News from Todmorden,19 07 09

Hi all,found this argyresthia albistria and a stigmella aurella yesterday on a nice stand of blackthorn,also 2 n b five spot burnet nectaring on rosebay willowherb,2 yellow shell,2 common carpets,and today 20 07 09my 1st gate keeper in tod area at meadows edge and a female common blue on birds foot trefoil we planted up specially to attract this species.all the best Bri.

Scarce Silver Y

Can anyone tell me if this is the Scarce Silver Y .

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

Sunday 19th July - Looking good until about 3.30am when the hammering rain woke me up. A very soggy Skinner trap revealed the following usual visitors. The Mottled Beauty was my highlight. Really like these moths and managed to get this one on a good background I think. Winston

Dotted Clay 2
Northern Spinach 1
Clouded Border 1
Common Wave 1
Mottled Beauty 1
Brimstone 1
Bird-Cherry Ermine 1
Green Carpet 2
Common Rustic agg 1

Totlal - 11

Weekend Moths

These were the best pics. We also got 21 large yellow underwing, a swallow tail, an antler moth and a clouded border that we could ID.

Last nights trapping

I thought I might get away with a break in the weather last night, so the trap went out, the towel went across at 5am but when I got up the whole thing was soaked with the rain. Nevertheless I did manage a good number of moths and if anyone can identify the few that I cannot I would appreciate it.

8 Common Footman

6 Light Emerald

1 Clouded Border

1 Buff Arches

1 Common Swift

15 Large Yellow Underwing

2 Gothic

1 Yellow Shell

1 Lesser Yellow Underwing

1 July Highflyer

1 Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing

1 Purple Thorn

Also lots of micro moths, but I'm not ging down that path yet.

Ramsden Wood Clough,18 07 09

Hi all,tried with heath trap,unfortunately it packed in again,quite a few species before it did,4 barred straw pic,3 small dotted buff,5 burnished brass,20 smoky wainscot,plain golden y,small square spot among them,what was interesting how many were feeding on soft rush after dark, especially before dawn,mainly smoky wainscot,straw dot,lesser y underwing,ps anyone know if you can overcharge dry lead acid batteries,the charger just lights up green and thats it,nothing to say its charged or anything,id appreciate any info ,all the best Bri.

News from Todmorden,18 07 09

Hi all,on my way to morrisons again,when i happened on this stunning 410 argyresthia brockeella near some birch,getting some good deals lately !! common but superb.all the best Bri.

Trial

Just testing, the blog was locked recently by Blogger as it flagged up as a possible spam blog, now resolved (if this post works!)

Marbled White

In late June the Halifax SS had an outing to Crow Nest quarry and Bruce Hoyle recorded a Marbed White butterfly which is a first for Calderdale .
The plant diversity at Crow Nest Quarry indicates lime in the soil as a result of the
tipping, so maybe the Marbled white was attracted to the vegetation. There was a
hot easterly breeze that day. Brian Cain says he associates this butterfly with wild
scabious in E. Yorkshire. The other site he can remember wild scabious in
Calderdale is Clifton Lagoons, so maybe worth looking there if the weather
conditions/ emergence times coincide again.
Many thanks to Bruce,Brian C and Steve Blacksmith for this information.

Last nights moths(GMS)

Despite this weather I put the trap on at 10 and found a good haul this morning,

873 Blastobasis adustella
1304 Agriphila straminella
1858 Chloroclystis v-ata V-Pug
2050 Eilema lurideola Common Footman
2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart
2091 Agrotis ipsilon Dark Sword-grass
2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing
2284x Acronicta tridens/psi Dark / Grey Dagger
2289 Acronicta rumicis Knot Grass
2321 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches
2322 Apamea lithoxylaea Light Arches
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y
2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout
and a Light emerald

Painted Lady Cats

Hi all

Has anyone found the cats of Painted Lady yet in Calderdale this year ? There are hundreds, probably thousands of them in spinnings on thistles all along the coast here on the Llyn this year. Mainly on Cirsium vulgare (Spear Thistle) but also on C.arvense (Creeping or Field Thistle).

No insects of any sort moving here today as we are battered in yet another severe westerly gale with torrential rain.....what happened to the dry hot bbq summer the met office forecast earlier this year !

Last nights moths

Another excellent night in Northowram with the MV and a good selection of macros and micros to sort through this morning .This dark Sword grass(above)Small Dusty wave and a pristine 288.Caloptiliaa Stigmatella and 1115 Ancylis achatana the pick of the bunch so far.

News from Todmorden ,15 07 09

Hummingbird Hawkmoth today feeding on red valerian, while working in garden at meadows edge in todmorden.Bri.

phyllonorycter rajella,14 07 09

Hi all,this superb p rajella emerged from alder mine this morning from mine found on 14 07 09,Charlie,you are right they are crackers.all the best Bri.

Cunnery wood ..watch out

Hi Chris ..the Puss Moth larvae pupated last night,inbetween the leaves of sallow ..keep an eye out when you are trimming the hedges.....Will try and post a better pic.

New arrival

A couple of weeks ago I found a black pupa on the underside of a nettle leaf. As we needed to clear that area of garden I put it in the butterfly house in the shed. It hatched this morning to reveal a herald moth. It looks absolutely stunning (photos to follow) and I have now let it go in the garden.

Are these moths common as I have only seen 2 before (both ironically in the garden?

Leopard Moth from last night. Sorry about the poor picture but I took it outside at 12 oclock last night rather than disturb it . Some may say lucky b......... , others , luck of the Irish .

Field trips

Latticed Heath
Hi all,I am planning a trip back to Cunnery wood this thursday the 16th July all welcome and one on the 25th( sat)July ,location to be confirmed.If any one has any ideas on where to go please leave a comment below.

Gothic

Hi All, I was tidying the garden today and a moth shout out from some branches I was clearing. Landed on a plant pot. On closer inspectionit revealed itself as 2136 The Gothic Naenia typica.

It is said to favour marshy locations, well it should be happy here. Winston

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

Hi there Mick and Kath, thats snap! Small but interesting collection of moths last night

Dark/Grey Dagger agg 1

Dun-dar 1

Currant Pug 2

Green Carpet 1

Winston

Grey Dagger

We put the trap out for 1 hour ( rain stopped play) last night and had the usual Underwing , Mercurella and Tortrix and then found this Grey Dagger on the wall. Not a rarety but just a nice clean looking moth

Alder Mine,11 07 09

Hi all,noticed this mine on small canalside alder,nearest i can come up with is 345 phyllonorycter rajella ? if anyone can shed any light on it.all the best Bri.

Cunnery Wood/Shibden.last night

Another excellent hour before the rain stopped play.very large numbers of Brimstone with aprox 50 ,Snout 15,V Pug 12,Light Emerald 10,Clouded Border 7,Green pug 3,Blue Bordered Carpet 1 and 5 Common Lustering with the one I took to photo leaving 30 eggs in the container.
Very busy at home with another40+ sp recorded highlights were Poplar Grey and a beautiful Latticed Heath(a first for the garden).

Leopard Moth

Our reward for spending a wet night in the woods, just come home to find a leopard moth sheltering behind our moth trap!

Midgley GMS

Only three moths last night, a LYU (no photo), Antler Moth (above) and what we think is a Single Dotted Wave? The top photo is of a moth we caught a couple of days ago, looks like it should be easy but we aren't sure what it is.

Cunnery Wood/Shibden..Field Trip No 10(sat night)

I will be there at 9.45 to set up.All welcome

News from Todmorden,10 07 09

Hi all,just found this argyresthia retinella,not so sure whether its typical habitat, Morrisons !! though there are some birch nearby,all the best Bri.

Cunnery Wood/Shibden.last night

Blue Bordered Carpet

July Highflyer
What a splendid hour or so we spent in Cunnery woods last night, Winston commented it was a little like been in one of those butterfly tropical green houses, with bright Brimstones / Light Emeralds,Poplar hawkmoth and Swallowtails wheeling round our heads as soon as we put the light on.It was so hectic we just let the moths fly around the light and tried to id them.Highlights included 3 Blue Bordered Carpet,Bee Moth,Straw Dot,Small fanfoot,Purple Clay,Clouded Border,Mottled Beauty,Common wave,Small Fan footed wave,Common Carpet and a Common Lustering (which we initially id as a dark July Highflyer).

Garden

St the trap going in teh garden last night (sorry I have not been on the blog for a couple of days so did not know about the Cunnery Wood trip - hope it went well). I tried the dropping a towel over the trap at 4 in the morning technique to keep the moths in. It seemed to work.

1 flame

1 flame shoulder

2 clouded border

1 snout

1 Poplar hawkmoth

2 common footman

2 buff arches

1 burnished brass

1 leopard moth (bottom photos, have a close look it looks like she was laying eggs, I have them in a jar on the desk. If anyone wants them or knowns what to do with them, then please let me know)

Also two top photos - I think is a green pug and a common wave but not sure on either, any ideas.

Chris

Northern Eggar Larva,09 07 09

Hi all,thought you might be interested in these n eggar larva only a day old and already 6mm long,wont be able to make it tonight,unfortunately,all the best Bri.

Withens Clough .field trip tonight XCL

We are going to move to Cunnery wood Shibden tonight as the wind is a bit strong for Withens Clough.Will be there from 9.30/45

Hebden Bridge Last Night

Hi All, Amongst the usual visitors were two moths that puzzled me a little.

The first Lesser Yellow Underwing? WL 20mm. Hindwing brown but with yellowish outer edging. has 2 distinct black marks near tip (The one thats intact at least) like Lunar Y U.

The second, Is this The Engrailed (2nd Gen?), I have never had one of these and know they can be very variable WL ~15mm. Hoping you can help. Win

Bird Pictures from Mick and Kath

We do a small bird picture site of local and Spurn birds if anyone is interested. Have just put a cracking Hobby on from last week

http://thefitter.blogspot.com/

Blackneck Moth

Blackneck caught in trap last night along with a Leopard Moth and migrant Diamond Back that Andy has already mentioned.

Smal Yellow Wave

Marion posted this on the calderdale wildlife network ,never recorded one here but I know there have been a few throughout the area.

Withens Clough .field trip

Withens Clough .field trip tomorrow night Thursday.Meet down by the Hinchcliffe arms in case its too windy.Make dissision tomorrow night where to set up.

Leopard Moth +help

Popped down to see Mike and Cath today as they had just caught this beauty(pic above)
They had also 2 Blacknecks,Brown China Mark,and a couple of Diamond Backed Moths.First time they had the trap on for 2 weeks because they had been at spurn,if any one is interested in seeing some excellent photos of Hobby cheque out Mikes birding blogg.I had 3 Polar Hawks ,1 Poplar Grey and 1 Iron promnent(northern form) in the trap last night and this micro which I should know but carnt put my finger on it.???

146 Nemophora cupriacella

Hi All

This is 146 Nemophora cupriacella. As comfirmed by Harry after looking at the photo. It's not a Calderdale find I'm afraid so wasn't going to post but Charlie asked me to post it up, enjoy. It was descovered at Paull nature reserve near Hull last friday. There are only a handfull of yorkshire records so far.

Win