The temperature was higher than predicted, so the traps stayed on.
Nothing to get excited about in the traps and my fears of slipping way behind the 2011 macro count to date are becoming a reality.
Last Year from April 8th to April 15th :-
Pebble Prominent, Brown-line Bright-eye, Pale Tussock. Least Black Arches, Nutmeg, Brimstone Moth, Small Waved Umber, Garden Carpet, Common Pug, Oak-tree Pug, Ruby Tiger, Knot Grass, Shuttle-shaped Dart and Cabbage Moth. Species to date... 35 macro
This Year ? from April 8th ...............Species to date... 22 macro
So far this week, Pale Mottled Willow added, so I need something like 13 new species for the year between now and Sunday to catch up.........and it's a further 18 species the following week !
Swings and Round-abouts or a very poor year ? Time will tell.
Traps :-
2243 Early Grey Xylocampa areola 4
And catch them you will Trent, I'm sure, just not today....
ReplyDeleteThe glass is half full mate ! :)
DeleteHi Lionel. Not necessarily a poor year, its just that last spring was so unusually warm at this time hence all the early emergences etc. Melissa has been working through a list of all the species that emerged earlier last year than before and there are a lot of them. However the weather is rather cold at present - a shame really as I want to get some more field trapping done.
ReplyDeleteMaybe July and August will make up for it...Last year we had an awful summer....followed by 30 degree temps in November !
ReplyDelete