Thursday, 4 August 2022

Stainland. From 29th July.

I'm having exiting time just now. My laptop started acting up. It took me two days to sort it out. Still, it's a lot cheaper than taking it in for repair.

From 29th July

Thanks to David for confirming Common Rustic, in the comments.

3 x Common Rustic (1 pale brown, other 2 Red-ish brown I'm not 100% certain of the IDs)

3 x Eudonia lacustrata

3 x Marbled Beauty

1 x Small Phoenix (possibly from day before)

4 x Blastobasis lacticolella

2 x Blastobasis adustella


Common Rustic agg.

Common Rustic agg.

I still have some more catching up to do....






Wednesday, 3 August 2022

Shibden Valley

 Holly Blue 1   (4 August: Small Copper 1)

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Northern Marble Phiaris palustrana

 Just been confirmed as a first for VC 63 Northern Marble  Phiaris palustrana . Found high up on the moor at Middle Walshaw Dean...14th July 2022



Monday, 1 August 2022

Lower Brockholes

Female Gatekeeper (rather tatty)


Stainland. Catch up from 28 July..

 28th July

10 x Blastobasis lacticolella
  2 x Marbled Beauty
  2 x Small Phoenix
  1 x Willow Beauty
  1 x Riband Wave 
  1 x Common Footman
  1 x Eudonia lacticolella
  2 x Lozotaenia forsterana 
Lozotaenia forsterana






Sunday, 31 July 2022

Stainland. Another catch-up.

Since 25th July, 

I've had a lot of things on my hands. Having to dismantle 4 dining chairs, repair and rebuild them being the most trying, I'm not a great DIY person. I have spent countless hours pouring over moth books and the internet to hoping for IDs, and sometimes failing. It's very frustrating, I'd much rather have them all named before I post them. I get attacks of brain fog and uncontrollable yawning, Sigh. However. I have a few days of moth counts to post, starting with the 27th July.


27 July

3 x Willow Beauty

1 x July Highflier (First this year)

1 x Brimstone

1 x Blastobasis adustella

1 x Blastobasis lacticolella

1 x Currant Pug

1 x Marbled Beauty


Also, two moths that need an ID. I'm not proud of these to shots. They are the best I could do at the time..

I'm not confident about the first one but it's my best try..

Ypsolopha vittela TBC

It seems that every time I find a dark, black or dark grey moth, I have problems with them. They should be distinctive but...

ID Needed


More updates to follow.







Thursday, 28 July 2022

 Another Chocolate Tip

Following Dave's excellent first record of Chocolate Tip in 2020 another turned up in Luddenden last night



other goodies the last 2 days were


Beautiful Hook-tip - 9th record this year


Engrailed


Scallop Shell - third record this year

also 3 Purple Thorn last night, my first ever multiple record also 39 Dingy Footmen so far this year




Stainland. Brown moth with white head. Mystery solved?

I was lucky enough to have a second moth of the same species of a brown moth with white head, yesterday afternoon. It was in a spot where I could take nine photos from different angles. I had to crop some photos to get a good look at it. It's not something I care to do as a rule.

There is not as much white on the second moth. However, I got enough photos to show in detail what is happening.

Studying them, I came to three conclusions:

1) It's a Udea prunalis.

2) Both moths have the same features, (white head and same body).

3) The structure and appearance of the white parts, suggests a fungal infection. They exhibit a soft, fluffy appearance.

The 5 photos below, show the details:

1) A shot of the whole moth. Note that the white part is visible on the right leg. The white area here, can clearly be seen to be fluffy on the original photo.

Udea prunalis TBC

2) The white area seems to be spreading round the eyes and to the roots of the antennae.

Spreading round the eyes

3) Showing the white areas spreading across it's face. The next two photos are a little soft focus. I wasn't able to keep the camera in exactly the same place, due to me shaking a little. (An after effect of the health issue.)

White areas spreading across it's face.

4) Showing the white area spreading to it's legs.

White area spreading to it's front legs.

5) Out of interest, I added another whole moth shot, from a different angle. In this image, you can't
see much of the white, just a little on the leading edge of it's left wing. Also, some white shows where it seems to be spreading around the outside edges of it's eyes.

Same moth, different angle

So, it's open to discussion, it it fungal or not? 

If yes, they does this need to be reported officially, in the way the British ladybirds fungal infection has been? I'm very happy to provide high quality photos if asked,


Monday, 25 July 2022

Stainland. Up to date.

By the end of this post I will have caught up. Some of you may wonder why I didn't add them to one big post, as before.  I did try, however, it seems that my concentration has not recovered yet. I got my records of the last few days in quite a mess, by trying to combine them in one post. I started again, it worked. Hey ho! Never  mind, here they are.

Post updated 27th July. Thanks to David for an ID of three moths

25th July 2022 

3 x Marbled Beauties 
3 x Blastobasis lacticolella 
2 x Common Footman 
2 x Marbled Beauties 
1 x Twenty Plume 
x Garden Grass Veneer
1 x Grey Dagger (I’m not sure if I’ve seen this one before, or not Nice moth though)
1 x Willow Beauty 
1 x Grey Dagger (I’m not sure if I’ve seen this one before, or not. Nice moth though)

1 x  Eudonia Sp. Unknown ID Needed
1 x Willow Beauty (I think) Very badly Worn 
1 x Unspecified Needs an ID (Poor photo)

This last one has taken me a very long time to complete. I had to re-do it three times and became very irate with myself. I really need help with the IDs here. 

I'm off for a lie down now, I'm am so trashed.

Dark Dagger/Grey Dagger

IDs needed for the below, thank you

Agapeta hamana 

Garden Pebble




Stainland. Catch up.

 20h July 2022

16 moths today, not bad for me, nothing compared to others of course.

7 x Marbled Beauties
3 x Swallowtails
3 x Riband Wave (One Banded)
1 x Eudonia lacustrata
1 x Brimstone
1 x V Pug (Not the same one as yesterday, this is in better condition)


V Pug (Accidentally knocked the ISO
to 1000, without realising! Poor photo)




Stainland.

 19th July 2022 

Not a bad collection.

3 x Marbled Beauties (One brownish colour, first this season)
2 x Riband Wave
1 x Brimstone
1 x Eudonia lacustrata
1 x Bird Cherry Ermine
1 x Light Emerald (Not seen one for a few years)
1 x V Pug (Nice to see but very worn)

Light Emerald

Stainland. Carrying on with my catch up.

From 17th July 2022

I'm still catching up. There two moths below which I haven't been able to ID. I spent hours at it too. Annoyingly, I have a faint memory of seeing this one before but...? I'll leave it until the last.


2 x Eudonia lacustrata

1 x Eudonia (sp?) It doesn't look like the standard Eudonia l., to me. I'm at a loss, ID Needed.

3 x Marbled Beauty

1 x Bird Cherry Ermine

1 Swallowtail

1 x Udea prunalis with white fungal disease on head .(1st of two in this condition so far this year.)

 Bird Cherry Ermine

Eudonia sp. ID needed

Udea prunalis with white fungal disease on head






Sunday, 24 July 2022

Stainland.

I said there would be more to follow. Well. there will be but I had a bit of a relapse. It's the first time in my life that this has happened, it rather caught me by surprise. I suppose we are never to old for new experiences.  (Joke) I'll start on them tomorrow.

Lee mount micro....Copper Ermel

One from this morning - wonder if we have had any of these previously ?

Photos (checked CF) best I could do with this tiny 5 / 6mm Micro.

Roeslerstammia erxlebella



Lee Mount - 24th July

A decent number of moths this week - mostly 'run o' the mill'.
A few from this morning included.....

Pinion-streaked Snout

Plain Golden Y

V-Pug

Willow Beauty

Also the first Copper Underwing agg for this year
Pyrausta aurata x 1
Carcina quercana x 1
Smoky Wainscaot x1 (up to 4 earlier this week)

 

Friday, 22 July 2022

Youtube dragonfly video.

 I've just watched an 18 minute long video on dragonflies. It was fascinating. At the end of it, there is a plug for a 50 minute long David Attenborough video about them, which "... delves into the murky world of dragonflies and has incredible photography.

The 18 min video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJi61NAIsjs



Thursday, 21 July 2022

Double Striped Tabby....and Box Tree Moth





 Double Striped Tabby and Box Moth  new for the garden trap this week  and only the second local record of both species , a busy week with some large numbers recorded . Scarce Silver lines x 4 ,  Poplar Grey x 3  ,  Barred Hook Tip x 1 , Beautiful Hook Tip  ,  Narrow - winged Pug x 4 , Common Lutestring , Gold Spangle  , 17 Swallowtail , 44 Marbled Beauty , Plain Wave x 3 .......

Wednesday, 20 July 2022

Stainland. From13th July.

 Another which cause me some problems. My best guess is A Large Twin-spot Carpet. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you.

Large Twin-spot Carpet TBC

Stainland.. From 11th July.

Sorry, I missed one;


11th July.


2 x Marbled Beauties

2 x Foxglove Pug

2 x Eudonia lacustrata

1 x Brown House moth

1 x Swallowtail

1 x Willow Beauty (First for me this year)

Rishworth Moor

6 Small Heath