First part of August

Well one night of trapping in early August actually prior to decamping to Florida for three and a bit weeks, but carrying on where July finished, there were remarkably two more New For Garden species to add to the list as well as a quality migrant

 Rosy Minor - new for garden, 1st August 2013

Brown-line Bright-Eye - new for garden 1st August 2013
An expected addition but not actually found in the garden, rather in the curtains upstairs just as I was closing the windows prior to getting in the car to drive to Heathrow.

Also trapped over the last week before holidays and of interest were:

A female Gem 1st August - previously recorded in the garden (also a female) on 8th November 2011

Garden Dart - third record after two in July 2011

and two thorns, noting the positions in which the wings are held at rest

 Early Thorn - wings closed like a butterfly

Purple Thorn - wings open and raised


and finally, I always like these for a bit of colour

25th July - a new and easy to ID pug

A more productive night than of late with the extra warmth in the air under the clouds and a collection of 36 macro species in the trap this morning. Pride of place to the Toadflax Pug, a garden first. I thought I had one earlier in the year but closer inspection revealed it was a small and very well-marked Foxglove.

Toadflax Pug

Early Thorn - a second generation moth following the first generation one that I trapped back in late March

Willow Beauty of a dark form, had a similar individual last summer

Ruby Tiger - not so many in my garden as some trappers get in the county but had a nice handful of records last year and two together this week.

Marching on...

As the last few days of March passed with warmer and dryer nights, the trap continued to pull in moths each evening with the expected Common Quakers, Hebrew Characters and Clouded Drabs and a few Small Quaker and Early Grey to add some variety. Two new species for me in addition to these broke up the relative monotony, both pleasingly distinctive from the usual brown jobs.

Streamer (first for garden 24/3) presumable fresh as showing lots of purple colour

Early Thorn (first for garden 28/3)