Hardcastle Crags 17th jan 2026

Chestnut

Pale Brindled Beauty

Spring Usher

Spring Usher (dark form)

The first outing of the year and the first time trapping in January at the Crags.===

Chestnut x 2 ( first in)

Pale Brindled Beauty x 12 

Spring Usher x 6 (3 different forms)
 

Lee Mount - 29th Nov

Had a surprise early evening with what I suspect is the flightless female Winter Moth.?

I've tried looking for these in winter evenings on tree trunks and failed to find any even though males were present. 

This one was on the window frame where there were 2 males earlier this week.

Winter Moth - female

Lee Mount - 28th November

 A very nice surprise in the trap this morning even though I shut the trap down last night owing to the strength of the wind. Just the one moth in the trap, a new one for here..

December Moth

Lee Mount - October up to 16th.

Hardly ever get a lot of moths here but always something of interest...

6th - Red-green Carpet x 1, November Moth agg x 2, Large Yellow Underwing x 1, Tachystola acroxantha x 1, Light-brown Apple-moth x 1

8th - Feathered Thorn x 1, Blastobasis lacticolella x 1,

14th - Green brindled Crescent x 1, November Moth agg x 6, Silver Y x 1, Common Marbled Carpet x 1

15th - Streak x 1, Merveille-du Jour x 1

16th - Dark Sword-grass x 1

Green-brindled Crescent

Merveille-du Jour

Streak

October 13th 2025 an exceptional night

 Merville du Jour x 2

Vines rustic x 1

Brown Spot Pinion x 2

Rosy Rustic x 1

Lunar underwing x 2

Garden Rose tort x 1

Pink - barred Sallow x 1

Barred Sallow x 2

Grey Shoulder Knot x 1

Light Emerald x 1 #

Straw Dot x 1 #

Red Green Carpet x 8

Blair's Shoulder Knot x 5

Black Rustic x 8

Streak x 2

LBAM x 2

Angle Shades x 1 

LYU x 5

Square spot Rustic x 4

Spruce Carpet x 3

Acleris Spars x 2

Hypsopygia glaucinalis x 1 

Nov agg x 2

Whiteholme

Peacock 1

Lee Mount - 29th September

First November Moth agg for this autumn this morning on the fence by the trap.

Also a Black Rustic and 2 Large Yellow Underwings.

First day for a long time - no butterflies ! But what a great summer and autumn its been for them.

Cromwell Bottom

Speckled Wood 1

Lee Mount - recents...

Very few moths this last few days but always something of interest ! 

I always have to check this spelling !!

Merveille du Jour (25th September)

Still a few Garden Carpets, Common Marbled Carpets, Large Yellow Underwings, Copper Underwing agg, Shuttle-shaped Darts along with a Pink-barred Sallow and a Brick.

Also a Silver Y doing impressions of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth around the garden flowers.

This micro I find is a bit challenging and though it's a scarce one in Yorkshire I'm wondering about Ypsolopha alpella  - or is it just a fading Ypsolopha sylvella ?.... or something completely different !!

It will have to go down as a possible - with thanks for the help from CF

 

 

Lee Mount - 23rd September

 I think this one below is a very pale version of Ypsolopha sylvella

Also this morning. 1 Large Yellow Underwing and a Red-green Carpet.

A very attractive moth below -  Lunar Underwing

New Bank and Charlestown Road

Single Red Admirals

Lee Mount - 22nd September

Just two moths this morning.

A Rosy Rustic and Red-green Carpet

Maybe some more butterflies today - hopefully the sun will keep shining !

It did work out well in the garden with warm sunshine most of the day.

5 x Red Admirals, 2 x Large Whites, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and 2 Commas.

Also this Silver Y moth obliged on the last Buddleia flowers.

Lee Mount- 21st September

Pouring down all day yesterday so a few butterflies turned up today in the warm afternoon sunshine.  All favouring the late flowering and much loved Verbena bonariensis.

Red Admiral x 5

Comma x 1

Painted Lady x 1

Silver Y x 1

Painted Lady

Lee Mount - last few days to 19th September

Not a great deal to report as very few moths trapped on the whole.

This micro had me 'foxed' for a while but pretty sure it's a Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) with the raised brown tufts. Seems to be living up to it's name variegana !

A nice surprise on 17th was this - 2nd record for here...

Dark Sword-grass (23mm)

This morning (19th) it was back to 13  Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 3 Copper Undewings agg along with a  Light Emerald and these two below...

Black Rustic

Feathered Thorn

Early afternoon a Hummingbird Hawkmoth was another surprise. Firstly on Phlox flowers then onto Verbena bonariensis then it was off before I could get the camera and it did not seem to re-appear.

Also today 2 Red Admirals and a Large White - again on the Verbena b...

Ogden

Speckled Wood 1

Red Admiral, 1 of 2

Lee Mount - 10th Sep

 Not a lot to report from the last few days with the cooler nights.

Still getting Large Yellow Underwings (up to 16 on 10th) and the odd Square-spot Rustic.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing this morning, a Brimstone Moth, Double-striped Pug and Silver Y. 

            Also this morning

Pale Mottled Willow

Tinea semifulvella (Orange-tipped Nest Moth)

Ypsolopha sylvella ( Long-barred Ochre) it was dead.

Pink-barred Sallow from 6th Sep

Lee Mount - 2nd September

Not  a lot doing with the moth trap this morning other than Large Yellow Underwings x 21, Copper Underwing agg x 3, Square-spot Rustic x 3, Beautiful Plume x 1 and  Light-brown Apple-moths x 4.

Butterflies continue during these sunny warm days with plenty of nectering opportunities. This Painted Lady appeared early on with the sun behind it.

As the day progressed others appeared in the garden with Red Admiral, Large and Small Whites, Speckled Wood, Comma and Peacock. The Painted Lady stayed most of the day on the Verbena bonariensis.

A Small Copper was along Ringby Lane near Ploughcroft's ski-slope.

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).

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

 

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)