20th April 2015 ... Cobs and Tussocks

I was thinking about planting a Kent Cob nut tree yesterday.
They are self fertile but do much better with a suitable cross pollinator.
The secret is to match it with a pollinator that flowers at the same time and there are many varieties that simply do not match a Kent Cob.
The common wild Hazel, Corylus avellana, is an option but I would prefer another type of Cob or Filbert for a better return.
After scanning the internet, ( the Cobweb ? suit yourself ) I found that the experts recommend a Cosford Cob as the ideal pollinator, so if I can find room in the little garden .....
Coincidentally, Nut-tree Tussock made an appearance, ...

2425 Nut-tree Tussock, Colocasia coryli

... two in fact, not actually in the trap but on the adjacent wall.
These are regular in the garden both in Spring and mid Summer to early Autumn.
No doubt they would be in favour of the Kent/Cosford Cob trees.
There was quite a bit of activity in the early part of the evening last night until temperatures slowly dropped to 2.7 deg post midnight.
Shuttle-shaped Dart was overdue and Plutella xylostella, the Diamond-back Moth was also added to the garden year list.
20th April:-
0464 Plutella xylostella, 1, year first
0483 Epermenia chaerophyllella, 1
0647 Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 1
0648 Endrosis sarcitrella, 1
0998 Epiphyas postvittana, 1
1524 Emmelina monodactyla, 2
1862 Double-striped Pug, 11
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart, 1, year first
2187 Common Quaker, 2
2190 Hebrew Character, 2
2243 Early Grey, 2
2425 Nut-tree Tussock, 2, year first
              ....................

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart

464 Plutella xylostella

4th April 2014 ... Nut-tree Tussock

Overnight min temp .. 6 deg C, partly cloudy.
Nothing like the big catch of the previous night, being much cooler and fresher.
The usual Orthosia types turned up with a year first Nut-tree Tussock...

Colocasia coryli, ... Nut-tree Tussock

0688, Agonopterix heracliana, x 1
1288, Alucita hexadactyla, x 2
1524, Emmelina monodactyla, x 3
1862, Double-striped Pug, x 3
2182, Small Quaker, x 4
2187, Common Quaker, x 7
2188, Clouded Drab, x 1
2190, Hebrew Character, x 6
2243, Early Grey, x 3
2425, Nut-tree Tussock, x 1, ... Year first 

20th July 2013 ... Moth catch highlights

The traps are full of "brown stuff" at the mo.
Lots of Dark Arches, I've stopped counting them, I weigh them, Heart n Clart, Uncertain/Rustic, Common Rustic, Mottled Rustic.
Shuttle-shaped Dart numbers are slowly increasing, Common and Scarce Footman are everywhere as are Bird Cherry Ermine and Endotricha flammealis.
Pick of the crop ....
1637 ... Oak Eggar .................

A new micro for the garden ... Helcystogramma rufescens

868 ... Helcystogramma rufescens
Garden first

2425 ... Nut-tree Tussock

2352 ... Dusky Sallow, Year first

862 ... Dichomeris marginella ... Year first

1380 ... Phlyctaenia perlucidalis ... Year first

2377 ... Fen Wainscot ... Year first

1651 ... Chinese Character

2165 ... Small Ranunculus
2164 ... Broad-barred White
2306 ... Angle Shades
1917 ... Early Thorn
1958 ... Clouded Silver
1887 ... Clouded Border
1921 ... Scalloped Oak
1726 ... Large Twin-spot Carpet
2450 ... Spectacle
1690 ... Small Blood-vein
2110 ... Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2192 ... Brown-line Bright-eye
2145 ... Nutmeg
2193 ... Clay
2031 ... White Satin Moth
366a ... Cameraria ohridella

Three year first Butterflys (today 21 st )
Common Blue
Small Skipper

Gatekeeper

18th April 2013 ... I had a little nut tree ....

... Tussock that is.

About to take off ... Nut-tree Tussock

A little cooler than the last few nights but the wind had died down.
17 moths of six species were in the traps, the bulk of which were Early Greys'

1524 ... Common Plume ... Emmelina monodactyla .. (2)
2187 ... Common Quaker ... Orthosia cerasi .. (3)
2188 ... Clouded Drab ... Orthosia incerta .. (3)
2190 ... Hebrew Character ... Orthosia gothica .. (2)
2243 ... Early Grey ... Xylocampa areola .. (6)
2425 ... Nut-tree Tussock ... Colocasia coryli .. (1) .........YF

21st July 2012 .. Garden Moths

11 deg overnight low, calm, DRY
Over 70 species recorded and this week is set to be the best for an age.
I'm still hopeful of catching up with a few species as many are proving to be a month or more later than usual given the appalling weather of late.
Here's a sample of last nights catch...

2293 Marbled Beauty Cryphia domestica year first

2425 Nut-tree Tussock Colocasia coryli year first

In absolute pristine condition....

2166 The Campion Hadena rivularis

1690 Small Blood-vein Scopula imitaria

2318 The Dun-bar Cosmia trapezina

1048 Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana year first

24th July 2011...Garden latest

Overnight minimum temp....8.8 deg
Still cold but the temp hung around at 13 deg until late evening and the moth count was higher.
Of the 90 macro moths caught, 30% of them were Shuttle-shaped Darts.
The Catch:-
34 x Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 x Willow Beauty
2 x Buff Ermine
2 x Brimstone Moth
5 x Scarce Footman (No Common Footman)
3 x Ruby Tiger
1 x Silver Y

SILVER Y

2 x Marbled Beauty
1 x Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 x Heart & Dart
3 x Dark Arches
7 x Riband Wave
3 x Cloaked Minor
1 x Early Thorn


EARLY THORN

 2 x Red Twin-spot Carpet
2 x Yellow Shell
1 x Grey Dagger agg.
1 x Mouse Moth
1 x Bright-line Brown-eye
1 x Brown-line Bright-eye
1 x Dusky Sallow

DUSKY SALLOW

1 x Scalloped Oak
2 x Double Square-spot
1 x Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
2 x Uncertain
1 x Smoky Wainscot
1 x Large Yellow Underwing
1 x Nut-tree Tussock


NUT-TREE TUSSOCK

 1 x Agapeta hamana
5 x Crambus pascuella
2 x Argyrotaenia ljungiana
3 x Hofmannophila pseudospretella
1 x Pyralis farinalis
3 x Pleuroptya ruralis
1 x Aphelia paleana
3 x Eudonia mercurella
1 x Cnephasia spp.
6 x Acentria ephemerella
1 x Acleris forsskaleana
2 x Yponomeuta evonymella
1 x Yponomeuta malinellus
1 x Coleophora hemerobiella NFG

COLEOPHORA HEMEROBIELLA

2 x Celypha striana
3 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
1 x Gelechia senticetella
1 x Bryotropha terrella
1 x Pyrausta aurata
Garden year tally:-
330 species, 195 macro, 135 micro

16th April 2011...2 year "firsts" and a Garden "First"

Nice conditions again apart from an almost full moon, but I managed to add one of my target species to the garden list, and add another two to the garden year list, all caught on the walls. .................................................................. CHOCOLATE TIP 2019.....first record for the garden

SCALLOPED HAZEL 1920...year first but only 2nd record for garden

NUT-TREE TUSSOCK 2425....Year first and reasonably common

COMMON PUG 1834 Last nights haul:-

6 x Early Grey

5 x Garden Carpet

4 x Double-striped Pug

4 x Hebrew Character

2 x Clouded Drab

2 x Common Quaker

1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart

1 x Pale Mottled Willow

1 x Common Pug

1 x Emmelina monodactyla

1 x Nut-tree Tussock *year first

1 x Scalloped Hazel *year first

1 x Chocolate Tip * Garden first

TOTALS:-

816 moths (654macro, 162 micro)

53/53 Species ( 38 macro, 14/15 micro) one ID pending

22nd & 23rd July...Hark the Herald

Heavy showers on Thursday and a cold night for Friday slowed things down. 3 traps were set for my usual Friday night blitz and an illuminated sheet but my half hourly patrols didnt produce too much. Plenty of Common Rustic aggs. and the next generation Buff Ermines, which are a richer colour than the last white batch. My 2nd Herald for the year was a welcome sight, one of my favourite moths................
...............................................
...............................................
HERALD

LEAST CARPET

SCARCE FOOTMAN...again no Common Footman

BUFF ERMINE

LIME-SPECK PUG

A brace of POPLAR HAWKMOTHS...ready for the off

FLOUNCED RUSTIC

NUT-TREE TUSSOCK

11th &12th July.

11th July............All traps blazing with 40+ species recorded
..........................................................................................................
a garden first in the shape of this rather worn
BLACKNECK

MALLOW ......1st for year. STOP PRESS:::::::::: Eagle-eyed Matt Burgess has noticed that this is NOT a Mallow. It is in fact a SHADED BROAD-BAR which is very similar. Thanks Matt that is a Dells Garden First and I will be expecting my year first Mallow in about two months time.

one of 2 NUT-TREE TUSSOCK

LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING.....I've taken a few "hits" from these big guys, but love 'em or hate 'em they are a cracking moth. Another wrong ID by yours truly ! This is a female BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING thanks Ornithom, much appreciated.

SHARK

MOTTLED RUSTIC

my 2nd PINE HAWKMOTH

RED/DARK TWIN-SPOT CARPET

12th July....................Much cooler last night with a bit of rain thrown in. Just had the one trap working and numbers were well down with 22 species of macros noted.
I was almost sure the top pic was the UNCERTAIN (contradiction noted) in its grey form, but the black dots along the leading edge of the forewing confirm it is the very similar PALE MOTTLED WILLOW

This NUTMEG is definitely a different one from the night before, it became breakfast for a cheeky robin which darted in before I could transfer it to the release bin.

BROAD-BARRED WHITE The rest are the usual visitors at the moment with a few interesting micros .

12/07/10

.................

12 x Dark Arches

8 x Uncertain

8 x Common Footman

5 x Riband Wave

5 x Willow Beauty

3 x Heart & Dart

3 x S.S.Dart

3 x Large Yellow Underwing

3 x Scarce Footman

2 x Marbled Beauty

2 x Dot Moth

2 x Grey/Dark Dagger

2 x Buff Ermine

2 x Marbled Minor agg

1 x Swallow-tailed Moth

1 x Broad-barred White

1 x Pale Mottled Willow

1 x Single-dotted Wave

1 x Least Carpet

1 x Cloaked Minor

1 x Bright-line Brown-eye

1 x Light Arches