13th/14th Oct ... I could Hardly believe my EYES !

Garden Traps, 14th October... similar to last night, 2.7 min. temp... calm, clear, chilly.
A late Eyed Hawk-moth clinging to the brick wall next to the trap was a surprise find on a chilly mid-October night.
It must have flown in at around midnight when the temperature was sitting on 4 deg and falling, I was actually checking the walls with the first November Moth in mind !
Having spoken to County Recorders Andy and Melissa Banthorpe, a check of the records found that the previous latest Eyed H-m in Bedfordshire was recorded on August 5th, not sure of the year, so this one is incredibly late in these parts. There is a partial 2nd generation Aug/Sept in the south.
I wonder what the latest record is nationally ?

17 moths of 14 species last night :-
1 .. 0998 .. Light Brown Apple Moth
1 .. 1524 .. Common Plume
1 .. 1760 .. Red-green Carpet

1 .. 1980 .. Eyed Hawk-moth, year first (and year last probably !)

1 .. 2087 .. Turnip Moth

1 .. 2107 .. Large Yellow Underwing
1 .. 2109 .. Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 .. 2126 .. Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 .. 2232 .. Black Rustic
3 .. 2240 .. Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 .. 2252 .. Large Ranunculus
1 .. 2258 .. Chestnut

1 .. 2267 .. Beaded Chestnut
1 .. 2306 .. Angle Shades




13th Oct , 2.3 deg. min. temp... calm, clear, chilly

4 .. 1524 .. Emmelina monodactyla
2 .. 2107 .. Large Yellow Underwing
1 .. 2109 .. Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 .. 2126 .. Setaceous Hebrew Character
2 .. 2232 .. Black Rustic
1 .. 2252 .. Large Ranunculus
1 .. 2259 .. Dark Chestnut

1 .. 2264 .. Yellow-line Quaker
1 .. 2270 .. Lunar Underwing