Stainland.

Three moths today. The first is a Pug. I looked on Yorkshire moths at all the Pugs listed as flying tonight. Not one matched mine. The nearest was a rare one, (of course it was) so it could not be that.

Could someone ID it for me please?

Pug, ID needed.

Don't get too excited about the next one. It isn't a moth from a distant galaxy, capable of lighting itself internally. Nor is it a rare luminous form.  It's on the inside of our fanlight and taken in daylight.

Riband Wave, ab. remutata,

I have admit that I don't know if this next moth, a Clouded Border, is the same one I posted yesterday. As far as I knew that moth flew away, it had certainly gone half an hour after I snapped it. I've studied the markings on both quite carefully, they are the same as far as I can tell. I looked on-line at images of them, many have virtually identical markings. There are variation too. So, here it is, you'll have to make your own mind up about it.

(Son of) Clouded Border,

Stainland.

I came home from shopping just now to find a Phoenix by the door. That's the second one this year. Some years I never see one at all. Word gets round the moths that our house is a Safe House, obviously.

Phoenix.

Stainland.

I should have put this in the post with the Eve's Top quarry photos. I forgot.

See Colin's comments about the web below. I've changed the name/ID under the image to suit.

I thought it was a spiders web for eggs. Then I saw Colin's post about butterfly webs. It has to be one of those. It had several ripe grass seed heads wrapped in it and was roughly 2 inches long. The poor butterfly must have been exhausted. Not only did she lay the eggs, she then started to build a nest for them, incredible.

Given the number of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, it must to be one of those two that made it. I wonder if I can find it again? It would be nice to see them hatching.

Pisaura mirabilis -
Nursery Spider Web.

Stainland.

A nice range of moths early this morning. Considering the rain last night at 2:30 am, it was a surprise to see so many moths about.

I'm not sure about the first moth, I think it maybe a Dark Arches. If it is, it's the first I've ever seen. Yet another, "wide spread and common" one I've never seen before. As I opened the door, it flew in. I took it outside after the photos. Would someone ID it please?

Dark Arches. TBC.

I was very pleased to find the next one. I've only seen one before, 3 or 4 years ago. Such a pretty moth.

Clouded Beauty.

My first Blastobasis sp of the year.

Blastobasis lacticolella.

I was excited when I saw the next one, I couldn't believe it's colour, it's lovely. I looked on line at photos of Marbled Beauties. Sure enough there are several photos of them in this colour scheme. Also, I found an even bigger variety of colours than I was aware of. I don't know how I missed that. Now I want to find one of the white and brown ones, and then one of the... and...  

Also on line, I came across a nice little example of a Marbled beauty against a different backgrounds and one under a different light source. Amazing things moths:

https://www.animal.photos/moth/moth-marb.htm

Marbled Beauty.

Also found last night but no photos:

Marbled Beauty x 2 more.
Light Brown Apple x 1.
Brimstone x 1.
Common Footman x 2.
Light Emerald x 1 (Possible). I was only 18 inches from it. Under the artificial light it looked white. As soon as it saw the camera it was off. Followed by rude words from me.

Finally, I came a cross a very interesting article about moth camouflage. I'm going to read it again in a minute or two.

https://www.microcosmic.info/2016/07/moth-camouflage.html

Aberants

I took a walk around Pasture on the Calderdale Bradford Boundary today with a number of objectives.

1. One stretch had a very good spread of Wall Brown some years ago along the semi trodden grass track . Unfortunately no wall Browns were observed.

2.The Primary aim today was to net numbers of Ringlets for examination and identification of Aberrrations LINK

3. As expected along the Field Margins they were large Nettle strips were very large expanses of Peacock Webs were noted and I think est 2000 - 4000 cats which might yield large numbers from this colony

4. They were usual specimens of Meadow Brown and Grass Veneers

I 'll post   reference link with information  to the Aberants as and when they are found and photographed here but if you are photographing Ringlets look out for the elongated form where the rings are strectched or elongated there is also variants with much reduced spots on the hind and forewings ab Arete

It is worth posting any of  Aberants you think you might have identified here for documenting eg Ringlet , Small  Copper , Peacock etc

Key References
References 

1 .British Butterfly aberrations Home - Families
2.British Butterflies Ringlet
3. UK Butterflies Aberrant Ringlet
4. Cockayne Collection

Stainland.

I just opened the door, (8 pm today) and a Brown House Moth was on it, sheltering from the rain. It's only the second one I've seen.  Last time I got a poor photo.

Brown House Moth.

Stainland.

I spent two hours at Eve's top Quarry today, (I was an the bottom of it).
There were a large number of butterflies in and around the long grass. I didn't have my macro camera. I didn't feel I could cope with carrying both cameras today. As I wasn't sure what I was going to photograph, I took the FZ72. It's a good workhorse. The downside of it is, I can't get right in to the smaller subjects. A few photos first, then the number(s) of each species I counted.

Ringlet.

Speckled Wood.

Red Admiral.

Grass Veneer.

Everywhere I looked there were Ringlets and Meadow Browns. Most of the butterflies were not willing to sit still for portraits. I could not possibly have counted them with any accuracy. I would be at one side of a meadow, counting some and the other side would have at least as many flitting around.

I only counted those butterflies where I was sure of the ID. Meadow Browns and Ringlets look very similar from a distance and depending on the angle. So, on to the numbers:

Meadow Browns x 26. (Plenty more about).

Ringlets 16. (Plenty more).

Small Tortoiseshells x 3. (One was very pale and worn).

Unspecified White, (for a change) x 1.

The Small Torts seem very low in numbers this year. I remember counting 90 on a patch of thistles some years ago.

As I walked today, I disturbed a lot of small small grey/white moths. When they land on grass, they simply vanish. I only manged one photo of a micro, (see photo above). I don't know if they were all the same species, it seemed unlikely.

Cromwell Bottom Big Butterfly Count

Cromwell Bottom was at its best today , the meadows are full of wild flowers and the population of 5 spot Burnet Moths is back to its former glory (nearly). Banded Demoiselle were showing very well today..

Meadow Brown ....Abundant
Ringlet ..................Abundant
Small Skipper ,,,,,50  +
Large Skipper ..5
Small Tortoiseshell...2
Common Blue...3
Small Heath .....3
Red Admiral .....1
Painted Lady ...2
Comma ...3
Large White ...3
Green - veined White.....1
Gatekeeper....1

Yellow Shell x 2
Shaded Broad Bar x 1
5 -spot Burnet Moths ....Abundant
Cinnabar ...2

Brown Hawker
Broad Bodied Chaser
Banded Demoiselle
Large Red  Damselfly

Stainland.

My moth visitations are slow but steady. I discovered this one later this afternoon. It's one of the confusing species regarding identification. I'll stick my neck out and say it could be a Eudonia lacustrata. I'm happy to be corrected.

Eudonia lacustrata.

Stainland.

I was dead-heading the roses this afternoon and discovered three Marbled Beauties. They were all different colours. Also, The grey and white one is noticeably bigger than the other two and seems to be of a different shape. The size variation is not obvious in my photos below, due the the varying magnification factor in my three examples. I think size variation and shape are quite common in Marbled Beauties. I've noticed it each year, when they arrive.

Marbled Beauties.

I thought it would be nice to show the three together. I seem to think I may have done this a couple of years ago. Oh well...

Stainland.

My first Common Footman of the year.

Common Footman.

Also, I had 2 Marbled Beauties.
1 Brown-eye Bright-line.

The Brown-Eye has different yellow patches than the one I posted earlier, the're  less pronounced. I didn't bother with photos of the MB's or Brown-Eye.

It's amazing, it's not the first time I find a new-to-me moth, then more land on our door the same year. Word must get round that it's a good shelter.

Lee Mount - 7th July

I seem to manage one Varied Coronet a year ! (27th June 16, 8th July 17, 28th July 18, and this one today in the trap this morning.

 Varied Coronet

Also from the garden last night were 4 Large Yellow Underwing nectering on  Erysimum 'Boules Mauve'

Wood Tiger + Old Lady

This beautiful male Wood Tiger was sent to me by  Steve and Annie , 2 sighting in a week at  Crimsworth Dean and Gibson Mill thanks for the photo.. ..

Also this fine  OLD LADY seen by NK at Queensbury......cheers Nigel

Park Wood

An amazing couple of hours checking two sites late morning starting off with 2 Yellow Shell's in a patch of brambles.
At the very top of  Plains Lane in fields to the west I came across a low hedgerow with lots of flowering grasses in the field and alongside the hedge a good number of Marsh Thistles etc.
I came  across a continuous stream of butterflies as I walked along.
Meadow Brown x 54
Ringlet x 6
Small Heath x 2
Painted Lady x 1
Large Skipper x 5
Small Tortoiseshell x 2

Lower down, in the long grass, conveniently left uncut, at the rear of the crematorium the count continued...especially to the front of the big hedge, and behind it.
Meadow Brown x 80.....(and counting)
Small Tortoiseshell x 1
Painted Lady x 2
Ringlet x 21
Comma x 1
Large Skipper x 8

No Gatekeepers !

Lee Mount - 5th July

In the trap this morning

Not sure - Lychnis or Campion ?? - leaning towards the former as I would expect Campion to look more purple-ish, though it could be faded.

 Anania coronata

Scalloped Oak

Also 

Common Footman x 1

Marbled Minor agg x 2

Purple Clay x 1 (first here this year)

Riband Wave x 1

Dark Arches x 8 

Large Yellow Underwing x 1

Last couple of days

Small Skipper and Cork Moth at Hollas Lane. Seems Ringlets have now moved in there which is nice.

Always nice to see leps using garden plants that have been planted for them like this Painted Lady nectaring on my Heleniums.

Wheatley Valley

I spent an hour and a half on the Shroggs Road former landfill site this afternoon. The sun failed to shine but it was dry underfoot, it's often very soggy. It was warm with a fresh breeze.
I tried to walk the site without doubling up over my previous tracks. Its a mainly uncut grassland site about the size of 2 football pitches +.

Ringlet x 71
Meadow Brown x 36
Large Skipper x 5
Small Tortoiseshell x 2
Speckled Wood x 2
Painted Lady x 1

Small Tortoiseshell

Cinnabar x 1
Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnett x 1
Shaded Broad-bar x 1
Timothy Tortrix x 1
Masses of micros in the grass but proving elusive to photograph with the grass being so long - think maybe Garden-grass Veneer types.

Will see what the photos are like later on.

Stainland.

This was one of my 3 am vigils.

2 Riband Wave's - Non Banded.
1 Cinnabar.
I was very pleased to see it, but all three moths were high up the door. I couldn't start crashing about with ladders, so these were all done on the FZ73. I wish I'd got a better photo of the Cinnabar.

Riband Wave - Non Banded.

Cinnabar. 

Stainland. 3rd July 2019.

This post was re-edited by me on 5th July 2019. See the comments.

I had a walk down Robber Dodge yesterday. There was a lot of activity in the air, it being sunny and warm.

I counted:
25 Meadow Brown's
3 Small Tortoiseshell's
1 Red Admiral

Then I managed to get one or two photos, varying in quality. I didn't have my macro system, These were taken with my Lumix FZ72.

The Large Skipper was the best one. It's only the second time I've managed to get a photo of one, the last was over 30 years ago and not very good. They seem to be flighty little beasts.

Large Skipper.

I disturbed the next as I brushed a shrub. It was a nice surprise, again, only the second one I've seen.  It's really been in the wars, but was flying strongly.

Yellow Shell moth.

I disturbed quite a few small, off white moths in the grass. I never got a good look at one. I did manage to get a poor photo of the following moth, (right in the center of the photo). I think it could be a Grass Veneer, but wouldn't put money on it.

Andy thinks it could be: Crambus pascuella. (See the comment).

We now have a consensus on the ID of the moth below. It IS a Crambus pascuella. My thanks to Andy and Charlie.

Grass Veneer TBC.

Meadow Brown.

In case anyone has wondered about the name, "Robber Dodge" here it is;

At some point in the past, (who knows when?) a robber was running from the police and hid down there. Seemingly he got away. All the old Stainlandpeople know this story.

Ringstone Edge

Red admiral 3
Common blue 1
Painted lady - a few

Lee Mount

Still a bit slow with moths this week though a good number of Heart and Dart's being the commonest catch with this one below the best of the week so far.

Green Arches

Stainland.

Two Marbled Beauties today. No photos.

Stainland.

A very nice Phoenix was by the door this morning.

Phoenix.

Phoenix detail.

Stainland.

A first for me today, a Bright-line brown-eye, (great name!)

Bright-line brown-eye.

The second moth is a complete puzzle to me. I thought it was injured, due to it's wing position, but it flew off easily. My best guess, judging by one or two photos on the web, is a Middle-barred Minor. Could someone ID it please?

Middle-Barred Minor (TBC).

Cromwell Bottom Sat 29th June

                                                                 Double Square -spot

                                                        Rufous Minor

A busy night at barrys moth night at CB...I got 2 new Calderdale species which was great, at last a Blood - vein and a Double - square spot a common species in Yorkshire but pretty rare in Calderdale with only 1 or 2 other records.....Dingy Shears , Pebble Prominent , the first fall of LYU 's , July Highflyers , and this red /green form of a Rufous Minor ?