22nd March '16 ... Garden Moth latest

It was going so well until the cloud cover disappeared, the temperature plumetted and the full moon lit up the garden at around 9 pm.
4 x Common Quaker and a Double-striped Pug were the only macro moths.
Amongst the 5 species of micro moths was a Caloptilia and I'm convinced it is "populetorum".
The small black dots along the leading edge of the forewing and the dark cilla fringe are diagnostic.
There are a couple of confusion species so this will require gendet to be absolutely sure.
If my ID is correct then this will be only the 3rd record for VC30 and the 2nd record was caught in my garden in 2014 at the same time of year.

Caloptilia populetorum - to be confirmed

Of the remaining micro catch there were 2 x Emmelina monodactyla, Epiphyas postvittana, Agonopterix heracliana and a year first Agonopterix alstromeriana

Agonopterix alstromeriana

13th Mar. '16 ... First Angle Shades of the year ........

....... and many more to come.
Angle Shades is a common species in my garden and there are plenty of larvae still active at night that have yet to pupate.
Numbers peak in June with the second generation peaking in September, according to the current literature but can be found all year round in favourable conditions and the Autumn generation numbers are  boosted by migrants.
My garden records more or less follow this pattern, apart from an exceptionally cold June in 2015

2015 records ... Angle Shades .... TL14 Bedfordshire
 Jan Feb Mar. = 0 .... Cold start to the year
 9 - April
15 - May
  2 - June ... (temperatures well below average)
  0 - July ... (limited trapping due to holidays)
 11 - August
 20 - September
 17 - October
   8 - November
   1 - December

Angle Shades - Phlogophora meticulosa

Garden trap latest - 1st March

At last a warmer night and a chance to put the traps on throughout the night.
4 moths caught :-
Emmelina monodactyla
Double-striped Pug
Common Quaker
and a year first Grey Shoulder-knot ...

Grey Shoulder-knot

Hebrew Character

Only one moth caught last night ... a Hebrew Character, Orthosia gothica.
Some literature says that it is named because the black markings resemble the Hebrew "nun" character.
Nun is the 14th letter in the Hebrew alphabet but the markings more resemble the Hebrew Kaf or Khaf, the 11th letter. Whatever, it's the latest on the garden year list ...

Orthosia gothica - Hebrew Character