Butterfly update

An excellent start to the year with 11 species recorded so far...it will be interesting to see if any Painted Ladys or Red Admirals turn up early.The numbers of Peacocks this year have been exceptional , keep an eye out next for an early Small Copper , Wall Brown or Small Heath...Great to have so many new people on board to help with sightings....Cheers

Rishworth Butterflies of Blue

• A Lot of butterflies out today, Orange Tip, Green V White, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and a Common Blue! All from sitting in the garden. The Blue has irritated me as I couldn't net it but the bright not light blue on the underside of the wings in flight  which is the only time I saw it was enough to confirm. Thoughts welcome in the comments.

All the Whites

A beautiful spring day with lots of butterfly reports today. I had all 4 species of white today around Coley/ Norwood green and plenty Speckled Woods , Small Torts  and Peacocks..Green Hairstreak sand  Orange Tips on Midgley moor and  a Holly Blue in Mytholmroyd (thanks Matt Br ) .

Emperor cocoon

Lee Mount - 17th April

This morning, after a dry cold north easterly overnight.
Early Grey x 2
Common Quaker x 3
V-pug x 1
Brindled Pug x 4
Dyseriocrania subpurpurella x 1
(Angle Shades still on the fence from 14th)

Rishworth Butterflies

Plenty of Orange Tip and Green Veined White out here. Also Small Tort, Peacock & co.

There is a steep hill nearby absolutely covered in heather. I think I might get up there looking for Emperor's and Green Hairstreaks

Green Hairstreaks

The first Green Hairstreak was recorded today in Mythomroyd,(thank Matthew Br) Matthew also reports 4/5 Emperor Moths flying on Midgley Moor today...Speckled Woods , Peacocks , Small Tortoisehells , Orange Tips and Small Whites....all out in good numbers

                             

Rishworth

I didn't do too well last night, with the same old show . I got

Brindled Pug x2
Common Quaker x4
Clouded Drab x2
Early Tooth Striped x2
Hebrew Character x2


Plenty of Butterflies out today mainly Small Torts Peacock and Orange Tip.

Luddenden 15th April 2020

A quite night under clear skies but with two of my favourites

Common Quaker 1
Hebrew Character 2
Clouded Drab 2
Brindled Pug 1
Pine Beauty 1
Red Sword Grass 1

Pine Beauty - a scarce moth here with usually 1 per year (maximum 3 in 2017). 10 records between 26th March - 1st June.

Red Sword Grass - a rare moth here, this is the sixth record and the first since 2014. This is only the second Spring record, the other was 12th March 2011. Recorded between 12th March - 26th November.

Lee Mount

In and around the trap this morning

Early Thorn x 1

Hebrew Character x 4

Common Quaker x 4

Small Quaker x 2

Brindled Pug x 1

Angle Shades x 1 still present from 14th 

Shroggs Park  - Oak woodland
100+ (uncountable) Dyseriocrania subpurpurella today. Every oak branch I shook dislodged some. Tracking them as they flew around was near impossible as they flew between bright sunshine and shade then landed and nearly impossible to find then.
Also my first Speckled Wood, male Orange-tip, Peacock and a Small White

Last night

Hebrew Character x 9
Early Grey x 4
Common Quaker x 2
Clouded drab x 1
Brindled Pug x 1
Early Tooth - striped x 1

Rishworth Last Nights Moths

I put the trap out last night as there was 3c extra in temperature and Wednesday night looks v good  I got.....

3 Hebrew Character
1 Small Quaker
1 Brindled Pug
1 Clouded Drab

Northowram today ( frozen this morning)

100 + Dyseriocrania  subpurpurella today in local Oak wood flying in the sun  , first Speckled Wood ,Orange tip , Small White , Peacock and 10 + Small Tortoiseshell......

Rishworth Butterflies.

An orange tip and some Small Torts out today

Stainland.

Down in Robber Dodge this afternoon;

2 X Small Tortoishells.
2 X  Orange tips, my first this year. One was noticeably bigger than the other.

Rishworth - Angle Thorns

That title doesn't sound right,, you'll work the pun out when you read this. quite a selection last night.... Any comments v welcome

I got.....

Early Thorn x1
Twin Spot Quaker x2
Angle Shades x1
Engrailed x1
Common Quaker x14
Hebrew Character x16
Clouded Drab x2
Brindled Pug x2
Double Striped Pug x1
Mottled Grey x2
Early Tooth Striped x1
Small Quaker x4


Also a Speckled Wood here today....

Lee Mount 10th April

Last nights catch plus others in the trap this morning.
V-pug x 1
Double-striped Pug x 3
Brindled Pug x 2
Twenty-plumed Moth x 1
White-shouldered Housemoth x 1
Early Grey x 1
Common Quaker x 22
Small Quaker x 2
Hebrew Character x 1
Chestnut x 1
Diurnia fagella x 1
Dyseriocrania subpurpurella x 1
Oak Nycteoline x 3 (these had me confused for a while - it don't take much - thought they were Mouse Moths at first but it's too early for them !

 Brindled Pug with a distinctive mark on the left wing - should know this if it turns up again !

 Common Quaker - quite a dark individual but I can't turn it into anything else.

 Common Quaker selection + Hebrew Character and Early Grey

 Dyseriocrania subpurpurella (I think)

 Oak Nycteoline 2 of 3 - the other had been eaten by a spider this morning leaving just the wings

 Small Quaker

V-Pug

Pine Beauty

Found this handsome little moth in my attic just now. Must have snuck in last night at some point - first time I've seen one in Sowerby Bridge.

Rishworth - Last night's moths.

I did decently again last night and got....

Agonopterix Heracliana x1 different from the other nights because this one was darker
Common Quaker x28
Oak Beauty x2
ID X3 I'll put pics on later all the same species.
Small Quaker x21
Hebrew Character x5
Early Tooth Striped x2
Brindled Pug x4
Clouded Drab x4
Early Grey x1

                                                 Oak Beauty

I thought  this was a Mottled Grey but it was a bit green-ish and was more hesitant to fly off than most other Geometrids so any ideas highly appreciated. 

                                                                                                                                               Also anyone  who is on the Calderdale Wildlife blog please report a Bee Fly from Rishworth on behalf of myself.

Luddenden 100420

A great night in Luddenden

Brindled Pug  11
V-Pug        1
Autumn Green Carpet  2
Early Thorn  1 (3 yesterday)
Purple Thorn  1
Common Quaker  30
Small Quaker  12
Hebrew Character  5
Twin-spot Quaker  3
Early Grey 1

Purple Thorn

Autumn Green Carpet

Brindled Pug

Rishworth - Some nice Butterflies!

Had plenty of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks today in the garden. It was also nice to see Orange Tip, a nice early record for the higher ground here and Comma. Netted was a Green Veined White which was very nice to see on the wing today.

Stainland.

I found a micro moth on the door last night. I've spent almost two hours going through all my moth bibles and on Flying Tonight Yorkshire Moths. I'm still no wiser. It was about 11mm tip to tail, and has faint dark marks at one thrid down.  Any comments welcome.

Worn Agonopterix sp. (Thanks Edward).

This morning, Anne found what looked like a Twenty Plume, it was the right shape, size and colour. Once it saw my camera, it flew off. It was anoying, as since my knee operations, I'm no longer able to kneel. The moth was very low down on tne door. It's a struggle for me to get down so I can lie on the floor, getting up is harder still. So, no idea what it was  Such is life.

Last nights Moths

Autumn Green Carpet x 1
Herald    x 1
Early Grey x 2
Hebrew Character x 3
Small Quaker x 5
Common Quaker x 2
Twenty plume Moth x 1
Double Striped Pug x 1
Brindled Pug x 3 (2 melanic)
Twin Spotted Quaker x 1

Aye Aye

This was sent to me for comment  - a 3 Eyed Peacock ( Not in Calderdale)

Butterflies

Been an excellent week for Small Tortoiseshells , Peacocks and Comma with reports from all over Calderdale in good numbers. Brimstones and Orange Tips have also been recorded along the valley bottoms and the first Small Whites on the 7th...Still no Speckled Woods or early Holly Blues. Green Hairstreaks should be out soon but may be hard to find this year with the restrictions.......
2 more Brimstones today from Hebden area...(AM and Nigel )..and a Green veined White on the 9th in Mythomroyd  thanks MBr....

Rishworth - An Engrailed is just 1/71 of the catch!

  It 's Good Friday - Quite literally...Last night the trap was unpredictably rammed with moths with 71 in total of 11 species... Any comments put below.... I got...


Agonopterix heracliana x1
Early Grey x2
Common Quaker x28
Brindled Pug x3 - Normal Form x2
                              f.hirschkei x1
Double Striped Pug x2
Engrailed x1
Satellite x1
Twin Spotted Quaker x4
Hebrew Character x16
Clouded Drab x1
Small Quaker x12

                                                    Engrailed

                                                        Agonopterix Heracliana

                                               Brindled Pugs f.hirschkei  and normal form.

Luddenden Moths - Plume

Any ideas on i.d.

080420

others Moths were
Brindled Pug 2
Oak Beauty 1  (twelfth this year)
Early Thorn  2
Hebrew Character  3
Common Quaker 2
Small Quaker 1
Clouded Drab 1

Lee Mount - 8th April

A few butterflies about - Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells and and an unidentified 'white'.
Double-striped Pug x 1
Common Quaker x 1
Hebrew Character x 1
Not much doing with the moths but the moon and the stars were well worth observing. I don't know all that many constellations, just a few. but I eventually found LEO last night after much searching over recent months !!
Venus is brilliant at the moment too in the western sky.

Rishworth - Regulars...

Last night's moths were mainly everyday spring moths, sort of run-of-the-mill stuff. I got last night .....

Hebrew Character x4

Clouded Drab x2

Early Grey x1

Common Quaker x5

Brindled Pug x1

NOTE: if a moth is of a different form I would put the species name down with the form name. So I have only had one f.hirschskei Brindled Pug.

PUG help...good tips on malanics

Last Nights Moths......

Hebrew Character x 5
Small Quaker x 2
Diurnea fagella x 1 (dark form)
Brown House Moth x 1

Rishworth - Super Moon last night

I put the trap out last night thinking I wouldn't get anything and I did quite well for the lunar cycle time.. I got.....

Early Grey x1
Hebrew Character x11
Small Quaker x2
Common Quaker x2
Brindled Pug x1
Mottled Grey x1

Stainland.

I saw 7 Small Tortoiseshells on my walk this afternoon.

It was a lovely day, dressed in T Shirt and pants, enjoying the sun, the faint breeze, and listening to the bird song. It was the countryside I remember from my youth. No planes flying over, no traffic in the village, no trace of the roar from the the M62 and very few people in sight. I could get used to it.

Cromwell Bottom

Busy today in the sunshine...

Small White x 3
Orange Tip x 3 (males)
Peacock x 30 +
Comma x 3
Small Tortoiseshell x 5

2 more Brimstone reports today from Todmorden and  Lumbutts Wood ( thanks Annie and Bri Lee)
Also good numbers of Peacocks and OrangeTips from Hebden today(thanks AM, Nigel and Simon)

Garden Moths VC 63 Mon 7th April 2020

Garden Moths VC 63 Mon 7th April 2020

Weather 10-13 Dropping slow Still.

Method  Actinic 20 W

2182   Small Quaker Orthosia cruda ABH 73.245

2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica ABH 73.249

2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica ABH 73.249

Hollas Bridge

Had a quick walk round today...Kingfisher was nice to see..

Comma x 1
Small Tortoiseshell x 5
Peacock x 9

Brimstone reported from Hebden and Todmorden , male Orange Tip flying in Hebden and loads of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells  reported from all over Calderdale today.....had a White sp flying near Shibden Park but not able to put to species.....

Copley garden butterflies

Been working from home this morning and 4 species of butterfly in the garden

Peacock
Small tortoiseshell
Comma
Orange tip (female)

Will keep an eye out for any more this afternoon.

Rishworth - Back on the anomalous!

I went over to the field opposite the house tonight at 21:00-21:30 as I didn't put the trap on tonight.. I wasn't disappointed.... Any comments welcome

Larval Search 6th April 2020
Anomalous x8 - Green Form x4
                             Brown Form x4

Shroggs Road - reclaimed landfill site - 6th Apl

Warmer sunshine today but nothing doing on the large grass area. The woodland glade was more productive being sheltered from the wind, so it was nice to find a few butterflies mostly just sunbathing on vegetation.
Peacock x 3
Small Tortoiseshell x 2
Comma x 1

Rishworth - Crazy Nights! Full report from last night.

Moth Trapping Session 5th April 2020
Ok, composure, it was VERY busy last night here.... to my one and only trap (actinic)….

List of Species
Common Quaker x22
Hebrew Character x12
Chestnut x3
Early Grey 1
Clouded Drab x4
Water Carpet x2
Brindled Pug x4
Mottled Grey x2
Early Tooth Striped x1
Twin spotted Quaker x4
Small Quaker x5
Double Striped Pug x1

Any thoughts welcome...…..

                                                    Water Carpet Above

                                                    Brindled Pug f.hirschkei

                                                         Double Striped Pug

                                                Early Tooth Striped

Rishworth - Excitement!

I don't want to overexcite anyone but a variety of Quakers and WATER CARPETS! have arrived already. The full catch report will happen in the morning.


Any thoughts put in the comments below. (Andy you said you thought we'd get water carpet here)...

 Luddenden Saturday 4th April

A quiet night in Luddenden (there was a frost at 5am this morning)

Common Quaker 2

Hebrew Character  2

Early Grey 2

Brindled Pug 1

                                          Brindled Pug

                                          

                                    
                                         Size and colour variation in Early Grey - both last night

Pupa update

I was looking at the pupa today and (it moves when light goes through it)  and the pupa is very well defined e.g antennae, eyes, wings etc. It ll probably hatch in the next fortnite...

Sunday...................

Large yellow Underwing under some leaves in the garden today , 1 Hebrew Character , 1 D.Fagella and 1 Common Quaker last night..Small tortoiseshell and Peacock in the garden this afternoon and reports of Emperor Moths on the moors today...(thanks Barry)

Rishworth - A very good night! With a possible f,nubilata.

Moth Trapping Session 4th April 2020
A very good night with a possible Mottled Grey f.nubilata.

List of Species
Common Quaker x3
Small Quaker x4
Oak Beauty x1
Clouded Drab x3
Hebrew Character x5
Mottled Grey (normal form) x3
Mottled Grey (f.nubilata?) x1

                                                       Oak Beauty above

                                        Is this f.nubilata?????

Lee Mount - 4th April

Still pretty cold, day and night so not  a lot to report.
Hebrew Character x 2
The Early Grey from 2nd April is still on the fence tonight
Last night, and still there this morning, a Brindled Pug which I'm pretty sure must be 'herschkei' judging by it's colouration - or lack of it !

 Early Grey

Brindled Pug 'herschkei' 

Rishworth - A pupa!!

While gardening we found this pupa while gardening, this is a stupid question but what is the likely species if identifiable. Any help appreciated. I think I'll send it to Reg Fry.

Rishworth last night

In the trap last night was 2 Small Quaker and a Common Quaker.

Since this weekend and all the coming weeks look good for weather I am now going to start leaving the trap out all night again as I did all last year as seen on this blog. I won't start bringing it in at 9:30 again till December.

Lee Mount - 3rd April

Early Grey x 1 last night was the only moth. It had gone this morning and just a single Common Quaker in the trap. That was it !

Stainland.

Found a very small common footman catterpillar on the wall behind our climbing rose yesterday.

Test your identification skills!

For a bit of light relief.
I wonder what species these were and would thousands of people turn up if they occurred today!

"In the month of June 1881, quite a sensation was created in the district by the extraordinary spread of caterpillars on Pendle Hill and Nick of Pendle. Swarms were also at the village of Chipping a few miles away and hens gorged themselves to such an extent that they died of repletion.

Thousands of people visited the neighbourhood to inspect these swarms.

The caterpillars had a soft cylindrical body and varied in length from three quarters of an inch to an inch and a half. They had three pairs of short, horny, thorn-like legs in the front and four pairs of false feet, or "clingers". Their colour was a dark, shiny olive, relieved with two or three thin well defined, yellow stripes along the whole length of the upper part of the body. The under portion was of a uniform lighter shade of colour. 

Naturalists differed in their designation. One was of the opinion that it was the Silver Y Moth (Plusia gamma); another contended that it was the larvae of the Antler or Grass Moth (Charoeas graminis). 

The keeper of the moor said the caterpillars were making such a fearful havoc with the herbage that the farmers were contemplating making a trench along the bottom of the moor to prevent them getting into the lowlands.

A youth gathered some in a box and exhibited them at the market in Burnley, charging a penny for the sight of them. He did fairly well until a gang of reckless young fellows burst into the penny show and scattered the insects far and wide."