Walshaw Dean

 Masses of Common Heath on the wing this morning..500 + , Green Hairstreaks 50 + and Oak Eggar Cats 20 + ..the top cat is a Oak Eggar that had been stung by parasitic wasp.....!!!

Stainland.

 Two moths today. Both taken at 4:30am this morning, they'd gone before 8am.

1 x Bee Moth - male (It must be very fresh, I've never seen such a vividly coloured one before.)

1 x Common White Wave - Cabera pusaria

 

Bee Moth

Common White Wave

 

Stainland.

 Just one Light Brown Apple this morning. I realise that most of us know of what they look like. However, at this time of year, we don't get a lot of visual stuff, often just a list of was what found. Personally, I like visuals (I would, being an artist), so I often post images of what I find. Also, I know at least one member here, who doesn't know much about moths, being a butterfly person. I think it's nice to be aware of things like that.

1 X Light Brown Apple (LBA)

Light Brown Apple

Stainland.

 1 X Double-Striped pug (I think)

Double-Striped pug

Luddenden this week

 It's been a bit quiet for Moths in Luddenden this week with 4 - 5 nightly but with some real beauties

Early Tooth-striped - 5th record here

Light Knot Grass - 3rd record here

Eyed Hawkmoth - 1st record here

Pale Tussock - female - a regular Moth in

Luddenden in May - June with 25 last year 

but this is the first female

Lee Mount and Swales Moor etc.

Small Copper on the track up Ringby Lane yesterday along with 3 Orange-tip, 8 Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock.

Last few days from the moth trap - still pretty cool evenings...

Hebrew Character x 1

Early Grey x 1

Common Quaker x 1 (looking pretty worn now)

White-spotted Pug x 1

Twenty-plume Moth x 1

In Hardcastle Crags today - pretty dull - just two butterflies

A Green-veined White feeding on the last remnants of a flowering willow tree

Orange-tip x 1 flew along the riverside at Gibson Mill

Cold Edge

Orange Tip 4 males,  Green-veined White 1,  Peacock 1

Lee Mount - 2nd May

Thought last night might have been more productive - just 4 moths.

Flame Carpet x 1

Hebrew Character x 1

Twenty-plume Moth x 1

Brindled Pug x 1

Also earlier in the day in Carrs Beck, lower end of Ogden golf course, a male Emperor Moth over the heather then the short grassland but it didn't stay still for a photo. 

Stainland. 1st May. 2022.

I was just locking the gate and door about 11 p.m. last night and found four moths on the door. It was a mild night. Not a bad find, considering the cold nights we've been having.

2 x Twenty Plumes.

1 x Small Phoenix

1 x Worn Double Striped Pug. TBC.

 

The Small Phoenix start to show in May.  Arriving on May Day was impressive.

I  had to use a zoom lense to get the photos, it's not perfect, but better than nothing. I'm not 100% sure that the pug is a Double Striped, as it's quite worn. It was the most likely, given it's condition and time of year. I'd like a second opinion on it please.

Small Phoenix

Double Striped Pug TBC

Cold Edge - 30th April

Lots of Orang-tip butterflies all over the site this morning in the warm sunshine. Also a good show of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells and 2 Green-veined Whites identified.

Lee Mount - 29th April

 Just two moths in the trap..... better than nothing at all !

Clouded Drab x 1

Small Phoenix x 1

Also an ant on the paving carrying a dead Bee Moth

Cold Edge

 Large White 1,  Orange Tip 2 males,  Small Tortoiseshell 2,  Peacock 1

Lee Mount - 28th April

Still cold overnight and very quiet for moths...........

White-spotted Pug x 1

Hebrew Character x 2

Early Grey x 1

Lee Mount and Castle Carr Road

Still too cold at nights and still nothing in the trap - it must warm up for moths soon !!

Castle Carr Road

One or two nicely sheltered spots in the sunshine this afternoon we found...

Green Hairsteaks  x 3 (on Bilberry including one pair spiraling)

Small Copper x 1 (on a dusty track)

Along with just a few Orange-tips, Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock.

Phone photos

Green Hairstreak

Small Copper

Copley Garden

 Small whites been flitting around last few days. Orange tips as well. Just had holly blue fluttering around the ivy.

Shroggs landfill and Shroggs Park

Peacock x 7 this morning was the only species on the grassland landfill - mostly on Dandelions. Orange-tip x 2 on the edge of the woodland 

I came back through the park woodland - that's the steep hillside facing Shroggs Road (and B and Q). Full sun, south facing. There's a small area which was originally used as a garden waste area. Its now full of wild vegetation without the grasses and it's been a good little butterfly spot in early spring for the last couple of years. I stayed there for nearly an hour.

Holly Blue x 1

Orange-tip x 6 (2 males)

Speckled Wood x 3

Small White x 1

Peacock x 5

The Oak woodland further on the hillside was also alive with insects and I suspect there were some micr-moths in places around the oaks - Dyseriocrania subpurpurella - might take a net down next hot sunny day !

Also a Holly Blue on Thornhill Beck Lane on 18th from John M.

New Bank

 Orange Tip, 2 males

Speckled Wood

 Just moved the curtains and this little fellow was on the window.

Lee Mount

This week to 16th April

Pretty slow going...

Early Grey x 2

Hebrew Character x 4 maximum

Small Quaker x 1

Beautiful Plume x 1

Twin-spotted Quaker x 1

Satellite x 1

Brindled Pug x 2 on 16th along with a Double-striped Pug x 1

Bee Moth x 1 found inside the house

Twenty-plume Moth x 1

Common Quaker x 1

15th April 2002

                                                Oak Eggar covered in morning dew

                                                               Oak Nycteoline 
 

Stainland.

 Just one moth this morning. I was hoping for more, as it was a mild night. 

1 x Twenty Plume.

Stainland.

 My first moth of the year, an Early Thorn. It was a welcome sight.

Early Thorn.

Vapourer Eggs

 Found these two on the moors on Monday..ALso first Light Brown Apple moth in the trap...

                                                          Square spot Rustic

Lee Mount - 25th and 26th March

25th

Diurnia fagella x 4 (all shades)

Chestnut x 1

Early Grey x 1

Double-striped Pug x 1

26th

Oak Beauty x 2

Clouded Drab x 1

Common Quaker x 4

Twin-spotted Quaker x 3

Hebrew Character x 5

Agonopterix heracliana x 2

Left the trap off last night as seemed to be catching the same moths for a couple of nights. 

See what this week brings !

Northowram 25th March ...

Grey Shoulder Knot x 1

Oak Nycteoline x 1

Oak Beauty x 1 

Diurnea Fagella x 1

Common Quaker x 12

Twin Spotted Quaker x 4

Small Quaker x 6

Early Grey x 2 

Hebrew Character x 13 

Brindled Pug x 2

Early Thorn x 1

Clouded Drab x 3 

Rishworth - Oak Beauty and Sword Grass

 A really good night on the 24th 

Moth trap 25th March

Oak Beauty x7

Chestnut x3

Common Quaker x11

Hebrew Character x4

Red Sword Grass x1

Clouded Drab x2

Small Quaker x4

Mottled Grey x1

Northowram 24th March 2022

Common Plume x 1

Beautiful Plume x 1

Diurnea Fagella x 1

Common Quaker x 11

Twin Spotted Quaker x 3

Small Quaker x 7

Early Grey x 2 

Hebrew Character x 7 

Double Striped Pug x 1

Early Thorn x 1

Clouded Drab x 2 

Copley garden

 Lots of butterflies around the garden and on the street.

Small tortoiseshell

Peacock

Comma

Orange tip(female)

Brackenbeds and Ogden

 24th March, Brackenbeds

Lots of small tortoiseshell and peacocks along with plenty of queen bumblebees.

25th March, Ogden

Eastern side of reservoir path, lots of tortoiseshell, peacock and 1x brimstone.

Northowram 23rd March

Oak Beauty x 3 

Double Striped Pug x 1

Beautiful Plume x 1 

Diunea Fagella x 1 

Twin spotted Quaker x 2

Common Quaker x 5

Small Quaker x 8

Hebrew Character x 9

Clouded Drab x 2 

Lee Mount - 24th March

So far today - with a couple more tonight !

Oak Beauty x 1

Satellite x 1 

Small Quaker x 1

Agonopterix sp x 1

Hebrew Character x 1

Common Quaker x 3

Stainland.

 As is quiet just now, I thought I'r mention my latest blog post. One of my older posts got nice comments from a few people here, it was all tree photos. This post is all natural history and landscapes which I've taken over the last year. Some you you will have seen the moth photos but not the rest.

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

Lee Mount - 22nd/23rd March

22nd March

Satellite x 1

Small Quaker x 2

Common Quaker x 2

March Moth x 1

Agonopterix heracliana x 1

Diurnia fagella x 1

23rd March

Brindled Pug x 1

Hebrew Character x 3

Small Quaker  x 1

Common Quaker x 1

Early Grey x 1

Clouded Drab x 1

Brindled Pug (double check this phone shot) gone a bit rusty since last year !!!

Mottled Grey

 Found about 35 in a couple of Grouse Butts ,up on the moor yesterday...

Rishworth - Out on the hill

 Just popped out with a net

Mottled Grey x3

March Moth x1

Rishworth - Back with a bang

 Yep, I haven't mothed a lot recently, but last night I gave it a go, with a really nice moth to top the lot for me.

Moth trap 18th March 2022

Hebrew Character x5

March Moth x1

Common Quaker x1

Brindled Ochre x1

Fox Moth

The sun at last ....Fox Moth cat at Walshaw Dean and a Small Tortoiseshell at Northowram
 

Giant's Tooth Ogden.

Things are looking up. two days ago I found an adult Green Shieldbug in the garden. It was starting to change from it's winter colour of brown, to the summer colour of green.

Today, at the Giant's Tooth, I found a large, hairy, brown caterpillar walking through the dried grass.  I haven't seen this one before. I wondered if it was a Fox Moth caterpillar? It was about two and a half inches long.

I also saw two Red Admirals on the wing at about the same time (2pm).

Fox Moth Cat. ID please?

Fox Moth Cat head TBC

Cold Edge

 Peacock 1

Copley valley

 1x comma on Milner Royd

1x peacock at end of lagoon, Copley Valley

March..2022

 March So far at home...

Common Quaker x 4

Small Quaker x 1 

March Moth x 1 

Hebrew Character x 1 

Chestnut x 1

Double Striped Pug x 1

Beautiful Plume x 2

Agonoptrix sp x 3

Satellite x 1

Hardcastle Crags - 4th February

We had a walk from Midgehole on to Gibson Mill today. On the way back we took a detour from the main track. A good move, we came across this nice moth, disturbed as we walked, and it landed in the leaves on the edge of our muddy detour.

Spring Usher

Lee Mount - 3rd February

One in the trap this morning but struggling with identification of this probable micro Pyralidae ?

Thought at first sight maybe Acrobasis sp. then due to the dark tuft behind the head perhaps Phycita roborella - but I'm not convinced either way and they seem out of season too. Any thoughts ?

Update.......... 

Tortricodes alternella

Pale Brindled Beauty x 1 tonight - yesterdays two are still there

Dotted Border x 1

Dotted Border

Lee Mount - 2nd February

Trap ahs been on most evenings with nothing doing at all. Not a single moth in January was not surprising with the wet, wind and low temperatures. Nice surprise to get two moths showing on 2nd and still there all day on 3rd.

Pale Brindled Beauty x 2 - pink abdomen showing quite well too.

Tunnel /Cave searching..

      2 Heralds  were found in Howroyd Quarry on Sunday morning , Charlie and Anthony made a good team.

    This array of LYUnderwing wings must have been the remnants of an autumn bat feast...!!1

                                             Into the cave , its very unstable in places....

Bare Head Tunnel at the top of Shibden on Monday morning held 14 Heralds and 1 Peacock.

Lesser Common Rustic has been added to the Calderdale list .... I found one on 1st August 2021 in the trap at Northowram,.I had a hunch it was one so collected it and Charlie Streets confirmed it as a male after Gen det today ...many thanks Charlie...

Barkisland Quarry /Howroyd...HNY all

3 Heralds and 1 Tissue at Howroyd Quarry Barkisland ....many thanks to Anthony Arak for the info 

33

Merry Christmas.

 A MERRY CHRISTMAS

TO ALL

 

A Partridge in a Pear Tree 

Design by 

Gordon Jackson

Let's hope the coming year

is a good one for everybody.

P.S. I'm sorry for the typo in Christmas, I've corrected it.

Recent Sightings and DECEMBER MOTH merry xmas....

 On the 12th December Anthony Arak recorded a December Moth in Barkisland a first for our area and one everyone has been hoping for , for the last 20 years...well done AA ..

Last night in Northowram there were 58 male  Winter Moths and 1 female winter moth at Barkisland ..thanks to Mark P for the help in counting them,,,,Cheers all...

Lee Mount - 15th December

Checked the trap this morning - nothing doing in it or nearby.

Went to call at the neighbors house and found this nice moth on the wall.

Angle Shades (another shot taken on the phone)

Lee Mount

Not a lot to report for this last week though Winter Moths have turned up most early evenings and normally cleared off by the morning - maximum of 8 last night (12th). They don't go in the trap but just near it or on the white upvc doors. Not had chance to check the local woodlands for them.

3 different Mottled Umber as well (one on 9th Dec and 2 together on 12th).

Mottled Umber (was just trying this phone shot)

Lee Mount - 3rd December

I put the trap on last night more in hope than anticipation. 4 Moths was a nice surprise though none were in the trap but attracted to it no doubt.

Winter moth x 2

Mottled Umber x 1

Blair's Shoulder-knot x 1 (a bit faded and fairly late I suspect (c20mm) but I can't think it was anything else with the black basal streaks and other black markings just about visible) ?

Blair's Shoulder-knot

Mottled Umber

Winter Moth