Shibden Valley

Gatekeeper. Only one 'pupil' in the forewing eye-spot is visible. But the butterfly was clearly smaller than Meadow Brown, and the underside of its hindwing is typical Gatekeeper: in particular Thomas and Lewington (2010) point out that on Gatekeeper its tiny spots are white, whereas on M brown they are black.

Whiteholme

Small white 1

Small tortoiseshell 1

Also: Green-veined white 2, Small heath 1, Ringlet 3.

Dragonflies: Black darter 3, Emperor male 1

Lighthazzles

Black Darter female

Butterflies: Small tortoiseshell 1, Large skipper 1, Ringlet 1

Quite a day.....29th July

Moth trap - not much but this one was a bit special.

Sycamore (at 22mm)

Then, a Purple Hairstreak fluttering around in the oaks at the back of the house. Even managed to get a sight of it in the binoculars as it landed on a leaf. No photo though !

An interesting hour or so on the grassy area of Shroggs landfill. with Small Skippers in abundance (44) but just 1 rather worn Large Skipper, 26 Ringlets, 14 Meadow Brown, 1 Speckled Wood, 2 Large White and 4 Green-veined/Small Whites with just one firm i d of a G-V White.

Just about to leave "whats that" ?? Quick snaps taken thinking it was a Purple Hairstreak but not to be. White-letter Hairstreak as below.

It is the same individual - just the light and my rapid camera re-sets !

Later in the day Swales Moor - looking for Wall Browns - no success there.

Lots of Burnet Mots charging around, took some time before I could find any that landed. Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moths - unable to find any Six-spots.

Including this pair 'in cop' with one of them with pale yellow spots

Lighthazzles

2 Common Hawker dragonflies

Pine Hawkmoth

What a beauty , caught in a trap last night in Todmorden by Cath and Jennie..what a great record
 

Ryburn

Meadow Brown 1, Large White 1, Ringlet 1

Ringstone Edge

Large Skipper 1, Ringlet 13

Stainland.

 We've been away for over a week.  We only have:

1 X Marbled Beauty to show for it.

What we missed is anyone's guess.

Lee Mount - 13th July

Not much this morning after a cool night.

Uncertain x 4, Common Rustic agg x 3, Heart and Dart x 1, Marbled Beauty x 1, Clouded Border x 1.

Clouded Border in among the 'Busy Lizzies'

Recent days.....

 Not a lot to report on the butterfly front in recent days - picking the best of some poor days weather-wise.

Mostly Ringlets with a few Meadow Browns other than last Saturday in Withens Clough with one Small Skipper and several Large Skippers, 1 G-v White and 2 Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moths buzzing around near the reservoir. Red Admiral at home.

Small Skipper

Large Skipper

Just a few Ringlets at Ogden yesterday

Cold Edge this afternoon, manged to find a single Ringlet, a micro Diamond-back Moth and below this Narrow-winged Pug.

Also trying to catch up after a couple of good moth nights at home !

Lee Mount

 Any thoughts on these two Micros - been puzzling them since both turned up on 26th June?

Maybe Elachista rufocineria ? 

"Suggested Mompha ochraceella"

Not getting anywhere with this one !!

" probable Coleophora sp most of which require dissection"

A nice Green Arches from this morning 7th July

Beacon Hill

 Yellow Shell 1

Ringstone Edge

 Ringlet 1

Stainland.

 This post is a catch up of several days. One of  Anne's family  has had a health issue, which upset things for some time. Fortunately, everything seems to have settled down.'

So the moths I've seen from the 27th of June.

27th June;-

1 x Common OR Brindled pug. TBC It was is a difficult place to get a photo. Sorry it's so poor a shot.

1 x ID Needed (What was left of it's scales, was a bright red /ginger colour).

2 x Marbled Beauties.  Grey type. (1st of the season for me).

Common Pug TBC

ID Needed

From 29th to 30th June:-

3 x Brimstone moths

1 x Marbled Beauty (Brown type)

1 x Small Phoenix (I forgot this one, I added it to this list a few hours later(.almost 9pm.)

1 x Tachystola acroxzantha. (I spent a long time IDing this., I was put off by the small distribution maps on my moth books. I read that it was to be seen in Lancashire. We are close enough the the border, so it could be in West Yorks. I read somewhere that it was a brightly coloured moth. If a yellow band at the edge of it wings made it colourful, the writer must not have seen many brightly coloured moths. *Shrug*  In the end, it was the only moth I found which looked like this one. A first for me.

Tachystola acroxzantha.

 

Lee Mount - 29th June

A nice surprise this morning was a Varied Coronet. Been looking for them recently having just a few Sweet Williams in the garden - a flower they seem to favour. It's a moth that seems to be slowly on the increase locally. My first was in 2016 as well as the three following years. Missed out in 2020 then 3 dates in 2021, none in 2022 then 9 dates in 2023.

Sweet Williams, just a few, with next years crop in the foreground !

Varied Coronet - this mornings was off before I could get a better shot.

Not a lot else this morning other than Dark Arches x 2, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix  x 1, Heart and Dart x 5 and this fading Green Pug.

Ogden - 26th June

One of those rare nice hot summers days !

Ringlet

Speckled Wood

Nicely marked Yellow Shell

Beacon Hill

 Ringlet 1

Shibden Valley

 Ringlet 1

Lee Mount - 25th June

An interesting session in and around the trap this morning - 13 species, 28 moths, is the best return so far this year ! Included Green Pug, Buff Arches, Large Yellow Underwing, Green Oak Tortrix and Marbled Mior agg..........The Peppered Moth from yesterday was still present but peering through the trap.

Then a pair of Peppered Moths in 'close contact' with the upper one showing distinct size difference as well as an enlarged abdomen suggesting this was the female full of eggs ? 

Then what I think can only be Thistle Ermine (at 14mm). TBC would be a first for me.