Sunshine and butterflies!!!!!!

Had a look at Hollas Lane NR a couple of days ago. Small numbers of everything, not surprising after the soaking they've had recently.

Highlight was this Blood-vein following on from one last year.

BUTTERFLIES:

Common Blue x 1

Small Heath x 3

Small Tort x 1

Small White x 1

And a few Large Skippers, Meadow Browns and Silver Ys

Nice to see three Chimney Sweeperes at near by Copley meadow including this one which may have just emerged. Not sure if that's an exuvia next to it?

Mint Moth

Never seen this one before. It was in our garden on Catmint flower and I think it may be a Mint Moth--Pyrausta aurata. Can someone confirm? Lovely and daintily coloured.

Lee Mount - 17th June

Red Admiral yesterday in the garden on Erysimum was the first for the year.

Just a few moths overnight in or around the trap this morning
Large Yellow Underwing x 2
Ingrailed Clay x 2
Tachystola acroxantha x 1
Crambus lathoniellus x 1
Common Pug x 1
Garden Carpet x 1
Heart and Dart x 1
Clouded Silver x 1
Clouded Border x 1

Lee Mount - 15th June

Elephant Hawkmoth on the fence by the trap this morning - but nothing else !
Still a great moth to see.

Lee Mount -14th June

I put the lamp on last night despite the rain after a week when it's been wet both day and night ! I was hoping for at least something !
Just two moths in the trap this morning
Ingrailed Clay x 1 (nearly missed it as it flew straight out of the trap and fortunatley landed in a flower pot !)
Common Swift x 1

Ingrailed Clay

Also tonight some micros' about, disturbed in the garden.

Many-plumed Moth x 5

Tachystola acroxantha x 2

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

It's milder, so if the rain keeps off I might get something in or around the trap later this evening or in the morning. Live in hope !

Stainland.

One Garden Carpet.

Garden Carpet.

Lee Mount - Pug check ?

One from 3rd June - photo's not as clear as I would have liked - think maybe Freyer's Pug ?

Recent Bits

A fine Red Admiral today was the first this year for me and it looks like we might be in for a Painted Lady invasion as there were 100's on the coast yesterday .

                                          I found this  BuffTip on the path in Shelf Park

   A Humming Bird Hawkmoth in Queensbury last week (thanks NK)
  2 Mint Moths in a garden in Shibden (thanks Joy Morris)
 Wall Browns from Wainstalls and Beacon Hill (thanks Pete Smith)

Stainland.

A Silver Ground Carpet, unless I'm mistaken. It arrived before 1 a.m. and is still here, it must have been a cold night.

I can't see many moths flying in the next few days, we are to expect heavy rain.

Silver Ground Carpet,

Stainland.

Two moths sheltering from the pouring rain today. A Brimstone and a White Ermine. Both are attractive moths.

Brimstone.

White Ermine.

White Ermine, antennae detail.

Cromwell Bottom Thursday Morning

It was largely sunny but breezy but even in the sheltered spots there was an a disturbing dearth of moths and just two butterflies seen all morning. Highlights were this female Meadow Longhorn (Cauchas rufimitrella), Mother Shipton and some Hawthorn Moth larvae on one of the newly planted Blackthorn saplings.

Ghost Moth

The first displaying Ghost Moths at Northowram , about 10 males and 2 females were observed at 22.14 ....
On the 6th at 22.15 there were 21 males and 1 female..

Crimsworth Dean

This afternoon along the track from the edge of the woodland in the valley leading to Lumb Falls. Pretty breezy with short spells of warm sunshine
Small Heath butterflies x 3
Green-veined White x 4
Small White x 4
Orange-tip x 1
Several other whites just went by unidentified - as they do !

Hollas Bridge

Had a quick walk round today for the first time , looks excellent with a good selection of plants , hope Common Blues have found it looks perfect.Still a good number of Orange Tips about today male and females , Small and Green -veined Whites and a Peacock . A beautiful Broad bodied Chaser showed very well..

Cromwell Bottom moth night - June 1st

An interesting night with over 60 species recorded:


https://cromwellbottom.blogspot.com/2019/06/moth-night-results-june-1st.html

Stainland.

Several moths to report. It was a mild night last night, I expected one or two.

At 1 am today:-

5 x small, slender moths, pale brown, to flighty to get a photo. No Idea.
2 x Light Brown Apple.
2 x Common Pugs.
1 x Dark Pug (lead coloured?) Wouldn't settle long enough to take a shot.
1 x Triangle Plume.
1 x Bee moth.
Not a bad list. I hope it a sign of things to come.

The only photos I got were the following two. I didn't bother with the Bee Moth.

Common Pug.

Triangle Plume.

Lee Mount - 1st June

MV on last night, which I turned off late on to avoid disturbing neighbours ! I left the Synergetic light on overnight in perfect perfect conditions. Loads of small stuff about late on, most of which I struggle with anyway !! ...but I keep trying. Getting a decent photo is  a start !!!
This morning was rewarding with around 22+ species including these below.
Tachystola acroxantha x 18
Common Swift x 2
Garden Carpet x 2
Small Phoenix x 1
Knot Grass x 1
Clouded Silver x 2
Brown Silver-line x 1
Common Marbled Carpet x 1
Brimstone Moth x 1
Spectacle x 2
Heart and Dart x 2
Clouded-bordered Brindle x 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x 4
Marbled Minor agg x 1
Common Pug x 1
Possible White-spotted Pug x 1 (photo below for checking)?

 ??

 Brown Silver-line

 Clouded-bordered Brindle

 Knot Grass

 Small Phoenix

Spectacle

Churchyard moths ! - 1st June

Cutting the grass in St George's graveyard I was fortunate enough to disturb my first, for the year, Large Yellow Underwing, also a Cinnabar and a Scalloped Hazel. The latter at the bottom of the church tower looking pretty worn and I thought it was dead ? I moved it to the shrubbery and it crawled off to hide in the vegetation. Pretty resilient, some of these moths !

Lee Mount -

Last week in May, pretty quiet with five or six expected species most mornings including several Heart and Dart, Garden Carpet, Common Swift, and Shuttle-shaped Darts etc..... not many moths about on the whole but the best was a Buff-Tip in the trap on Friday morning.

Buff-tip

A couple of smallish ones

The Elachista as mentioned in my previous post has emerged - still not 100% on the ID.

Forewing 3.6mm.

And these two at Copley - the one on the right is the usual Cocksfoot Moth but the one on the left is without the dorsal, white horseshoe!!

A species new to science perhaps?

Maybe not :-(

Stainland.

I found a Bee Moth on the door sill at 9 pm this evening. At first I didn't know what it was. It has settled on a curve, giving a very narrow side view,. It looked just like a bit of desiccated plant stem. I was a little disappointed to find out what it was, once on the computer screen. Still, it's a different view to the ones I usually find.

Bee Moth.

Thinking Caps On

Reared this from oak (outside chance it was elm) today, forewing 8mm - anybody any ideas?

Saw this flying around yesterday, never seen a blue and pink damselfly before - anyone?

My Elachista miner looks like emerging in the next day or so - looks like E.albifrontella so far.......

Stainland..

I had to get up to let our cat out at 2 am today. On the door was a Light Brown Apple moth, it was above head height. I was groggy and not about to hunt for the small ladder. I held the camera above my head to get the shot. Not one of my best, but  the moth is a very fresh example. I've been disturbing LBA's in the garden for a few weeks, this is the first stationary one I've seen, it's a lovely colour.

Light Brown Apple.

Stainland.

Found on the door today. The lack of distinctive marks means I've been unable to ID it.

Pug needing ID please.

Hardcastle Craggs Friday 31st

Running traps at hollin Hall this Friday..all welcome , its the bio blitz at harcastle craggs , there are beds at hollin Hall if anyone wants to stay overnight ,,,,cheers

Brimstone butterfly

Saw a male three times on and around Hollas Lane Nature Reserve on the 24th am and pm.

My first ever in Calderdale - woo hoo!

Ogden (Delayed Post). Modified text.

Sorry, I found the notes I made about this day at Ogden. I had not got it all correct, I've changed the text below to suit. (Just so you know I'm not asleep all the time).

Several things prevented me from putting this post up sooner. I was up at Ogden on Back Lane, on the 24th of May. It's about 30 years since I was on that particular path. It was very sunny and breezy, with cool wind in the shade. Because of the stiff breeze, I was surprised to see butterflies on the wing.

I counted :
9 Small Whites. Too flighty to get photos of.
5 Orange Tips. Too far away to photograph.
1 Small Heath.

I don't remember seeing a Small Heath before. I stalked it for several minutes, all I could get was the photo below. I'd have liked to get it with wings open. I did get quite a sun tan though.

I heard my first cuckoo this year at White Wall End. Also, Skylark, Curlew (I love its call), Red Grouse, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Magpie, Chiffchaff  Chaffinch, Wren, Starling, Sparrows and Long tailed tit. I only mentioned them for completion, Really it was for the cuckoo, I haven't heard many in the last few years.

Small Heath.

Stainland.

This moth was by the door at 1 am, it's still here now, (2 pm). I think it knew the temperature was going to drop. It's a Knot Grass, if so, it's a first for me. It looks very dark against the stone, is this a melanic form?

Knot Grass.

Lee Mount - 25th May

Lime Hawkmoth turned up last night and in the trap this morning along with a single Heart and Dart.

 Lime Hawkmoth

One for a check here, c10mm+ from 23rd May. Think it's a Parsnip Moth but the white collar is throwing me ! or possibly Depressaria pulcherrimella ??

Common Blue

Appeared to be liberated from extensive grass cutting in middle of council estate a suprise on the way to the shops. No image but size distinctive

Cold Edge and Ovenden Moor

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey today on our usual Tetrad route.
Pretty windy up there but the sun shone throughout. The butterflies were not easy to find but the day turned out better than expected.
Wall Brown x 2
Green Hairstreak x 5
Small Copper x 2
Small Heath x 1
Peacock x 2
Small Tortoiseshell x 3
Orange-tip x 4

Day flying moths - just Common Heath x 3

Wall

A Wall today at Wainstalls (thanks Pete Smith) ,and a Brimstone at Cromwell Bottom (thanks JM)

Luddenden Dean - 23rd May

I just re-read my post and I forgot (how could I )!!! - my first Brimstone Butterfly in Calderdale - flew past at the pond on the edge of WadeWood below Jowler late afternoon.

An interesting afternoon from Booth and up the valley to the Lower Lodge at Castle Carr and return down the other side of the valley. It was much better when the sun managed to get through.
Orange-tip butterflies all over the place
Peacock x 1
Speckled Wood x 10 (+)
Wall x 1 (down the track from Saltonstall to Wade Wood (I sat on a seat and it appeared on a wall in front of me - got some photo's but not brilliant - it wouldn't stay still for long.

Wall

Green Hairstreak - just before Jerusalem Farm. It took me by surprise sitting and flitting about on an Oak tree. Poor photo unfortunately.

Lee Mount 23rd May

Campion x 1
Heart and Dart x 1
Light-brwon Apple Moth x 2
Many-plumed Moth x 3
Common Pug x 2
Brindled Pug (probably) but well faded !

 Any thoughts on this micro from 18th May ?

Campion

Svensson's Copper Underwing??

Found a few of these caterpillars on the privets when they were cut the other day, are they Svensson's Copper Underwing?

Cromwell Bottom Sat 18th

2 x Iron Prominent
2 x  Pale tussock
3 x Common Swift
5 x Common Pug
1 x Shuttle Shaped Dart
1 x Green Carpet
1 x Flame Carpet
1 x twenty plume moth
1 x Diamond Backed moth (early migrant)
1 x Cinnabar
2 x White Shouldered House Moth

                                                            A female  Capua vulgana x 1.....

Hollas Lane Dwarfs

My quest for Elachistas this year took a turn for the better yesterday when I found this Swan-feather Dwarf (E.argentella) at Hollas Lane.

Also there I collected this mine on grass sp. It seems to be tenanted with an Elachista larva. They have a reputation for being parasitized so I won't hold my breath.............

Lee Mount - 19th May

This mornings haul !
Peppered Moth x 1
Bee Moth x 1
Many-plumed Moth x 3
Light-brown Applemoth x 2

Puss Moth from 18th and Pale Tussock from 15th still on the fence tonight..

Stainland.

8:30 pm,  today. I found a Bee Moth on the door. I took it as a good sign, things are looking up.

We are in the final stages of having a new kitchen fitted. It(should) be finished by Wednesday this week. It's been the most stressful thing we have had done to the house, BUT it looks fantastic already. The front room no longer has a four and a half foot high stack of boxes. All we need is to get the fridge and washer back in the kitchen. (And learn how to operate the new computerised cooker).

Bee Moth.