August roundup - on the brink

A subdued month vs expectation in which trapping was partly restricted by holidays away. One new for the garden takes me to 299 macros so hoping for something special for the headliner 300th.

Lesser Swallow Prominent - new for garden 24th August - rather worn and found sitting in wet grass next to the trap

 Orange Swift - brown female, mostly I get small orange examples of this species and this was huge

 Small Ranunculus - not established around here yet - this is only the third one that I have caught

Yellow-barred Brindle - fresh and green

 Garden Dart - six in five years of this scarce species, always to manage to get one for the year list

Knot Grass - another scarcer one for me, usually just one each year

Herald - third garden record

Mid July gets exciting

It has been a busy few days with some warm nights and some excellent garden mothing variety as hoped for at this time of year. Some even better to come in the next post I hope but wasting no time, on to the pictures of some new and some favourites

 Brown-tail - new for garden

Plain Pug - new for garden, and  a real monster with tail up and wings like paddles

 Phoenix - talking of tail up, usually get a couple of these each year

 Maple Prominent - the commonest Prom in my garden, this the fourth record

Pebble Prominent - third record

 Chinese Character - second record, first in 2010

Garden Dart - annual and not particularly distinct

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

Garden Dart

Trapped this moth overnight on the 3rd July and tentatively identified it as Garden Dart. This has since been confirmed by the county recorders and represents what is now a very scarce moth in VC30. Having been in the fridge for a few days, it started to feed off my hand as soon as it woke up so I chose to release it on to a bramble flower at the bottom of the garden where it fed actively for a few minutes allowing an improved image to be captured.

Garden Dart - a nice addition to the garden list