Painted lady..

A painted Lady in the garden on the 29th September  ended another great month..lets see what October brings must be a few still out there................................

Cromwell Bottom

Barred Sallow x 2
Pink Barred Sallow x 2
Frosted Orange x 1
Pinion - streaked Snout x 1
Dark - Sword Grass x 1
Garden Carpet x 2
LYU x 2
Small Square Spot x 1
Red Green Carpet x 1
Streak x 1
Lunar Underwing x 1

Lee Mount and Pepper Hill

Lee Mount. Red Admirals down a bit today in the cooler conditions.
Red Admiral x 5
Comma x 1
Small Tortoiseshell x 2

Pepper Hill (above Boothtown/Claremount)
Small Copper x 2
Speckled Wood x 1 on Hag Lane

Stainland.

This moth has me puzzled. I spent two hours trying to ID it. All I could come up with was, an Autumn Green Carpet Chloroclysta miata. There is a certain amount of green in it but it didn't look much like any I saw in books or online. Until someone here corrects me, I shall have to stay with that. The difference in colour of the stone, is that the first shot was taken with available light. The second shot, using flash. I have noticed this difference before.

Autumn Green Carpet. TBC.

Autumn Green Carpet detail.

28th Sept.2018

Northowram
Small Copper x 30
Painted LAdy x 1
Red Admiral x 11
Small White x 3

From Pete Smith (many thanks Pete)

Green - veined White x 1 (North Bridge)
Red Admiral x 4 (New Bank)
Small Tortoiseshell x 2 (New Bank)

Ogden records

1 x red admiral
2 x male vapour er moths going nuts around visitor centre.  Could not find female

Lee Mount and Ringby Lane

3 Small Coppers up the lane this morning but very few flowering plants up there now!

Lee Mount - up to 12 Red Admirals and 4 Small Tortoiseshells on Buddleia and Sedum the last few days and still here today.
Great weather for butterfly's !

Stainland.

Just one moth again, it's a new one to me. I think it's a Strawberry Tortrix - Acleris comariana. I also looked at A. laterana, but the moth below was smaller that the stated size A. laterana, probably 5 or 6mm tip to tail.

Strawberry Tortrix - 

Acleris comariana. TBC.

Lee Mount - 28th September

Some very unexpected moths last night and in the trap this morning. All looking freshly emerged and bright. Think I've got identification correct ?

 Above and below 2 different November Moth agg

 Blair's Shoulder-knot

 

 Merveille du Jour (what a stunner)!

 

Red-green Carpet

 

Also

Copper Underwing agg x 1

Red-line Quaker x 1

Light-brown Apple-moth x1
Silver Y x 1
 

Small Coppers

I can not believe that there were 30 Small Coppers feeding on ragwort today at Northowram , its the last week of September.......?? 3 Red Admiral and 3 Small Whites also today.......

Recent butterfly records

Shelf Hall Park - Tuesday 25th September
2 x Speckled Wood
1 x small tortoiseshell


Ogden Water - Thursday 27th September
2 x Speckled Wood
1 x Comma

Lee Mount 26th/27th September

A new one for here last night and still here this morning - Red-line Quaker and also a Green Carpet. Not had many 'carpet sp' all year so this was very nice for a change, though looking a little worn.
1 Silver Y was nectering last night on the Buddleia as well, nice to see in the torch-light.

 Green Carpet

 

Red-line Quaker

 

Also in the trap this morning

Large Yellow Underwing x 1

Svensson's Copper Underwing x 1 (found dead)

Copper Underwing agg

Light-brown Apple-moth x 3

Also a pug which I'm working on !!!

10 Red Admirals on the Buddleia and Sedum  yesterday and just one Small Tortoiseshell

Lee Mount -25th September

Moth trap empty this morning (2 days running) not used to this !!

Butterfly's made up for it though. At one time just across lunch time we counted a minimum of 12 Red Admirals and 4 Small Tortoiseshells. All on the few remaining flowers on the Buddleia and now making good use of the Sedum.

Lee Mount

Not a lot on the Moth front this last few days but this Mottled Umber on the fence by the trap on Sunday was still there this morning.

Mottle Umber

Stainland.

It's a lovely, mild sunny day and one small tortoiseshell was feeding from a pansy in the garden.

Hardly groundbreaking news in view of other posts about butterflies, However, we have not seem very many in the garden this year and it's the first tortoiseshell I have seen in the garden.

Late September

A warm sunny day at Hedge Top Lane , Northowram today...The week ahead looks good for Butterfly's please post any records.....all are important at this time of year. Looks like we are in for a large Red Admiral influx....

Small Copper x 7
Red Admiral x 10
Small Tortoiseshell x 1
Small White x 5
Silver Y x 3

Caterpillar ??

A strange looking caterpillar found by Steve Blacksmith today at Kebroyd on a beech near the river. Any ideas ??

Update from Steve - he found it on wildlifeinsight.com -  Pale Tussock Moth after a search for 'white hairy caterpillar'.

Ogden - Thursday 20th

Red admiral x1
Speckled Wood x2

But all gone by 1pm!!

Fly Flatts

Red Admiral x 4
Small Tortoiseshell x 1
White sp x 1

stainland.

A brave, solo moth was sheltering from the wind and rain this morning. How it flew here in the wind we had last nigh,t I don't know. It's a rather sad looking Lesser Yellow Underwing.

Lesser Yellow Underwing.

Lee Mount - 17th September

Four really nice moths this morning.

These three are the same moth with a very pink abdomen underneath. I can't figure it out from the 'sallows' or possibly Brick type/Flounced Chestnut. I'm not sure if it's a faded individual or that's it's natural state ? so any help appreciated..!

 Lunar Underwing

 

Pale Mottled Willow

 

Also a Black Rustic but didn't get a decent photo of that one !

Out and about - 17th September

Lee Mount - Red Admiral and Small White
Ringby Lane - Small White
Ogden - Speckled Wood x 2

Stainland.

I'm reasonably sure the moth below is a very worn Common Marbled Carpet. The poor thing looks to be on it's way out.

Common Marbled Carpet. TBC.

Castle Carr Road etc - 16th September

Small Heath on gorse bushes in the afternoon. I wasn't expecting any butterfly's but it was a welcome sight.

 Small Heath

 

Also a query from Lee Mount with this ? Marbled Carpet. Can't decide whether or not it is Common Marbled or Dark Marbled as only limited experience of Dark Marbled ?

Stainland.

Three moths at 3am when I let our cat out. All had gone at 8am. I must miss so many moths by not staying up half the night. (As if!) One of these moths I'm not certain of. Conditions for taking the shots were not good. I won't bore you with an explanation.

Light Brown Apple.

Small Dusty Wave.

I think the moth below is a very worn Small Dusty Wave. It was noticeably bigger than the Wave above. As they don't vary  much in size, I wasn't sure. The lack of markings doesn't help either.

Small Dusty Wave. TBC.

Lee Mount - 15th September

2 'gems' today

 Black Rustic in the trap this morning

 

Later in the morning I looked out of the window and saw this hovering around the Buddleia (in the drizzle) !!! - camera to hand - not often that happens. It didn't stay long around 3 minutes then it just disappeared !

 Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Stainland.

There was a Red-Green Carpet sheltering from the rain at 3am. I tried to take a shot at it with Anne's camera. It's a miserable photo but enough to get a positive ID from. It had gone this morning. Shame I couldn't get a better photo, it's the first one of these I've seen and looks very fresh.

Red-Green Carpet.

Stainland.

A Small Dusty Wave to show this morning.

It must have been fairly cold last night, the Large Yellow Underwing that I posted here on the 10th of this month, is still with me and in the same place. The longest period of time a moth has stayed here was five days. I assume they can put themselves into a sort of suspended animation, as they tend not to change position once they settle. I'd like to sleep like that sometimes, all through the winter, for instance.

Small Dusty Wave.

Stainland.

This little beauty was on the door this morning. It must be fairly fresh, the markings are almost perfect. I think it's a Flounced Rustic. If anyone knows any different, please correct me. Thanks.

Flounced Rustic. TBC.

Northowram today

2 freshly emerged Small Copper today , 2 Speckled Wood , 1 Red Admiral , 1 large and 2 Small Whites............. 1 Small Tortoiseshell Shibden Valley (thanks P.Smith)

Exley Bank Wood

Had a quick wander through the wood yesterday and saw three adult leps:

 

Speckled Wood x 1

Acleris sparsana x 1

Stenolechia gemmella x 1

 

The last one was resting on an oak trunk doing a great impression of a bagworm.

 

 

And the customary indoor shot below.

Mothing on Norland - Wed 12th September

Chris & Robin from the Countryside Service have a public moth trapping event on Norland Moor on Wed 12th September. We will be meeting from 7pm in the car park at the recreation area. Hopefully have a few moths about and the weather will be better than last year!

If anyone wants to join us, call in etc. then feel free to do so.

Saturday 16th and Wednesday 19th September 7pm-9pm Moth trapping

Wednesday 19^th September 7pm-9pm  at Hardcastle Craggs , Gibson Mill with Nat
Saturday   16th Cromwell Bottom 8pm  onwards with Barry

Stainland

Just one Large Yellow Underwing - noctua pronuba, this morning.

Large Yellow Underwing.

Fly Flatts

Blowing a strong westerly wind today up there but it didn't stop a Red Admiral flying through straight past the car heading east though it didn't have much choice in that wind.

Lee Mount - 8th September

Two new ones for me here from overnight. Pretty sure I have the correct identification !

 Small Dusty Wave on the door frame from overnight on 7th and still there on the 8th briefly. I thought at first it was a 'pug'. Quite a small moth.

 

 Pink-barred Sallow

Underside through a container

Mixenden Reservoir

Just 1 Speckled Wood this morning but a lot cooler and breezy.

Update - Speckled Wood at home along with a Large White this afternoon

Hag Lane and Pepper Hill

Above the Shibden Valley this afternoon on the track behind the ski-slope.
1 Red Admiral
4 Speckled Woods (around the holly bushes)

Lee Mount - 6th September

A 'first' for here this morning.

 Turnip Moth (20mm wing length)

Also
Heath Rustic x 1
Lesser Yellow Underwing x 1
Silver Y x 1
Lesser B-b Yellow Underwing x 1
Large Yellow Underwing x 7
Copper Underwing agg x 2
Svensson's Copper Underwing x 2

Fly Flatts

This afternoon along the top road.
3 Green-veined Whites
2 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Red Admirals
1 Small Heath

Sent from my iPhone

Luddenden Dean

We walked both sides of the valley, around 3 hrs, from Jerusalem Farm to Castle Carr Lower Lodge and return this morning. Still a few butterfly's about in the warmth of hazy sunshine
30+ Speckled Wood seen throughout the Dean but the remainder were mainly thanks to a few Buddleia bushes in the gardens
3 Red Admirals
4 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Large White
15+ Small White but no Green-veined to confirm.

Also 2/3 Vapourer Moths suspected as fly-by but not confirmed unfortunately. They are tricky 'so and so's' in flight !!

Lee Mount 4th September querie !

Any thoughts on this moth from this morning ?

Thought at first it was a Shuttle-shaped Dart with the wings folded though it looked longer and darker but I don't think it's that now and I've not seen either of the other possibilities which could be (Heart and Club or Dark Sword-grass) ??? Wing length similar to L Y Underwing.

Turnip Moth

Mixenden and Hunter Hill

This afternoon 10 Speckled Wood butterfly's along the west side of Mixenden Reservoir.

1 Small Tortoiseshell on Hunter Hill.

Also on Hunter Hill I found 2 Fox Moth caterpillars, one footpath casualty and another seemed to be feeding on grass on the short turf.
I also found one moth along a hawthorn hedge by Ogden golf course which I'm pretty sure must be a Rhomboid Tortrix - Acleris rhombana. Photo not that good as it was taken on the phone !

 Rhomboid Tortrix

 

Fox Moth caterpillar

I understand care has to be taken at some stages of the instars as confusion can arise with Oak Egger caterpillars. I'm pretty sure this is Fox Moth but have never seen or found Oak Egger cat's for comparison. Has anyone else ?



Lee Mount

This morning - 2 immaculate looking Autumnal Rustics probably freshly emerged showing a pink tinge on the upper and on the underside.


Sent from my iPhone

 Autumnal Rustic's

September Butterflies

Off to a good start with 6 species so far. Red Admirals and Speckled Woods are about in good numbers as are Large and Small Whites , A Comma in a light trap at Luddenden Foot was a surprise and 1 Peacock at Fly flatts.

Small Autumnal Moth

Another great moth from Luddenden Village. The Epririta moths are impossible to separate without dissection but this early flier is undoubtedly this species .Thanks Martyn
Rosy Rustic seen on Soil Hill last week thanks Nigel Kerwin..