27th March 2015 ... Diurnea fagella and simple rain covers.

It's very quiet around the garden traps at the moment, not surprising as temperatures struggle and remain below average.
Last night was a little warmer at 5.2 deg C minimum, but showers meant placing the perspex trap covers over the two Skinner traps.
Diurnea fagella was 3 weeks later than last year ....

At this time of year I find myself staring at the lighter coloured CLOUDED DRABS, especially the smaller ones, hoping to transform them into LEAD-COLOURED DRABS, although there hasn't been many to stare at so far this year.
The male Clouded Drab pictured below was having none of it though ...

2188 Clouded Drab

Garden traps;-
0663 Diurnea fagella, 1, year first
1862 Double-striped Pug, 1
2187 Common Quaker, 2
2188 Clouded Drab, 1
2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2243 Early Grey, 4

My home made Skinner traps with crude but effective rain covers, 1000mm x 900 mm perspex sheets (4mm), placed on posts fixed to the trap at an angle so that the rain runs off and the moths have plenty of space to enter ... simple. The perspex is pricey though and needs to be weighted down during windy weather (40 to 50 mph gusts will lift them)