Stainland.

 25th July 2023

1 x Scalloped Oak

1 x Scalloped Oak

It was on the doorstop as I opened it. I tried not to disturb it as I took photos. I couldn't disturb it, the poor thing was dead. It's only the second I've ever seen.

Stainland.

From 24th July 2023 

ID corrected by David. Thanks for putting me on the right track.

Ok, I feel a little silly. I've been struggling to ID the first moth below since 24 July. I can't tell you how many times I've gone through my books. However I've settled on it being a Rustic. I not sure at all. Please will someone put me out of my misery? I'd like to know ,"Yes it is or, "No, its a ..." Thknk you.

?

Udea prunalis

I'm on safe ground with the next one. It's only the second time I've seen one. The first time was 8th July last year. They are unmistakable

Neither photo is very good, they were done with a telephoto  lens,under far from deal conditions. Hey Ho.

Carcina quercana.

Lee Mount - 28th July

Not a lot this morning in the trap that I wouldn't expect but just the one posing me a querie. Could this be Dingy Shears (NO not happy with that now - not Dingy S)

Best of the others

Mother of Pearl, Willow Beauty, Small Fan-footed Wave x 2, Clouded Border x 2 and Double-striped Pug etc...

Copley - in the wet - 22nd July

A poor afternoon but we still managed to find one or two butterflies hiding away.

Gatekeeper x 3 in long grass at Hollas Bridge with a Red Admiral still braving it out on a Buddleia. 

Green-veined White x 2 alongside the river.

 Puss Moth Caterpillar

This beauty was found in one of the neighbours gardens on 5th July and its now almost fully grown

Emperor Moth Caterpillar from Whiteholme

25th June

9th July

20th July

Its still only partly grown (about 25mm), below is a fully grown adult, also from Whiteholme, which is twice as long and about 5 times the bulk

16th July

Lee Mount - Varied Coronet

Between 15th June and 5th July I had up to at least 3 individuals visiting pots of flowering Sweet Williams. Mostly arriving just on dusk and watched by torch-lite after dark. I only actually caught one of them in the trap.

Sweet Williams being the host plant I did wonder if they were leaving eggs, though I never found any. Hidden away on the plant somewhere. After flowering they have now set seed. Lots of caterpillars have now emerged - different stages but they have started wandering so put the pot  in a corner of the garden out of the way. I'm pretty sure these are the caterpillars, they hide away unseen in the day, well camouflaged, then I find them feeding in the seed heads at dusk and now hoping for some home grown adults next year maybe !! I understand they pupate in the ground. We'll see.

 

Stainland.

 I decided to put the image of this moth here for no other reason, than it struck me as being so attractive. I don't know why it impressed me, when I've seen plenty before. It's the difference between looking and seeing, I suppose.

1 x  Riband Wave - Banded.

Riband Wave - Banded.

Warley Moor - 19th July

A really nice morning to be up there - it's not often the case !

Fly Flats res'r at SE029322 - 2 Ringlets and 2 Meadow Browns.

Withens Head - SE041309 - opposite the wind farm car park

1 Red Admiral, 3 Meadow Browns and 2 Ringlets.

Whiteholme

 Silver Y

Stainland.

 18th July 2023

1 x Common Footman

2 x Marbled Beauties

1 x Small Dusty Wave TBC

The Small Dusty Wave TBC, gave me a lot of trouble. I'm still not certain as to it's ID, I'd be grateful for a correct ID please.

Small Dusty Wave TBC

Withens Clough - 18th July

Reservoir circuit before the rain set in...

No sunshine at all but a Silver Y was busy on creeping thistles near the res'r cottage.

Two Large Skippers at the top end of the reservoir (SD977226) with 4 Ringlets, 9 Meadow Brown and a single Green-veined White.

Large Skipper

Lee Mount etc - 17th July

Very little in the trap this morning - the most interesting was a V-Pug and a Silver Y.

Despite the heavy showers we were fortunate enough to hit a hot sunny spell at (SE059310) of Ogden res'r. The well overgrown silt trap at the top of the res'r that leads into Skirden Clough produced one each Large and Small Skipper along with 4 Ringlets and a good number of, now fading, Meadow Browns.

Lee Mount - 16th July

 No trap on last night but butterfly's came out this afternoon in among spells of hot sunshine.

This Holly Blue was the best but it certainly played had to get in the lens - best I could do !

One each - Comma, Red Admiral and 2 each Small Tortoiseshell, Large White and Small White

 Luddenden this week

Its been a lot quieter this week with the unsettled weather and cooler, breezy nights, highlights were

Box Tree Moth on the 12th

Second record here and only the third for Calderdale, no doubt there will be more

Dingy Footman - only the third this year

Double-square Spot - one of three on the 12th

Another increasing species. The first here was 1 in 2021, there were 9 in 2022 and 5 so far this year

Dot Moth on the 8th

Only the second record here

The Miller

Always a nice Moth to see, with only small numbers yearly here

Lee Mount - 13th July

One each - Pinion-streaked Snout, Beautiful Plume, Beautiful Golden Y, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix, Ypsolopha dentella, Dark / Grey Dagger and Double Square-spot and V-Pug.

Bright-line Brown-eye x 2 and Common Rustic x 4

Also new in - Slender Brindle and Gothic - both of them different from the other two on 11th and 12th after comparing photos.

Northowram today

White letter Hairstreak x 5

Purple Hairstreak x 10

Red Admiral x 6

Small Tortoiseshell x 30 +

Gatekeeper x 10 +

Comma , Small and Large Skippers , Small and Large Whites , Ringlet ,Speckled Wood  and 50 + Meadow Brown starting to look a bit tatty now...

 

Cromwell Bottom Sunday morning 9th July

 119 Species recorded from 3 traps .

Highlights included 

Yarrow Plume x 1

White Plume x 2

Batia lunaris x 1

Acleris Podana x 1

Acleris hasliana x 1

Lunar Hornet Moth x 1 to lure

Coleophora perbenanderi and lutipenella x 1 each (gen det CS)

Large twin Spot Carpet x 1

Scarce Footman x 2

Brown line bright eye x 12

Silky Wainscot x 13

Blackneck x 7

Marbled White Spot x 1

Polar Grey x1

Sycamore x 1

Common Emerald x 1

Beautiful Hook Tip x 2

Southern Wainscot x 1

Double Square Spot x 5

Double Lobed x 1

Dingy Shears x 1

Common lutestring x 1

13.7.23 Slack Top

 13.7.21

Burnished brass (1)

Barred Straw (2) Andrew, we mistook this one for a spinach in 2011.

Poplar Hawk (1)

July highflyer (1)

Dark Arches (?) pale and dark form (2) on watsapp for id please

Common Rustic (1)

Common White Wave (1)

and some others posted on watsapp for id please

Marbled whites at Millington Pastures ( East Yorkshire)

 

Visited on 8.7.23. Estimated well over a thousand

Lee Mount - 12th July

 A few hangers on from last few days but four new ones this morning.

Angle-striped Sallow

 

Silver Y

Slender Brindle

Uncertain (quite a dark one)!

Lee Mount and Soil Hill - 11th July

 A micro from this morning. A new one for here.......always a good feeling !

Celypha striana

Soil Hill

Late morning circuit on the top. A bit breezy but still a good few butterflies about.

Ringlet x 44

Meadow Brown x 20

Small Heath x 2

Moths. Couldn't find any Latticed Heath today. Just one Shaded Broad-bar and loads of Garden Grass Veneers.

Stainland.

 10th July

2 x Riband Waves - Unbanded.

Slack Top moth

 Any ideas?

Moth Report ...

 Some great comments from WYES..recieved today

  I think it is a superb and very accessible account of moth diversity and abundance in Calderdale; I especially like the details on food plants & good places to see particular species. Gordon Jackson’s poem made me smile.

It must have taken a great deal of work to compile - and that is before the great number of hours of moth trapping and recording by you and the other contributors are taken into account.

 

It has now been added to the  WYES reference library?

 

Lee Mount - 10th/11th July

Last night out with a torch - 5 Silver Y's nectering on Erysimum, Valerian and Verbena. Seem to be there most evenings recently. They are very wary, as soon as I get the camera on them they scarper and come back 10 mins later !

This morning.

Sycamore x 1 

Gothic x 1

Clouded Border x 1

Dark Arches x 9

Purple Clay x 1

Riband Wave x 4

Common Rustic agg x 2

Dun-bar x 1

Heart and Dart x 2

Brimstone Moth x 1

Flame x 1

Double-striped Pug x1

etc......

Gothic

Sycamore (22mm)

Lunar Hornet Moth

 Lunar Hornet Moth to a lure supplied by AArak at Cromwell Bottom on Sunday Morning...

Shroggs Park - Lee Mount

Managed to find a single White-letter Hairstreak on flowering privet bushes in hot sunshine this afternoon. Around the same spot where a Reed Warbler was heard singing a couple of weeks ago. My visit prompted by other finds of this species in the last few days in Northowram, Savile Park and Cromwell Bottom etc. 

Also in the same area of the park this afternoon at SE084259.

Speckled Wood x 3, Red Admiral x 2, Comma x 3, Meadow Brown x 8, Ringlet x 2, Small Tortoiseshell x 2, Small Skipper x 1 and Large White x 1

Also found one day flying moth down there - a Silver Y

Stainland.

 

2 x Eudonia lacustrata (1from day before - 1 grey. 1 brown)

2 x Marbled Beauties (1from day before)

1 x Swallowtail (from day before)

Eudonia lacustrata 

 

I'm posting the Eudonia simply because it highlights the fact that, as a rule moth and caterpillars rest with their heads in a depression. They are protecting their heads of course. The photo made me wonder how they know their body dimensions. The same is true for moth's ability to find the right place to land and blend into the background. For me, "natural selections" doesn't cut it.

Stainland (Amended).

 A nice surprise for me this morning. My first Swallowtail moth, plus two other moths. The odd shape of the Swallowtail, is a perspective distortion. I took the shot from below, with a telephoto lens.

New addition to this report, see below. 4 pm Sat. 8th July.

1 x Swallowtail

1 x Marbled Beauty

1 x White Shouldered House Moth

Swallowtail

I had a late arrival to the door today.

1 x Double Striped Pug

Double Striped Pug

Luddenden this week

 It's been a lot quieter in Luddenden this week with the only notable Moths being a Double-square spot and two Engrailed on the 1st and this Scarce Footman on the 5th (thanks to Brian for helping to confirm it).

I thought I had one last year but it escaped before I could photograph it. This is another Footman that has been increasing greatly. Also Carol found this Puss Moth caterpillar in a neighbors garden.

Stainland.

 1 x Foxglove Pug - Very worn.

Foxglove Pug

I am not having a good year with moths this year. I have a feeling that it's been poor for many mothers. I hope this picks up late this year, or next year. I know a lot of creatures are dying off in large numbers but surely not to the point when I'm getting no sightings, or just one now and then. The  nights in the village have been cold, possibly it's one reason?

White - letter hairstreaks

 At least two White letter Hairstreaks yesterday at Northowram one was on Elm and one on Oak next to Elm..100's of Meadow Brown , 3 Comma , 1 Red Admiral , Small and Large Skipper , 10 + Ringlet  nd a few freshly emerged Small Tortoiseshells .

   Sycamore , Beautiful Hook Tip , Varied Coronet and about 6 Large Elephant Hawks in the moth trap..

Hardcastle Crags

Pretty breezy for butterfly's today but managed to find one spot which was quite productive. The meadow up the track from Gibson Mill has a good mix of grasses and a couple of groups of thistles so we managed a few butterfly's there. 25+ Meadow Brown, 2 Ringlets, 3 Speckled Wood, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Large Skipper and 2 Small Skippers together. 

The latter I find a bit puzzling after checking the photos.

Small Skippers (one seems to have orange tips and the other dark tips to the antenna)

I can't think Essex Skipper but that's the best I could do in the windy conditions.

Red Admiral

Also managed a couple of moths. Common Carpet in the woodland and a Dark Arches rescued from Gibson Mill cafe.

Purple Clay and a Smoky Wainscot in the trap at home this morning.

Lee Mount and Ogden - 3rd July

Little in the trap after a breezy and cool overnight temperature with one each Uncertain, Riband Wave, Common Footman and Lozotaenia forsterana. Three Dark Arches.

A Silver Y was buzzing around in the Hebble Brook area  (SE066305) in the shelter below the res'r embankment. A few butterflies though.

Meadow Brown x 25

Ringlet x 13

Large Skipper x 3

Small Skipper x 1

Stainland.

 1 x Riband Wave - Not banded.

Shibden Valley

 Yellow Shell moth sitting in the road