February round up...

Well with no light trap put on all month, I have headed for the local wood each evening with nowt but a torch and net......with it being a mild February  it has been great so far
Dotted Border   45 (inc 2 females and 5 melanic types)
March Moth        3
Spring Usher       1
Chestnut              2
Pale brindled Beauty  1
Agonoptrix heracliana      5
Satellite                            1
In the local tunnel there have been up to 25 Heralds and 5 Peacock Butterflies hibernating and around the house and garage 3/4 White Shouldered House Moth.

Dotted Border Females from Andy

Hi all, posting these great pics of Dotted Border Females Agriopis marginaria as Andy has technical issues at the moment. Enjoy :-)

Currant Clearwing larvae..

Charlie back to doing what he does best,,,,,,,Brilliant stuff http://charlielepidopteraofcalderdale.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/clearwingschoreutidae-and.html

Walks in the Woods

With the recent mild spell ,I've been having a quick walk in the local wood at dusk and the first half hour of darkness its a mix of Oak and Beech with a few Sycamore , one of two Elms, also lots of hawthorn and Elderberry trees round the edges. There have been lots of Dotted Borders of various forms and I found my first female on Beech tonight about 7 foot off the ground. The males are easy to find flying around or on the fop of a prominent twig. Chestnut and Spring Usher were found on the larger Oaks and Agonoptix heracliana can be found along the Hawthorn hedges,1 melanic Pale - Brindled Beauty was found freshly emerged about 2 foot off the ground on Beech.

Trapping

Anyone started yet?

Bits and pieces.

I had my earliest butterfly ever yesterday with a Peacock sunning itself on the allotment - and it wasn't even that warm. Also had my fourth Skircoat record of Red Sword-grass on Jan.22nd resting openly on  a dry stone wall, as they all have been.

I've just started bring my Phyllonorycter mines indoors. I only started collecting them around Christmas so I'm not expecting anything unusual but there's lots of them so you never know. I'll send any parasitic wasps off for ID-ing so I might get something interesting in that lot.

Roll on spring :-)

Hibernating Moths and Butterflies

22 Heralds in bare Head Tunnel today along with 5 Peacocks. A small tortoiseshell flying around the house yesterday and a Peacock flying around St Judes Church last Monday. ..carnt post pics at the moment...grrrrrr