Golden spell

As has been the case in recent  summers the middle to end of July is proving to be the best period for diversity of species in the garden and a golden spell of three new for the list in three days had an obvious highlight for me, a Golden Plusia, not only a rare species in the county at the moment but to my eyes a very nice looking one. Also new and generally more common was a Small Dotted Buff and a Small Phoenix. This followed on from two others new at the start of the month, Orange Footman and Small Yellow Wave. Also illustrated a very smart  Oak Nycteoline, very much better than the normal fairly plain ones I get.

 Golden Plusia - new for garden 20th July

Small Dotted Buff - new for garden 19th July

Small Yellow Wave - new for garden 4th July

Snall Phoenix - new for garden 21st July

Oak Nycteoline - this one trapped 10th July

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

Three New for Early May

Despite entering my sixth summer of garden trapping, the list continues to grow with three more new for the garden in a week despite relatively low overall catches. None of them rare in county but presumably so in my area. Also illustrated others that were of interest to me.

 Swallow Prominent - new for garden 11th May

 Mullein - new for garden 15th May

 Least Black Arches - new for garden 5th May

 Iron Prominent - trapped 7th, 8th and 16th May - only one previous record in June 2013

 Pale Tussock - common hairy beast

 Powdered Quaker - only average just over one a year of these, this on 10th May

 Maidens Blush - annual but only just, this one 7th May

Silver Y - first of the year of this common migrant 12th May

April mothing

Away first ten days, family holiday with some decent birding opportunities in Cyprus, followed by cold nights for most of the rest of the month so very little to report. Even Common Quaker and Hebrew Character were counted on one hand on all but a couple of nights when it was suitable to actually put the trap out.
Only decent moth in the month was Tawny Pinion which appeared on 14th and 16th as second and third garden records and look to be different individuals. Also an early Pebble Prominent on 21st.
Micros recorded included a Diamond-backed Moth on 14th and an Esperia sulphurella that I managed to pose for a photo in the sunshine on 18th.

 Tawny Pinion, 16th April

 Tawny Pinion, 14th April

Pebble Prominent, 21st April

Esperia sulphurella 18th April

mid-March update - Red Chestnut NFG

Red Chestnut - Not the most uncommon moth in the county but my first newbie of the year. Otherwise pretty slow with cold nights and infrequent trapping; been working through micro photos though so a good update and first publish of the list from last year soon, and no doubt the odd one appearing on this blog, including my first notable of the year below.

 Red Chestnut - new for garden 12th March

 Acleris cristana - 12th March

Chestnut - do not get many of these surprisingly, was not on the list for 2014 at all. This one from 9th March

Oak Beauty - one of my early spring favourites, 7th March

Turn of the year

Two from late November (Feathered Thorn and December Moth) proved to be my last new species for the year, surprisingly only one of each of these and a few blank nights into December. Started 2015 with a pale Dotted Border, then the next two moths were the same species, one much darker and one in between...so three individuals of a species I did not get in 2013 of 2014, now just waiting more variety.

 Dotted Border, darkest of three individuals at the end Feb, early March

 December Moth - nice one to finish the year

Feathered Thorn - this one really coloured almost like a Barred Red

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