Sunday, 3 June 2018

Lee Mount - 3rd June

2 from this morning. Need some help please !
 Rustic Shoulder Knot ?
 
 
 2 shots of the same moth - think maybe a dark form of Clouded-bordered Brindle ?

Stainland, Foxglove Pug.

I found this over the door today and just got round to photographing it. It's only the second Foxglove Pug I've seen.

Foxglove Pug

It seems unlikely that I will be posting again for some time. I'm going into hospital for the first of two operations on my legs, on Wed., this week. The recovery time is three months, or longer. I should be able to go to town after about 4 weeks, but ladder climbing etc., is out. The next op will be on 23rd Sept. Just nicely timed so I'll be walking reasonably well, before I have to start all over again. I'm going to miss the best part of the moth season. Ho Hum. I think I shall take up knitting.

Swales Moor -Ringby Lane

2 sighting of Wall butterflies this afternoon at different times though it might just have been one individual.  Just up the lane 100 yds opposite the ski slope. Unfortunately it did not stay still long enough to get a photo but still very nice to see all the same.
Also 1 Large Skipper briefly
1 Small Heath on the top
1 G V White
Plenty micros disturbed in the long grass but need to work hard to get anywhere near identification even if the photos are good enough. Quite a challenge !!

Common Blue

Had a quick dash down to Copley to have a look for Marsh Pug  no luck with the Pug , but a great hour in the sun...Common Blue (4+) Large Skipper (1) Small Copper (1) orange Tip(2) and a few whites , a couple of Small Yellow Underwing , 1 latticed heath , Timmy Tortrix , Silver Y , Silver Ground Carpet , a Pug and many micros to follow..............

1 . News from Pete Smith today , that good numbers of Chimney Sweepers are on the wing in hay meadows full of Pignut near the Craggs and a tree stripped bare by Ermine moths ...thanks Pete

2 The moth night at Cromwell sounded great with Green silver lines and Eyed Hawkmoth a couple of highlights...thanks Charlie and FOCB

Saturday, 2 June 2018

First Migrants

Had my first Silver Y's and Diamond backed Moths last night and we could be in for a large influx as there were large numbers last week in Cornwall.

Lee Mount

Another one from this morning. Pretty small, just short of 10mm.
This might be a long shot but wondered about Tischeria ekebladella ?

VC 63 Garden Moths 31 May 2018

Garden Moths  Thurs 31 May 2018

Warm 18 o Still. occ light breeze. Humid Moderate

MV 120

Busy pm lots flying including Caddis , Midges . The brims are back en mase

70.226 BF1906  Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x19
49.039 BF 0998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x2
70.252 BF1931  Peppered Moth Biston betularia  x1
63.025 BF1376  Small Magpie Anania hortulata  x3
70.049 BF1728  Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata (day Flying)
72.020 BF2060  White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda  x2
72.015 BF2028   Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda  x1
69.016 BF1991   Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor x1
70.053 BF1722   Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata  x3
72.024 BF2064   Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa  x3
70.240 BF1920   Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata x1
63.086 BF1301   Hook Streaked Veneer Crambus lathoniellus x1
70.094 BF1759   Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata
70.054 BF1727   Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
65.010 BF1654   Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis
Pug TBC

72.015 BF2028   Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda

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69.016 BF1991   Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor


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72.020 BF2060  White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda

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70.053 BF1722   Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata

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70.094 BF1759   Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata

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70.226 BF1906  Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolat

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70.054 BF1727   Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata

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65.010 BF1654   Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis


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Stainland, Poplar Hawk Moth.

A neighbour brought me a (live) Poplar Hawk Moth to photograph, an hour ago. It had been in his office at work, about one mile from me. It's the first one I've ever seen, I was so pleased.

When I took the box he'd brought it in back, I said it had been very nice with a little Tabasco and some coriander leaves.

Poplar Hawk Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth Detail

Recent bits

                                                   The lackey
                                                    yellow Tail

A couple of cats form a recent trip to Cornwall.....Cracking night for moth trappers last night and for the week ahead every night looks very good...Gordon leave that outside light on..................I Apologise for not doing any moth nights so far this year , but i have been too busy with other projects and work. But if all goes well we should be able to get something sorted for this weekend. We have recorded 16 species of butterfly so far so keep those sightings coming in , a great effort from everyone so far. I have got a bit to finish off for the report but have got the printers sorted. We all need to get together for the final photo to finish off the back cover...

Lee Mount

A couple from this morning including Buff Ermine - a new one for me here
 Not sure about this one - maybe Bright-line Brown-eye - but not sure as the markings look stronger than the book illustrations show for that species and wondered about Pale-shouldered Brocade (but I didn't get the shoulder !) (?)


Buff Ermine

Friday, 1 June 2018

Rudd Clough and Withens Clough Reservoir

I had quite a few of these day flying similar looking moths today - mostly on the long heather on the road up to the reservoir around 09:30. Could I get to grips with them - No ! Neither could I get a decent photo other than this rubbish one. They looked dark brown in flight, then slightly paler as they landed. Was wondering about one of the 'Heaths'. I just couldn't do better unfortunately. I came down the road later and nothing was about at all.

I did better with this butterfly - a Wall - was I chuffed with this one - though it gave me the run-around for over an hour trying to get a photo with wings open. Not to be as it always landed on the wrong side of the wall,  but I did get enough to clinch identification. I suspected one here last year but gave up on it in the end as I remember, I couldn't get enough on it.
Wall
 
Also present were 3 Small Heath's and numerous 'whites'. Those I was able to identify were all Green-veined Whites
 
Hunting over the pond at the top end of the reservoir was what I thought was a massive Bee by it's colouration but it was 'flying rapid'. No chance of  a photo but it looked like a very fat bodied large dragonfly. Worth checking that pond if anyone goes up there on a hot sunny day.

Marsh Pug colony???

Out and about at Copley this morning I noticed this day-flying pug - I think it's the first I've ever seen on the wing - I thought it was a mint moth type at first. When I saw it was a pug I tried to capture it with camera and pot but to no avail. However, 10 minutes later it or another reappeared a few yards away and I managed just one shot with the camera. I was struck by the concave leading edge and rather pointed wings. I fancifully considered Marsh Pug, and when I read that it flies by day especially around it's foodplant it got me wondering which plant it was nectaring on. Now I'm no botanist but that looks rather like Field Mouse-ear to me...........


One for Colin to ID is this humongous beetle type - I suspect it's one of the longhorns?

The main target of the trip was to find Micropterix calthellas on buttercups but the best I could manage was this M.aruncella male. Also on buttercups were one of the plain-winged female types and c10 Cock'sfoot Moths.
 

This Bactra lancealana was at Hollas Lane Nature Reserve.

Not too great on female type swifts - any ideas. Also from  Hollas Lane Nature Reserve.



Thursday, 31 May 2018

MOTH NIGHT AT CROMWELL BOTTOM

Barry Nield will be running a moth trapping event at Cromwell Bottom this coming Saturday night (June 2nd). Meet by the café over the bridge from the car park just before dark - weather looks good. If anyone can offer me a lift there that would be great.


Also this Bud  Moth emerged from another of my Blackthorn larva from Park Wood Crematorium
All four species identified or reared so far from Blackthorn have been new to me!







Tuesday, 29 May 2018

Lee Mount again !

Last few nights - some queries
This one, above and below was on the garage door this morning but I can't find anything, yet, to fit. The nearest I can get so far is Chrysoclista lathamella though that is a rare moth according to the text book.

 Unidentified Pug
Wondering about Freyer's Pug !
 
I think this one, with the orange/yellow snout could be Notocelia cynosbatella ?

Lee Mount

A few from the last few nights but not posting them all as it's been a bit hectic with lots of moths in the last few days.
 Large Yellow Underwing - above and below. This one baffled me for a while as it seemed a bit early (?) , it was so still but alive, I'm pretty sure that's what it is - newly emerged maybe.

 Flame
 
 Lime Hawkmoth
 
 Pale Tussock
A new one for here (female)
 
 Spruce Carpet  ? (TBC)
 
Tachystola acroxantha
 
Ruby Tiger

Stainland

A Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata, (black and terracotta form, at 3 am this morning. It had gone by dawn. No photo.

Monday, 28 May 2018

Wakefield Road, Sowerby Bridge..nice pic of a Sallow Kitten resting on iron railings outside my house. (24th May)