Heads Up for Brimstones

Loads of Brimstones on the wing in Marbury, Cheshire yesterday. I had a fast flying single with ND on 17th downstream of Ryburn Reservoir. Originally thought it might have been a Clouded Yellow. Didn't get chance to film any in Marbury, so hoping some more will turn up over here.
Plenty Green Hairstreaks on the Bilberry around Widdop, and at Sheddon Clough in Cliviger, plus Green Tiger Beetles at Blake Dean

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

An interesting selection last night.

Pale Tussock 1

Common Wave 1

Unknown pug 1

Poplar Hawkmoth 1

Hebrew Character 1

Common Quaker 1

Glaucous Shears (pictured) 1

Hardcastle Craggs Sund 01 05 11

Trying Hardcastle Craggs sund 01 05 11,meet about 8ish if anyone can make it.lets hope it warms up a bit ! regards Bri. ps a few Pugs would be nice,like maybe Ochreous !!

Thorn Help please

This fine 1917 Early Thorn Selenia dentaria visited my trap on 14th April and I put her in a pot till I could get a photo. Moments later I realised she had laid 7 eggs. That was 12 days ago and the eggs have sat there on the worktop till today when 6 have hatched into vigerous 2mm long caterpillars! I read in W & T that Hawthorn is one of their foodplant so I have put some leaves in the small pot and the whole thing in a small jam jar with pop sock and elastic band on top outside. Hopefully they will come out of the small pot and feed. Have I done the right thing and about how long will the different stages take? Please help. Win

Crags Sunday night

Lesser Swallow Prominent from Sunday night in the Crags

Saturday 23rd in Hebden Bridge

Hi All, An interesting selection in the trap on Sunday morning.

Hebrew Character 1

Brindled Pug 17

Unidentified pug 1

Common Quaker 5

Knot Grass 1

Eriocrania subpurperella 1

Alucita Hexadactyla 1 (Which I have only recorded once before years ago in a chip shop!)

Syndemis musculana 1 (At least thats what I think it is , pic below)

Oak Tree Pug 1

Lime Hawk Moth 1

Hardcastle Craggs Sund 24 04 11

A chilly clear night only produced 4 brown silverline,1 lesser swallow prominent,2 brindled pug and 1 common quaker to light,we found 4 brown silverline and 1 water carpet on the wing by torch up at Hollin Hall as we thought it would be even colder down by the river at Gibson Mill,nothing at all came to the sugared tree where Winstons sugar mop usually go,s,regards Bri and Martyn.

Hardcastle Craggs Sund 24 04 11

Having a try at Hardcastle Craggs tonight if anyone can make it ? sorry its short notice,but not been able to get access due to Easter Hols,until today,will meet top car park 730 ish.let us know on this blog if you can make it,regards Bri.

Micro for i.d.

can anyone i.d. this little beauty please

Prominent night in Midgley

Looks like the prominents were out in force last night - We had an Iron Prominent and Pebble Prominent, but the star of the night was our first Poplar Hawkmoth! Also got a cracking Flame Carpet just asking to be photographed. Hebrew Characters were aplenty too with 17 in the trap.

Looking forward to emptying the trap tomorrow morning...

Cock Hill Moor Thursday

Hi All, Wandering on Cock Hill Moor yesterday saw lots of Common Heath and about 30 Green Hairstreak, these two enjoying the sun. Also saw what I think is a wild violet. Can anyone confirm? Win

Hardcastle Craggs thurs 21 04 11

Tried 4 hours or so at Hollin Hall, 22 species, brown silver-line 5,flame carpet 2,a arenella 2,brindled pug 30,red chestnut 2,small phoenix 1,small quaker 1,v pug 1,iron prominent 1,lesser swallow prominent 4,hebrew character 8,purple thorn 1,early thorn 4,common quaker 19,eriocrania subpurpurella 1,diurnea fagella 1,water carpet 3,clouded drab 21,twin spot quaker 1 worn,powdered quaker 2,autumn green carpet 1,common pug 1,and 2 pugs to be checked.a pic of iron prominent.regards Bri. ps im saying nothing about generators !!

Green Hairstreak

Spotted this near Jack Bridge yesterday.

Water Carpet

as predicted by Brian I had my first Water Carpet for Luddenden last night, not as bright as some individuals I've seen but not bad

any more predictionss Brian

Common Quaker - 1 day old

my Common Quaker eggs hatched yesterday and here's one of thee cats, very small at just over 1mm in size, shame I can't post it in RAW format it's lost a lot of detail during compression

Hardcastle Craggs thurs 21 04 11

New genny has arrived will try thurs will meet at top car park 7 30 ish if anyone can make it regards Bri.

Saw my first Speckled Wood of the year today in Sunnybank wood, Todmorden. Quite a few Orange tips around as well.

Purple patch

Looks like were in for a real purple patch over the weekend with tepms set to rocket so good luck .3 Powdered Quaker,Early and Purple thorn ,Common and Foxglove Pug and 20+ hebrew Characters last night.Today at Norland opposite the Moorcock 4/5 Green hairstreak ,2 Common Heath,10+ Peacock,6 Small tortoiseshell an  Incurvaria species which I think is  pectinea  but it was flying round billberry but birch nearby??? .My first Speckled woods and loads of Large and Green veined whites.

Swarming behaviour of insects (Update)

Hi all, A follow up to my post from last week -

http://calderdalemoths.blogspot.com/2011/04/swarming-behaviour-of-insects.html

I seem to have got to the bottom of this. Largely with thanks to Tony Irwin via The Society for the study of flies (Diptera) who have an excellent resource in their website here -

http://www.dipteristsforum.org.uk/

The swarming flies turned out to be Non-biting midges (Chironomidae) are also sometimes called chironomids. There are There over 5000 known species worldwide. Exhibiting a high degree of sexual diamorphism the males have hugely feathered antenae. It is extremely difficult to accurately identify an individual species so this is the best we can do.

Win x

Yesterday's Sightings

Took a stroll on Midgeley Moor yesterday (Sunday) and saw lots of these Common Heath (This one a female with simple antenae) also possible Emperor Moth. Eleswhere Eriocrania, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoise Shell and a single Green Hairstreak were all on the wing.