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.

Cromwell bottom

Had a walk round this evening  with torch and net in the hope of Early Moth (no show) , 5 x Dotted Border , 2 x Acleris Logiana , and 1 Pale Brindled Beauty,,,,,

Lee Mount - 4th/5th February

First moth since 11th January with a Pale Brindled Beauty which arrived last night and was still on the fence by the trap this morning.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Bare Head Tunnel

Had a walk through Bare Head Tunnel yesterday


11 heralds and 5 butterflies within the tunnel. A big size difference in the butterflies so thinking peacock and asking the question do small tortoiseshell hibernate?

January 2019 Butterfly sightings 2019 UK

https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/first-butterfly-sightings-2019

Cromwell Bottom

Barry ran the trap last night down at Cromwell , I had to leave early and there had been nowt to the trap except 1 Pale Brindled Beauty also  I manage to net 1 Acleris Logiana and 1 Dotted Border in the wood..

                                                                Acleris Logiana

                                                    Found this LBAM larvae on Friday

My Moth Collection............

Just browsing some old photos on my phone and came across this pic of my entire moth collection. I was surprised at how small the Bilberry Pug was - you could fit several on my thumbnail.

Oh, and the black dots are Lichen Case-bearers - adult females.........happy days!

Lee Mount - 11th January

This morning I was surprised to find 4 moths in and around the trap. I have been leaving the actinic on all night most winter nights but these were the first results this New Year. Can't wait to get going !!!

 Not too sure of this micro so any help appreciated - Blastobasis sp ? just less than 10mm. Suspect adustella though a bit out of season ?

 2 Chestnut, both in the trap

Pale Brindled Beauty
 (not quite as clear as I would like as could only get this one through the Perspex)

Spring Usher

Many thanks to Martyn H for this superb photo of a Spring Usher from Luddenden Village 6th jan.19 .....
Brian Leesey found a dead Red Sword Grass in Todmorden on the 25th Dec and Dave reports no Heralds in Bare head Tunnel but a Bat sp roosting in there.........

Lee Mount - 26th December

Hope you're all had/having a great Christmas.
A lot milder last night and the moth trap on.
A late evening check produced....
Mottled Umbers x 3
Pale Brindled Beauty x 1

Think this second shot also shows a little of the pinkish abdomen a bit better

 

Shibden Valley

Small Tortoiseshell hibernating in Pete's kitchen. Happy holidays and a great new Year cheers all 

Stainland. Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year. I hope everyone enjoys the season in their own way.

 Christmas Market,
by Gordon Jackson.

Gordon

12.12.18 , Only House Wood Northowram

Bitterly cold tonight with fog
Winter Moth x 14
           female x 1


16.12 .18
Winter |Moth x 8

Another Blackthorn emergence

My little Blackthorn project I started in April continues to surprise. After putting the 11 pupae outside to overwinter in the garage I was surprised to see that one had emerged in the last day or so - my first ever female Winter Moth, common enough but still a nice surprise.

Larva collected in May from the hedge by the weir at Cromwell Bottom. I was thinking some of the variously sized pupae left may be Early Moths, time will tell.

Stainland.

Scientists have revealed the first vaccine for insects, and hope it could help save the honeybee.

https://www.newscabal.co.uk/could-the-worlds-first-bee-vaccine-save-honeybees/


Not directly about lepidoptera, but I have a feeling that this kind of research could be directed towards moths, butterflies and other vital pollinators. We can only hope.

Only House Wood 6.12.18

Heavy rain and a strong gale in the wood last night and the trees were soaked on all sides. Usually there is at least one dry side .!!

Winter Moth x 10

2 Herald and 1 Peacock(hibernating) in the tunnel at Shibden Park yesterday many thanks Steve Blacksmith...

Bare Head Tunnel (Dec)

Same as last month........
Herald x 11
Small Tortoiseshell x 4 (Hibernating)
Peacock x 2 (Hibernating)

Stainland.

9 am Sunday morning.  A single brave moth on the door, sheltering from heavy rain.

I take it to be a Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata. I'm happy to be corrected.

Winter Moth, TBC.

Only House Wood 26th Nov 2018

Winter Moth x 336
          female  x 5
Northern Winter |Moth x 8
Mottled Umber x 4
           Female x 1
Scarce Umber x 1
Blasto lactico..x 1

Collinson's Collection again

I bumped in to Laurence earlier this week and he invited me up to view the collection. As I had my camera on me I decided to photograph each drawer before the whole lot gets shipped over to Leeds to be housed indefinitely.


It would have been better to photograph them outdoors without the glass casing but the results weren't too bad.


I've put a post on my blog with all the photos:


https://charlielepidopteraofcalderdale.blogspot.com/p/collinsons-cabinet-collection.html

Stainland.

The moth below was on the door at 6 am today. I've tried to ID it, in fact, I'm sure I know it, but can't concentrate very long.

As with the last knee operation, my mind is very cloudy and confused. I was a bit concerned about it, so asked what was going on in hospital. The surgeon explained that this operation, one of the most serious one performed on the body, affects ALL the bodily organs. Basically, there are a huge number of nerves in the knee, they all get disturbed, and send "odd" messages to the brain. Plus, the enormous about of trauma the body experiences. So now I, and you know.

Please could someone ID it for me? Thanks.

ID Needed.

Friday 23rd Only house wood

 A grim night with dense fog and drizzle

Winter Moth x 135
   female       x 1
Scarce Umber x 1
Lacto  x 1

One to look for next year..Galium Carpet

More Only House Wood

Winter Moth x 238
          females x 6
Northern Winter moth x 1
Scarce Umber x 2
Blasto lato x 2

Angle Shades taken by B.Sumner on his dustbin today ..(thanks Bri)

Only horse wood 17.11.18

Winter  Moth x 142
            female x 3
Northern Winter Moth x 1
Scarce Umber x 4
Yellow Line Quaker x 2
Mottled Umber x 2

Hebden Moths

1 x Scarce Umber
1 xYellow Line Quaker
1 x Brick

To lighted Window ,many thanks A .Mills

Only Hose Wood 15/11/18

Winter Moth male x 115
                      female x 2
Blastobasis lacticolella x 1
Yellow lined Quaker  x 1
Scarce Umber x 6

A few more

Collinson's Collection

Many thanks to Steve Blacksmith for helping me , to finally get to see this magnificent collection. More to follow...

Only house wood 10/11/18 (5 - 6)

Winter Moth x 127
           female x 5
Scarce Umber x 6
Chestnut         x 1
Blasto Lacto   x 2

11/11/18 (5 - 6)

Winter Moth x 153
           female x 2
Northern Winter Moth x 2
Scarce Umber x 6
Mottled Umber x 5

                                            Winter Moth in cop

                                                Mottled Umber ..melanic

Only Hose Wood 7/11/18

                                                               Scarce Umber

                                                             Scarce Umber

                                                    Winter Moth inflating wings

                                                         Male and female winter moths incop

                                                          Scarce Umber

                                                            Blastobasis lacticolella
Winter moth x 30 +
Scarce Umber x 7
Blastobasis lacticolella x 1





 Bare Head Tunnel at lunch time 

Herald x 11
Small Tortoiseshell x 4 (Hibernating)
Peacock x 2 (Hibernating)

8th November.....5.00 - 6.00

Winter Moth male x 23 female x 2
Blastobasis lacticolella x 1
Barred Sallow x 1

Lee Mount - 6th Nov

Not a bad start to the day...
Mottled Umber x 7 including a very black one - all attracted to light but none in the trap, preferring the fence !
Blair's Shoulder-Knot x 1
Tachystola acroxantha x 1
Red-line Quaker x 1
Silver Y x 2 in the trap
Feathered Thorn x 1

Eventually managed to get around to these images from this morning....

 Feathered Thorn

 

 Mottled Umber  - they are so variable !

 

 Red-line Quaker

 

Mottled Umber - another very variable one, so dark, though the shape seems to suggest Mottled Umber though I still need to get to grips with Scarce Umber !

Only House Wood

Had half an hour just after dusk tree searching....

4th November (6 -6.30)
Scarce Umber x 1
Mottled Umber x 2
Winter Moth x 5
Agonopterix sp x 1


November 5th (6.30 - 7.0)

Winter Moth x 11
Scarce Umber x 2

November 6th  (7.00 - 7.30)

Winter Moth x 5
Blastobasis lacticolella x 1

Stainland.

Back again, you can't get rid of me so easily. I forgot to say that in a few hours, I will be putting a new post on my blog. It is a selection of what I think, are my best Natural History macro photos, taken over the last three years.

For anyone interested, please wait for about 4-5 hours after reading this. I need to add some text to the images. Unless, of course, any wants a browse around the site anyway. I mounted a new post in Late September. All welcome, tell your friends.

http://gordonartphotoand3dsci-fi.blogspot.co.uk/

Stainland.

I found the following moth, (Blastobasis lacticolella) on the door, it was 10:30 p.m. on Friday. I've not been in a position to post it before now. I was very surprised to find a moth at all with the rain, wind and cold in the village at the time. It's hardier than it size suggests.

Blastobasis lacticolella.

This will be my last post for a week or two, (I can hear the sighs of relief). I'm going into hospital for the knee operation tomorrow, at 8 am. Goodbye cruel world. *smile*

Northern Winter Moth

Photographed this male at Pixie Wood/Sphagnum Bog at Cromwell Bottom yesterday. Always nice to see any moths at this time of year. Just wish all the fungi were as easy to ID :-(