Ringby Lane moths ! - 2nd June

Three day flying moths puzzled me.

30+ Common Heaths around the heather/bilberry west slope were a bit easier to identify !.

Small Yellow Underwing - thanks Andy - a new one for me !

I think this is on the seed head of a Plantain

Grapholita lunulana 

And this one below gave me the runaround, a blighter to get decent photos but good enough - Marsh Pug - also checked with CF . Thanks Charlie.

Swales Moor - Ringby Lane - 2nd June

 A really nice warm sunny morning to start with up there.

I was surprised with the number of Wall butterfly's amounting to 23 sightings with a count estimate of at least 9 individuals along the length of the lane and in and around the top field.

Also seen Small Tortoiseshell x 3, Peacock x 2, Small Copper x 2, Small Heath x 1 and 2 unidentified 'whites'.

Another Wall was also found along Castle Carr Road this afternoon but no sign of any Green Hairstreaks in the usual places.

Just one moth in the trap this morning

Campion

Ogden (Lower Brockholes and Hebble Brook)

Not  a bad morning for butterflies and just a few day-flying moths. A little more sunshine would have helped but it was warmer than of late.

Red Admiral x 1 (on Ragged Robin)

Small Heath x 1 (on the heath-land lower end of golf course)

Green Hairstreak x 1

Orange-tip x 12...

Green-veined White x 6

Large White x 1

Small White x 4

Several 'whites' unidentified.

Small Heath

Moths

Common Heath x 10+

Nettle-tap - numerous on the nettles

Silver -ground Carpet x 2

Stainland.

I had a nice surpise this morning. Inside the hall was a Cinnabar moth. I found one last year at Hollins, I only got poor photos. Today I got a good shot, before releasing it outside.

Total moths for today.

1 x Blastobasis lacticolella  (poor photo)

1 x Brimstone (Perhaps the same one as on the 30th of May, it's impossible to tell.)

1 x Cinnabar

Cinnabar

Lee Mount

 Still quiet this last week or so and not a lot to report at all.

This is the best.......yesterday morning 30th May

Green Silver-lines

Also recently...................

V-Pug x 1

Cabbage Moth x 1

Spectacle x 2

Brimstone Moth x 1

Common Swift x 1

Scalloped Hazel x 1

Garden Carpet x 1

Common White Wave x 1 (22nd)

Heart and Dart x 1 (20th)

Hopefully get some warmer nights later this week ...!

Stainland.

 Three moths this morning. 

 1 x Brimstone (My first this year.)

 1 x Foxglove Pug

1 x Small Phoenix (I've had a few of these this year already.  I've  had both forms; one with the central dark band broken with two brown and white lines. The other where the dark band is not broken.)

I can't tell if the Foxglove Pug is the same as yesterday'sor not. Yesterday's was such a poor photo. It's nice to have a good shot of one.

 

 

Brimstone

Foxglove Pug

 

Small Phoenix

 

 

Stainland.

 25th May and 29th May.

25th May

ID updated 10th June 2020

Currant Pug

29th May.

1 x Common Marbled Garden Carpet

1 x Foxglove Pug

The Pug was moving it's wings when I found it in the sunlight. I knew it was about to fly, so I grabbed a quick shot. It flew off and I have one blurred photo. It isn't good enough to show, unless anyone wants to look at it. However, Colin taught me that it's always good to have a record. 

Common Marbled Garden Carpet

Stainland.

 23rd May. 2022.

A nice surprise for me;

2 x Light Brown Apple

1 x Small Phoenix

1 x Garden Carpet (My first this year)

1 x Green Carpet (The best of the lot. It must be very fresh, it has a lovely, vibrant colour.)

 

 Garden Carpet

 

Green Carpet

 

 

 

Wood Tiger Cat.....

                                                           Wood Tiger

                                                                Wood Tiger

                                                              Green Hairstreak

                                                                  Northern Eggar

 This week in Luddenden

still pretty quiet here with few Moths nightly, however I've had some real beauties

Muslin Moth 18th May 2022 - a new species for me

Pale Prominent 19th May 2022 - a new species for me

Yellow-barred Brindle  15th May 2022 - third record here

others this week included

Buff Ermine

White Ermine

Scalloped Hazel

Poplar Hawkmoth

Pale Tussock

Knot Grass

White-spotted Pug

 

 

Stainland.

Last night was very quiet.

 

1 x Twenty Plume

2 x Light Brown  Apple.

Lee Mount - 19th May

One good moth this morning plus one that I suspect is beyond recognition though it did have a fairly distinctive shape. 

Also Small Phoenix x 1 

Alder Moth only ever had one of these before

A struggle with this one despite the shape ! Think it's just pretty well faded ?

Various !

 Still not doing well for moths here in Lee Mount. Just one moth this morning - but it was  a good one.

Spectacle

 

Later in the day spent some time at Ogden / Ovenden Moor and later on along Castle Carr Road.

A good do with butterflies all round - it was warm / hot at times today.

Red Admiral x 1, Green Hairstreaks x 10, Wall x 1, Small Coppers x 4, Speckled Wood x 4 along with a decent show of Orange-tips, Green-veined Whites and Small Tortoiseshells and just a few Small Whites.

On Ovenden Moor plenty Common Heaths included two in cop' and 2 more on Castle Carr Road. Paul B also got a nice shot of a male Common Heath showing the feathery antennae very well.

Common Heath male (thanks PB)

Red Admiral

Small Copper

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.