEN



CLOAKED MINOR




Thursday 15 July 2010

13th July..... The Dark Side

Red Twin-spot Carpet
Yellow-barred Brindle

Last night turned up some interesting species in the one Skinner I had operating. The weather was a little warmer than the night before and the wind had dropped.
A garden first DARK UMBER


SCALLOPED OAK...2nd for the year



An easy Pug species to identify for a change...


BORDERED PUG....first for year




a stunning micro.......


BEAUTIFUL CHINA-MARK





another first for my ever expanding micro list


EUROPEAN CORN-BORER Results :


..................


9 x Dark Arches


6 x Common Footman


6 x Uncertain


5 x Willow Beauty


5 x Shuttle-shaped Dart


4 x Riband Wave


3 x Dot Moth


3 x Least Carpet


3 x Buff Ermine


3 x Scarce Footman


3 x Pale Mottled Willow


3 x Heart & Dart


2 x Cloaked Minor


2 x Flame


2 x Bright-line Brown-eye


2 x Dun-bar


2 x Grey/Dark Dagger


AND one each of the following:-


Small Emerald


Garden Carpet


Ruby Tiger


Clay


Bordered Pug


Small Waved Umber


Yellow-barred Brindle (a fresh green example)


Red Twin-spot Carpet


Dark Umber


Small Ranunculus (my 13th record for the year)


Poplar Hawkmoth


Common Wainscot


Light Arches


Scalloped Oak


Rustic


Silver Y


Small Dusty Wave