The Ides of March ...

Very fitting.....
March Moth is uncommon in my town garden. Just one record last year and zero the year before, so I was glad to get one on the 14th.
Better still, another turned up in the trap last night which was the 15th ... The Ides of March

5th March 2013 ... NEWTo Garden

Following a very warm day, a few moths turned up in and around the traps, but the highlight for me was a first appearance of a newt near my small fish pond.
In fact my fish pond has been the centre of attention this week with a heron seeking to devour my 6 goldfish (was 8)

Keeping an eye on my 6 remaining goldfish from the neighbours roof...Grey Heron

Smooth Newt 

Last nights Moths ....
The first Common Quakers turned up as expected and I was pleased to see a March Moth as I missed out on it last year.
4 x Agonopterix heracliana and 1 Acleris schalleriana completed the tally.

Common Quaker

Common Quaker

March Moth

Acleris schalleriana,  (To be confirmed)

22nd March 2011...Garden Update

Another great night weather-wise, with temperatures staying into double figures for most of the evening.
The cloud cover had gone by 22.30 and temps slowly fell to a min of 3.6 deg in the early morning hours.
70 moths of 12 species were caught, which is a very high total for my town garden at this time of year.
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ALUCITA HEXADACTYLA, 1288, The Twenty-plume Moth

Another view of this strange moth, showing the wing structure.

A. hexadactyla

MARCH MOTH 1663

CLOUDED DRAB 2188

DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG Totals :-

29 x Common Quaker

13 x Double-striped Pug

7 x Early Grey

4 x Clouded Drab

4 x Emmelina monodactyla

4 x Agonopterix heracliana

3 x Hebrew Character

2 x Diurnea fagella

1 x March Moth

1 x Small Quaker

1 x Chestnut

1 x Alucita hexadactyla *FFY

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325 moths (234 macro, 91 micro) of 26 species (17 macro, 9 micro)

13th March 2011...How cold ?

The temperature last night was the key factor. At sunset it hovered at a point of two over 6deg, but the skies had cleared and all was calm.
I put the two traps on and lit up the shed wall and hoped the temperature would hold up for an hour or two before plummeting to the forecasted zero.
Early success with A. heracliana at dusk, two Common Quakers shortly after, followed by a March Moth.
It was now 7.30 pm and 5 deg, but E. monodactyla was found near the trap.
I had decided that 3 deg would be my cut-off point so at 8.30pm, with temps showing 2.8 deg and falling fast, I checked and emptied the traps before switching off.
Dark Chestnut and another Common Quaker were in the egg boxes.
Off went one of the Skinners and the shed wall lights but I decided to leave one trap on just to see if it was possible for anything to fly at around 2deg.
This morning was frosty, and still very cold at minus 1deg. Checking the trap I found a Common Quaker, Clouded Drab and yet another E. mono.
So, somewhere between plus 2 and minus 1 degrees it is still possible to catch the odd moth.
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DARK CHESTNUT 2259

MARCH MOTH 1663 Garden Tally:-

3 x 1524 Emmelina monodactyla

1 x 0688 Agonopterix heracliana

1 x 2259 Dark Chestnut

3 x 2187 Common Quaker

1 x 2188 Clouded Drab

1 x 1663 March Moth

Totals for garden:-

132 moths of 20 species, 14 macro, 6 micro...........(79 macro, 53 micro)

The Side-Bet so far..........Matt 24, Trent 20

11th March 2011 ...A beautiful pair

The garden was affected by last nights early evening stiff breeze which calmed down at about 21.00 hrs. Most of my garden moths are trapped in the first hour or so after dusk so the early evening produced very little.
A solitary A. heracliana braved the wind at around 18.45 with two Common Quakers clinging on to the walls near the lights.
As soon as the wind dropped, at around 9pm , the situation improved when a March Moth put in an appearance followed by an Oak Beauty.
The trap turned up another Oak Beauty this morning which makes 7 for the year to date.
Oak Beauty is a garden "first" this year so to have 7 of them turn up has pleasantly surprised me.
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A brace of...OAK BEAUTY 1930

MARCH MOTH 1663

EARLY GREY 22436 x Common Quaker

2 x Oak Beauty

1 x March Moth

1 x Early Grey

1 x Hebrew Character

1 x Agonopterix heracliana

This years garden total:-

107 moths of 20 species (14 macro, 6 micro )

After a recount ! 62 macro and 45 micro....

Of the 45 micros, A. heracliana accounted for 30, Tortricodes alternella weighed in with 9. Also Ypsolopha ustella x 2, Emmelina monodactyla x 2, with one each of Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and Epiphyas postvittana.

Of the 62 macros to date, half of them have been Common Quaker, with surprisingly, 7 x Oak Beauty and only 4 x Hebrew Character. The rest is made up of 3's, 2's and 1's of various species.

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For anyone following the little side bet between myself and Matt (http://thetrappingsofsuccess blog) for the most species caught in one year....

As far as I know, Matt bagged a Red Chestnut last night, which on my reckoning, makes the score 22 t0 20, putting me two behind.

Embarrassingly, I still haven't paid for last years defeat, the bet being an "excellent" bottle of red.

The local wine shop in Biggleswade closed down and the supermarkets around here only stock "good" wine scaling down to "barely drinkable".

A foray further afield or an email to Mr Laithwaite is required, but if I wait long enough, we might be quits !

New macro

I broke my duck at last on the elusive March Moth, elusive in MY garden that is. Got back at midnight after enjoying superb Indian cuisine at the India Lounge retaurant in Sandy and an excellent bottle of Australian Merlot at the "Ratface" domicile.
Temperature was 2.8 deg C, so no great expectations......and there HE was, sitting on the garden shed blacklight lampholder.
(Pale Brindled Beauty is still at large)
The next few days look to be unfavourable though according to the Met Office, with arctic conditions returning and strong winds.
The false Spring was good while it lasted...roll on the real Spring.
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March Moth 1663 (male)

The upgraded Skinner with 4 x 25watt FUL lamps as viewed from the house.

I daren't go any brighter but a 250watt mercury vapour is very tempting ! Tally to date :-

21 moths of 10 species (5 x micro, 5 x macro)