June round-up

Not much happened during the month until the last week, with the year list steadily progressing with the usual suspects but not much of real note. Thankfully numbers and variety picked up in the last few days of the month. Unfortunately, other than one Dark Sword-grass, a few Diamond-backed Moths and a procession of Silver Y, I did not record any of the migrants that are currently winging their way around the country.  Only one new macro for me, a Tawny Shears.

 Tawny Shears - new for garden on 17th June

Dark Sword-grass - my sixth in five years, 16th June

 All black Peppered Moth impersonating a SR71 Blackbird

 White Ermine - second garden record, first in June 2010

 Toadflax Brocade - well established (four in May and five in June)

Ingrailed Clay - every one seems to be different

Broom Moth - a couple every year

Shark

Shoulder-striped Wainscot - common here but seemingly not for other county trappers

Some June variety

Though it seems so sometimes, the second half of the month has not been only about common and sometimes difficult brown noctuids. The number of the "gentler" moths has however been relatively disappointing in the last couple of weeks. Here are some pics tough of some that have caught my attention including a New for Garden species that was always on the possibles list.

 Scorched Wing - new for garden on 24th June 2014

 Puss Moth - great to get these impressive beasts - three garden records

 Buff-tip tip

 Shark - get a couple of these most years

 Burnished Brass

 Shears - been a good year for these in my garden

 Miller - always a favourite

Common Swift - scarce for me, just a few each year

Two more new macros but few highlights

Not a lot to blog about recently at Wychwood Moths as the summer stutters along through the rain. Having reached 119 macro species by the end of June in 2011, the total of 75 in the first six months of 2012 was a very poor return with some species that occurred on numerous occasions previously completely absent for the year. 

July started well with a Small Fanfoot as first for garden and a few days later a Lychnis was also added. These are really gap fillers rather than quality but they all count...

 Shark - 1st July (two previous records 26/6/10 and 6/7/10, none in 2011)

 Shark

Lychnis - first for garden 4th July

Small Fanfoot - first for garden 1st July

Fern - 6th July - four previous garden records, this one nicely marked

Varied Coronet - 4th July - only one previous record on 4/6/10, on only my third garden trapping session

Wychwood Moths first birthday

Today, 2nd June, is one year to the day when moth trapping and proper recording began at Wychwood Moths following collection of the "Ratface Twin 15W actinic/UV Skinner". In that first year, the garden list was 201 macro species (pending a couple of frozen confusing pugs that need to be investigated); but the official garden list is 203 as it includes Hummingbird Hawkmoth which was recorded three times in the garden but all pre-2010 and Feathered Thorn that was recorded in my bathroom in autumn of 2009. Lots of highlights in that period but for pure rarity value, the VC30 vice-county 2nd Toadflax Brocade, one month after the first, was top of the list. However, the thrill of finding such stunning beasts as the Hawkmoths in the trap in the morning still remains, and even among the commoner species there are some more subtly beautiful varieties. I have added a couple of images of favourites here which have not appeared on the blog previously:
Maple Prominent


Peppered Moth


Leopard Moth


Lunar-spotted Pinion

Privet Hawkmoth

Sallow Kitten

Shark

Tawny-barred Angle

Toadflax Brocade