Grey Shoulder Knot.

Just one this morning, a Grey Shoulder knot. As it's the 1st of March, I'm hoping this will be a good sign of plenty moths this year. Nonsense I know, but one can hope.

Grey Shoulder Knot.

28.02.19

Only House Wood

Diurnea Fagella x 2

Cromwell Bottom ...sugared tree

Satellite x 20
Chestnut x 1

Lee Mount - 28th Feb

An interesting catch this morning
Common Quaker x 1
Chestnut x 2
Common Plume x 1
March Moth x 3
Twin-spotted Quaker x 1
Hebrew Character x 1
Dotted Border x 1
Satellite x 1

Twin-spotted Quaker

Not too good a photo - it seemed reluctant to come out of the egg-box so I left it under the shrubbery and it soon disappeared !

Another Phyllo...........

Seem to have been photographing these for ever......


This one's London Midget (Phyllonorycter platani), it emerged this morning from a mine found on London Plane at Spring Hall sports ground last autumn. They appear to be spreading in Calderdale.

Lee Mount - 26th and 27th February

Still up to 4 March Moths about this last few days. Might get around to posting some photo's when I get round to it !!

26th
Common Quaker x 4
Small Quaker x 1
Dotted Border x 1
Agonopterix heracliana x 1
Common Plume x 1

This morning - 27th
Common Quaker x 4
Chestnut x 1
March Moth x 2
Dotted Border x 1
Agonopterix heracliana x 1

Crimsworth Dean

Just 2 Small Tortoiseshells in the dean today though we were on the look-out for more !

Moth Trap Intruders

This might interest all you moth trappers out there. You'll have to join the group to see all the posts, comments etc.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/119091688719071/

Ogden Lane.

My first butterfly of the season; a small tortoiseshell was nectering on a daffodil on Ogden lane. The only butterfly I saw all day.

Only House Wood

Dotted Border x 4
Dotted Border melanic x 3
Dotted Border female x 1
Diurnea fagell x 1
Agonopterix Her x 1

An hour in the wood with torch and net

Ogden Water light

A few moths on the light today at Ogden Water.

1x March moth
1x Dotted border
2x Mottled grey

Also one butterfly taking its life in its wings as it fluttered across the A629 - looked like a red admiral but could not get a clear look.

Garden Moths 25th February 2019

Clear Sky. Temps low . Cooling towards 3-4 o

UV 20W


Two this evening

73.244 BF2187    Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

70.245 BF1663    March Moth Alsophila aescularia

Lee Mount - 24th February

March Moth x 4
Dotted Border x 1
Tortricodes alternella x 2
Satellite x 1
Common Quaker 3
Agonopterix heracliana x 2
Brindled Pug x 1 - well i'm pretty sure that's what it is - pugs, they are always a challenge but time of year seems right.

Brindled Pug

Butterflys 2019

February 2019 so far...
Brimstone
Painted Lady
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Comma
Red Admiral......

First two moths this year for me, Stainland

I was delighted to find two different moths on the door this morning. I haven't seen either of these moths before, so it was a double pleasure. Last night was very cold and foggy, I was surprised to find any moths.

The first is a Dotted Border.

Dotted Border.

The other is a Common Quaker.

Common Quaker.

73.249 BF 2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica Sun 24th February 2019

Sun 24th February 2019

Weather Very Cold High Humidity

UV 2OW Blue

Checked the last tray about 9 pm one candidate all night .


73.249  BF2190  Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica

Saturday butterflies

Just fleeting sightings but 2 butterfly species today.
1x small tortoiseshell - Argos car park, Greenmount, Pellon
1x comma - canal towpath at Cromwell Bottom.

Cunnery Wood LNR Fri 23 February 2019

Cunnery Wood LNR  Fri 23 February 2019

Small reserve compose of mixed woodland (Birch Oak Bird Cherry etc) with pond

Weather . Warm 8-10 rapidly falling to colder temps at that location . Wind still occ breeze

MV 120  = 2 1/2 hrs

Other Entomology / Fauna

Spartan , White Legged millipedes , Woodlouse and Slugs . Larinoides spp in Tunnel. No sign of Heralds

Total 6 Species .   March Moth periodic . Influx of Common Quaker about 8 pm . AC noticed  Dotted Border were found on exit located on Tree Saplings with new sticky buds very fresh specimens upper southerly slopes. The PBB looks like a melanic form.

Counts AC .......................................


70.245 BF1663  March Moth Alsophila aescularia

73.244 BF2187  Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

70.255 BF1934  Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria
73.194 BF2258  The Chestnut Conistra vaccinii

32.018 BF0688  Agonopterix heracliana
70.247 BF1926   Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria

70.245 BF1663  March Moth Alsophila aescularia

70.255 BF1934  Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria

70.247 BF1926   Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria
Male, f. monacharia

73.194 BF2258  The Chestnut Conistra vaccinii



32.018 BF0688  Agonopterix heracliana

73.244 BF2187  Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

Pepper Hill, Claremount

This afternoon. Overdressed......it was so warm up there !
8 Small Tortoiseshells along the field-side wall overlooking Claremount

Lee Mount - 21st Feb

Around, rather than in the trap - they seem to like the rough fencing material next to the trap !
March Moth x 5
Dotted Border x 1
Chestnut x 2
Common Plume x 1
Tortricodes alternella x 1

First Small Tortoiseshell

Had my first Small Tortoiseshell flying around the  garden today  at Northowram.........and 5 Tortricodes alternella flying in sunshine in the local  wood......3 Chestnut , 2 Dotted Border and 5 Agonopterix Heracliana  at Cromwell bottom/..,,,next few days look interesting

Lee Mount - 19th Feb

Any thoughts on this one ?
I am leaning towards pale Brindled Beauty though it was certainly smaller than ones here in recent weeks non of which were melanic.
Melanic ?? - well not really, it was pretty brown.
Leaning towards PBB as the golden  fringe to the terman also shows on the underwing. This also shows in a melanic individual in Manley's British Moths but his photo is of a much darker individual ??

Also in and around the trap...
Chestnut x 1
Agonopterix heracliana x 1
Tortricodes alternella x 1

keep an eye out..........

These two photos were sent to me this week , top one from Widdop (thanks Niall) and the lower one from Scammonden (thanks Phil). I think with this very warm weather they have come out from hibernation to warm in the sun. I think they are Fox Moths ................

Large Midget emergence

https://cromwellbottom.blogspot.com/2019/02/large-midget-emerges.html

Hardcastle Craggs Sat 16th February 2019

Hardcastle Craggs Sat 16th February 2019

Weather   Circa 10 o Falling toward evening. Occ Breezes . Overcast

MV 120 W

Other Entomology 

Early doors this year at Craggs given the preceding good weather . Other Entomology included one Ladybird Harlequinn and 1 Birch SB Adult. I have found these over wintering in Moss Clumps on Trees which must provide a fair degree of protection Colonies can often be smelt well before being found. The insect below the SB was about 5-9 mm and looks to me like a Springtail ( Collembola) small insects of leaf litter possibly Tomocerus longicornis 
AKA Pogonognathellus longicornus







Counts As below By AC , BL CD  present

70.253 BF1932   Spring Usher Agriopis leucophaeari

70.247 BF1926      Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria

Previous Post  on the blog show the melanic form of the PBB

73.210 BF2256  The Satellite Eupsilia transversa

Both Orange and White Colour forms were present shown below

70.255 BF1934  Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria



32.018 BF688   Agonopterix heracliana



A Few More To Follow

Hardcastle Craggs

Chestnut x 6
March Moth  x 14
Satellite   x 8
Pale Brindled Beauty x 9
Dotted Border x 7
Spring Usher x  1
Agonoptrix Heracliana x 1
Tortricodes alternella x 8

Pale Brindled Beauty

Got this pic from Mr Robinson at Sowood (via SB) found near outside light , a very smart form indeed...

Hardcastle Craggs 16.02.19

Moffing at the craggs tomorrow 6 onwards ,,,,

                                                Agonopterix Heracliana

Lee Mount

13th Feb
Chestnut x 1
March Moth x 3
Tortricodes alternella (?) x 2

14th Feb
I managed to get a better shot tonight of what I think is Tortricodes alternella
This is one of the micros from the Yorkshire Moths Website suggested as reasonably common at this time of year - hope I'm right with i d.

Lee Mount - 11th Feb

I didn't expect anything this evening, still pretty cool, but a nice March Moth turned up on the fence near the light.

March Moth

Cromwell Bottom 09.02.19

Satellite x 1
Chestnut x 1
Acleris Logiana x 3
Dotted Border female x 2

                                  Only House Wood 11.02.19 3 Dotted Border and 1 female

Lee Mount - 6th Feb

Quite a surprise to find 5 Pale Brindled Beauty's around the trap late evening, before it started raining.
At the risk of being boring all five are here below, all quite similar except the third one down was noticeably smaller than the others and a slightly different shape but I'm pretty sure it's still the same species and not a Small Brindled Beauty (?) though I've never seen one of those.

Finished off the evening with quite a well disguised Dotted Border on the fence.

I shut the trap down at 11:00 pm as heavy rain was forecast during the night.