Sunday, 24 August 2025

Lee Mount - 24th August

 Three days running with another new moth this morning. Struggled hard to get a half decent photo of the Epinotia !

Epinotia nisella or Brindled Poplar Tortrix

Also of note...

Ruby Tiger

Rosy Rustic

Still plenty Large Yellow Underwings x 60, Lesser Yellow U/w x 5 and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow U/w x 3.
Small Phoenix x 1, Flame Carpet x 2, Common Marbled Carpet x 1, Vine's Rustic x 1.........plus a few other sp..

Also 2 reports today of  a migratory species Clouded Yellow butterflies - with 1 from near Barkisland (MH) and 2 from an allotment site near Salterhebble (WG).

Saturday, 23 August 2025

Lee Mount - 23rd August

 What ... another new one for here, the second one this week following the Pale Prominent !!

Neglected Rustic

Also this morning
                                                     Canary-shouldered Thorn
 

Friday, 22 August 2025

Lee Mount - 22nd August

Always a bit special turning up a new moth, At first sight I wondered which end was the head end !! It soon became clear.....

Pale Prominent

A reasonable mix of other species included ...

Angle Shades

Common Wave

Mouse Moth (5 of)


Wednesday, 20 August 2025

Lee Mount - 19th and 20th August

Pretty sure these are Vine's Rustic.
Only 2 records here previously, of singles 18/8/22 and 9/9/23
Then these in the last 2 days - seem to be on the increase locally ?

These 2 on 19th and deposited over a mile away !


2 of the 5 here this morning

Not much else variety recently though still getting plenty of Large Yellow U/W, Lesser-yellow U/W and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow U/W. Also Square-spot Rustics and a few Copper Underwing agg plus a number of other species........though very few micros.

Monday, 18 August 2025

Lee Mount

Not a lot to report from the moth trap from last week.
Plenty Large Yellow Underwings, Dun-bar, Square-spot Rustic and 13 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing on 17th. Also a couple of nights inundated with wasps, many not very happy as I emptied the trap in the mornings, so gave it a miss a couple of nights.
These three below from the 12th.

Six-striped Rustic (found dead in a spiders web, still identifiable)

Oak Hook-tip

Pyrausta aurata (Mint Moth)

Plenty butterfly's last week and a decent show of Wall Browns from various upland locations.
11 Red Admirals today in a solitary white-flowered Buddleia near Ogden this afternoon was a bit special.

Monday, 11 August 2025

Blackstone Edge

Fox Moth caterpillar

Also, Small Heath 1

Saturday, 9 August 2025

Thursday, 7 August 2025

Lee Mount - 7th August

 Best this morning an was an Orange Swift. Still getting lots of Large Yellow Underwings with 44 today along with fading Dun-bars, Bird-cherry Ermines and a few other recent 'regulars'.

Orange Swift

Still plenty of activity on the Buddleia with 3 Red Admirals, 1 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and 5+ Large Whites

Painted Lady yesterday from SC's garden Buddleia.

Friday, 1 August 2025

Beacon Hill

Gatekeeper 1

Speckled Wood 1

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Beacon Hill

Gatekeeper 7 (!), Speckled Wood 1, Red Admiral 1


Saturday, 26 July 2025

lee Mount - 27th July

One special moth this morning, it flew out of the trap as I opened it. Luckily, followed it as it landed on the wall underneath a fuschia.

Blood-vein (4th record for here)

Also last night, out with the torch, found 7 Varied Coronet pupa on the Sweet William seed heads. Growing fast now, just short of 30mm.



Lee Mount - 26th July

 First of this season Copper Underwing agg this morning..x 2 of.


Also a nice Purple Bar (losing it's purple) and couldn't get it in a nice spot for a photo so it had to go with the egg box writing !



Ringstone Edge

Speckled Wood 2

Friday, 25 July 2025

Varied Coronet update.

I've been watching the Sweet Willaims as they have now almost finished flowering and are setting seed. They were visited recently by an adult moth around 1st July though I only saw one at a time over several evenings. 

A search through the seed heads this morning resulted in 2 caterpillars, quite small at no more than 15mm. Find them and then lose sight of them, they are so well camouflaged.......I did manage a few record shots - this is the best one and seems to confirm their identity.


Another look tonight - found one with what looks like its head into the seed pod. Will check again in the next few days and try get some better shots. That's if the Robin doesn't find them first !

Cold Edge....25th July

Hummingbird Hawkmoth on buddleia at Cold Edge this morning just before I started on the butterfly survey of a tetrad covering the top end of Cold Edge and Ovenden Moor. A decent count with Peacock being the most common butterfly today with Green-veined Whites - still to go through the count so will try update later.


Shibden Valley

Gatekeeper 1

Thursday, 24 July 2025

Lee Mount - July (micros mainly)

 Quite a challenge getting decent photos of some of these. The 'Thorn' proved the most tricky but the micros are not easy either - must keep trying.!


Angle-striped Sallow (20th July)

Canary-shouldered Thorn (23rd)

Coleophora sp. ?(2nd)

Eudemis profundana (2nd)

Gypsonoma dealbana (22nd)

Caloptilia rufipennella (23rd)

Epiblema foenella (18th)


Shroggs - reclaimed landfill site

Spent just over an hour there this morning. Not a great deal of sunshine, just enough for the butterflies. 
12 species mostly on the thistles and brambles. 2 Comma, 2 Gatekeeper, 8 Green-veined White, 
1 Holly Blue, 4 Large White, 5 Meadow Brown, 2 Red Admiral, 1 Small Copper, 2 Small Skipper, 1 Small Tortoiseshell,, 1 Small White and 3 Speckled Wood.

Comma

Gatekeeper

Holly Blue



Ringstone Edge

Gatekeeper 1


Monday, 21 July 2025

Cold Edge

Comma 1

Also: Small Copper 1