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Emperor Moth

 

Lee Mount - 13th July

Not that many moths in the trap this morning. Started off with Common Footman x 6  (a record count for here I think). Attention drawn to another Footman showing an orange collar - this looks interesting !

Orange stripe consistent width to tip of wing and wings wrapped around the body quite unlike Common Footman.

Scarce Footman

This bottom, original un-cropped photo was the first sighting of this Scarce Footman with the orange collar standing out.

Lee Mount and Swales Moor etc.

A lot of moths this morning - still going through them (photo's). It's not easy keeping up to speed with so much happening and sunny days looking for butterflies !

Small Dusty Wave on Mint - been there all day !

31 species this morning - with the best ones being Barred Red, Green Carpet, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Light Emerald, Swallow-tailed Moth, Buff Arches x 4, Peppered Moth x 2.

Despite the lack of yesterdays sunshine it remained pretty warm, hot at times. Lots of butterfly's, especially Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Small Skippers. A few Large Skippers, Small Tortoiseshells, Green-veined Whites, Small Heaths, Red Admiral. 

Best for me was a Gatekeeper along Ringby Lane (don't seem to get that many up this end

Gatekeeper

Also a few day flying moths with 35+ of these in the top field of Ringby Lane.

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moths

MOTH MORNING

HALIFAX SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY EVENT THIS SATURDAY

A reminder that there will be a moth morning at Peachy Steve's Mirey Wall farm, Boulder Clough, at 8.00am this Saturday (16th).
Hopefully there will be two traps to sort through and if the weather holds we should surpass the 70 or so species seen on each of the two previous events.
Novices and experts welcome, the event should last 2 or 3 hours so no need to bring snacks

Stainland. Updated from 12th July.

 A couple of hours or so after I photographed the 12th of July moths, my life-long health problem surfaced again. It happens without any warning, I was out of action for a few days. 

12th July

Best day this year so far.  3:30 am, we had four swallowtails, I was amazed! List first, one or two images after.

As I was coming round, I tried to ID the moths. Over three days, I spent a lot of hours going through my moth books page by page, and looking online, repeatedly, I have been unable to get an ID for the ones below, it drove me crackers. Could someone please take a look at them and tell me what they are? Thank you

4 x Swallowtails

4 x Eudonia lacustrata

1 x Brimstone

1 x Common footman

1 x Riband Wave

4 to ID yet. One or two are very poor shots and I don't expect any luck with the ginger moth. The first looked a bit like a dark Bee moth, it has two green areas. The Ginger one has off white markings

ID needed

ID needed

ID needed

ID needed

 

Shroggs Road - reclaimed landfill

Alive with butterflies, and a few moths, in the very hot sunshine this morning. Only had time to go through a small area of this large grassland site.

Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Small Skippers abundant throughout (double checked numerous Small Skippers) !!. Only 2 Large Skippers identified, Speckled Wood x 1, Small Tortoiseshell x 2, Comma x 1, Large White x 2. Red Admiral x 2.

Moths included Shaded Broad-bar x 20, Udea lutealis x 1, Smoky Wainscot x 1 and lots of Garden Grass Veneers. Impossible to photograph as they all hid away in the tall grasses.

Lee Mount - queries !!

 A  couple here a check on i d ...?

Pretty sure this first one from 8th July is Double Square-spot - I didn't manage a photo of under-wing to double check against possibility of Triple-spotted Clay. 

Double Square-spot

(Also I can't find reference to Triple-spotted Clay in Andy's booklet so wonder if it's ever been recorded in Calderdale)??

This one from 6th July I have down for Pine Carpet - but I'm not 100% sure what else it might be ?

Ta for any help.

Sun 10/072022....Butterflys

 

My first  Purple Hairstreaks today with at least 4 seen in display flight , 3 White letter Hairstreak , 2 Large Skipper , 1 Small Kipper   30 Meadow Brown , 6 Ringlet , 2 Small Tortoiseshell , 3 Speckled Wood , 1 Comma , 2 Red Admiral , Large and Small Whites at Northowram , Hollas Bridge on Saturday  held 4 Small Skipper , 1 Small Heath , 3 Gatekeeper , 4 Ringlet , 20 Meadow Brown , 2 Large White , 2 Small Tortoiseshell , 2 Speckled Wood  and 1 Large Skipper 

Stainland. Catch up from 7th, 8th and 9th July.

 8 moths in total.  There are 2 new to me, both quite striking. Also, one I would like somebody to confirm, or correct my ID please.

Late arrival this afternoon 9th July (below)

7th July.

1 x Brown House Moth (Best photo I've ever manged with this one)

1 x Currant Pug (Badly worn, about 50% of it's scales have gone)

1 x Eudonia lacustrata (First this year for me)

1 x Garden Grass Veneer TBC (Poor photo with digital noise)

1 x Marbled Beauty. (The first of many this year, I hope)

Brown House Moth

Currant Pug

Eudonia lacustrata

Garden Grass Veneer TBC

Marbled Beauty

8th July

Best of the bunch and new to me.

1 x Carcina quercana  (Nice looking, a colourful little thing)

1 x  Vapourer moth caterpillar (Found in our hall, early morning. New to me, I've yet to see the moth)

Carcina quercana

Vapourer moth caterpillar

9th July

1 x Riband Wave - Non banded. (It was in a tricky place, not a great photo)

Riband Wave

Bee Moth

Cold Edge / Ovenden Moor

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey today. 10 x 200 m sections. Weather started off well with it being hot with full sun but it clouded over and the butterflies tailed off. Probably went to hide in the long dry grasses as the wind increased  too.

Not a bad return though - 81 individuals of only six species.

7 Small Skipper

13 Large Skipper

11 Small Tortoiseshell

20 Meadow Brown

20 Ringlet

10 Small Heath

Large Skipper on bramble

 

Also found a few moths including Brown Silver-lines, Beautiful Golden Y and this True Lover's Knot below nectering on brambles.

One Broad-bodied Chaser on the pond at Skirden Clough

Stainland.

 1 x Common Footman

Stainland.

 From 30th June.

5th June 2022.

The Small Fan-footed Wave, has been been correctly identified as a Riband Wave and duly renamed. Thanks Andy.

2 x Brimstone 

1 x Small Fan-footed Wave  Riband Wave

Brimstone

Riband Wave

White letter hairstreak

 First one out today , kept high in the top of local Elm .Next two weeks is prime time so have a look art your local Elm...

Emperor and the Moors

 Nice to find this beautiful Emperor cat  on the moors at Walsahaw Dean , also Grey Scalloped Bar , Oak Eggar and the remains of a  Wood Tiger .....and I also released the Vapourer cats that hatched the other day.I never realised how common Vapourer were on the moors , I found about 4 more newly hatched batches of Vapourer ......maybe 100 + cats in total...!!!!

Stainland.

 1 x Beautiful Plume moth.

Beautiful Plume

Ogden - Hebble Brook area

I thought maybe a chance of Beautiful Yellow Underwing this afternoon but that was not to be. The only moth I found was a Brown Silver-line and some Garden Grass Veneers.

Despite the breeze it was warm with lots of sunshine and plenty of butterfly's in sheltered spots down near the golf course. These included good numbers of Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Small Heaths, One each of Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell and 3 Small Whites. A few Large Skippers (mainly on brambles) but no sign of Small Skippers.

The best was this one - a nice surprise ...

Common Blue (female)

Hummingbird Hawk

Not sure if anyone else has these yet but we have had one feeding in our Garden and Lower Burnt moor for the last two days. Its mainly feeding on Catmint (Nepeta sp) and Red Valarian. I was amazed to see it feeding on Red Valarian in strongs winds 15/20mph this morning and having no trouble in holding position whilst hovering

Hag Lane - Ploughcroft

Painted Lady - two fluttering around a dusty track together - but could only get a photo of one of them this afternoon (26th.)

Just a short walk around, pretty cloudy but very warm. with a >S F3

Ringlet x 6

Meadow Brown x 15

Yellow Shell moths x 2

Painted Lady

Yesterday the two Painted Lady's were in the same spot - hot and sunny late afternoon.

Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Small Tortoiseshells, Speckled Woods and Large Skippers x 2 on brambles.

Light Emerald

Moorside, Ovenden 25-06-2022