October selection

All the usuals have now appeared, just waiting for the surprises. My birthday next week so who knows...

Buff Footman - two months late on 14th October !

Barred Sallow and Sallow

Pink-barred Sallow

Orange Sallow - just the one so far this year and past its prime

Beaded Chestnut

Deep-brown Dart - scarce one for me

Blair's Shoulder-knot - get lots of these though

 Large Ranunculus - also rather common with multiples on a good night

 Red-green Carpet - another regular visitor to the trap or the neighbouring shed door

 Red-line Quaker - commoner of the two autumn quakers

Vapourer male - third this year, all this month, the other two were caught in cobwebs not far from the scene in the next picture

Vapourer female and nest under the shed roof overhang

Hooray for a Hoary Footman - VC30 first

Very pleased to add my garden to the list of locations hosting a first for VC30 macro moth. A presumed Hoary Footman was trapped on 16th July and examined by the recorders and confirmed a couple of days later as a male of that species. While they had it in a pot, a second almost identical individual was caught on 17th. Having confirmed the identity of the first, I was not so worried about the potential second getting away so I could get some better photos and allow it back into the "wild". Three new for garden macros in a night with the Plain Pug and the Brown-tail.

 Hoary Footman - caught 16th July. Male confirmed from gendet 18th July - first for VC30

Similar moth from 17th July presumed also as Hoary Footman and I did get good views of the creamy white hindwings on this individual but compare the presumed worn Scarce Footman below

For comparison, from the last two weeks,a few more footmen... 

Presumed worn Scarce Footman, some yellowish stuff apparent and hindwing had some pale yellow (caught 18th July) - this has expired so I still have this one

 Fresh well-marked pair of Common and Scarce Footman

 Buff Footman

Dingy Footman

Two brown newbies to end the summer

The end of August and into September was as expected full of brown moths with limited colour (other than on the underwings) to bring some variety. Two NFG's for me however, one that has been scarce the last few years in this area, and one that is listed as a rare resident.

 Small Square-spot, NFG 29th August, and recorded also 3rd Sept

Hedge Rustic, NFG 30th August - a different darker individual trapped on 3rd Sept

Also of interest, to me at least:

 Orange Swift variant

Tawny-barred Angle - second garden record, previous June 2010

 Feathered Gothic

 Square-spotted Clay - three moths caught on one night (29th Aug) one previous record 11th Sept 2010

Buff Footman 3rd Sept - one previous record July 26th 2010