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

Small White Wave

Pick of the bunch of new moths for the year in this recent warm spell, but not easy to get a photo as it was pale, was this Small White Wave. Needed a little bit of Levels adjustment in Photoshop to bring out the cross lines.

Small White Wave - NFG 20th May 2014

Also of interest to me at least:

 Toadflax Brocade - one in 2010, three in 2013, first for 2014 on 22nd May (established now I guess)

 Light Brocade - two in 2011, now four so far in 2014

 (un)-Broken-barred Carpet - average two each year but this is the first I have had with out a break in the central stripe

Pale Tussock - such hairy legs !!

Mid June goodies

Just about getting going now at Wychwood Moths with numbers still low but the first signs of some proper diversity in the catch. Some images capture of some of those species not so well recorded in all traps around the county.

Small Elephant Hawkmoth - second for garden 16th June, in immaculate condition;
previous was a battered individual found dead in trap 26th June 2011

Toadflax Brocade - second for garden 16th June; 

previous record was coincidentally on 16th June 2010 and was the second record for VC30

Broken-barred Carpet - sixth garden record on 11th June and a species notably absent from the list of some of the well known local trappers

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