Various ! 24th July

Trying to catch up....last few days so just a selection..
Lee Mount
Plain Golden Y x 1
A new one here for Lee Mount - 22mm with the dark marks just about showing.

Light Arches

Shroggs Park oak woodland - eventually found 4 Purple Hairstreak butterflies fluttering around the tops. They were not good to photograph and just got a few blurred shots. Try another day !

Ringby Lane and top

Plenty common stuff

16 Ringlet, 30 Meadow Brown, 3 Small White, 1 Large White, 1 Green-veined White, 2 Small Skipper, 5 Small Heath, 35 Small Tortoiseshell

Yellow Shell x 8

Shaded Broad-bar x 25 (and counting - with plenty disturbed in the grassland in the top field)

 Shaded Broad-bar's - some worn and others fresh

Stainland.

Theis tea time, Anne found a moth in the hall. A Purple Thorn. It was in a terrible place to get photos of. I had to hold the camera upsidedown so the flash could reach it. It's now in a very shelterd spot in the garden.

This moth is re-named correctly. See comments below.

Second generation Early Thorn.

Second generation Early Thorn.

Ogden - Back Lane and White Wall End

Pretty grotty weather up there this afternoon with the drizzle but there were still just a
few - mostly disturbed as I walked through the long wet grass.

Just one moth apart from the Grass Veneers
Yellow Shell x 1

Meadow Brown x 6
Ringlet x 3
Small Heath x 1

Lee Mount - 23rd July

Fairly quiet overnight
True Lover's Knot x 2 - they are lovely moths
Dark Arches x 2
Large Yellow Underwing x 6
Common Rustic agg x 3
Heart and Dart x 4 (and still they come!)
Common Footman x 1
Common Wainscot x 1
Square-spot Rustic x 1

 True Lover's Knot

Stainland..

 As I was photographic the moths below, one was flying round my head. It settled on the wall by my side. As soon as I got the camera foused, it flew off. It was a Purple Thorn.

2 x Marbled Beauties. (No photos).
1 x Common White Wave.
1 x Udea Prunalis TBC.

The Common White Wave looks very fresh, unlike the poor old thing I posted before. Anne actually said it was a very pretty moth. She's come a long way, from the days when she used to run away from them, I'm glad to say.

Common White Wave.

I really struggled with the next moth. My best guess is Udea Prunalis. The other Udea p.It's worn, which didn't help. I've had here have been very plain and drab. I'm very happy to be corrected.

 Udea Prunalis TBC.

 

The Withens (near Ovenden wind-farm)

Just by the road opposite the mast yesterday we noticed a number of black dots on a large patch of nettles. Closer inspection - Peacock Butterfly caterpillars, probably several hundred all told.
Any returning juvenile Cuckoo's might show an interest !

A search

I went to Oxygrains area today, I was searching for the moorland foodplants of Northern Rustic after I saw the remarks in the moth report of 'Get out there and find one' it prompted me to do so as I assumed that Oxygrains hadn't been searched. The reason I searched for the foodplant is the 'find the foodplant find the species logic' so I could find a possible site and come bck with torch and net as you need permission from landowner etc. I was unsuccessful, but for anyone else interested in this topic the foodplants are Purple and Yellow Saxifrage in Yorkshire.

Stainland.

At 2:30 am this moring, I found a beautiful Clouded Border on the door. I was so pleased, it's only the second time I've seen one, the first was four years ago.

Clouded Border.

Lee Mount - 21st July

Fairly quiet overnight
Dark Arches x 2
Smoky Wainscot x 1
Scalloped Oak x 2 - thought i was catching the same ones but I compared photos with the four other ones in the last few days - they are all different.

 Scalloped Oak

Also I think I've finally got to grips with Cabbage Moth - careful checking, looked for this before but never  managed to find the spur on the foreleg...... hopefully this confirms identification !

 Cabbage Moth

Stainland.

By  the door this morning;

1 x Willow Beauty. Pale form.
1 x Common Wave.
2 x Common Footman.
2 x Marbled Beauty. (One my be a recatch, the other is a grey form, the first I've seen this year.)

Willow Beauty. Pale form.

Common Wave.

Lee Mount - 20th July

Very quiet last night
Phoenix x 1

This morning
Scalloped Oak x 2 (recent ones all different - no re-catch)
Buff Arches x 1

 Phoenix

1.  Scalloped Oak x 2

Quick Update

A few Hummingbird Hawkmoth reports this weekend from the Hebden area(thanks Nigel and Ros) , Gatekeepers are now been seen from a few localities , There have been no records of Speckled Wood , Holly Blue , Wall Brown or Small Copper yet this month..??

Rishworth - 17th July - Overnight Moths

Utter utter madness. I have posted this a day late there was so much to go through. Any comments welcome...

Moth Trap 17th July:
Large Yellow Underwing x73
Pinion Streaked Snout x1
Scalloped Oak x1 [NFG]
Antler Moth x1 [NFY]
Marbled White Spot x4 - V.worn now. My total at 25.
Northern Spinach x7
Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing x1 [NFG] - My favourite of the Y. Underwing family.
Peppered Moth x8
Flame x7
Dark Arches x9
Bee Moth x1
Poplar Hawk Moth x1
True Lovers Knot x12
Buff Tip x1
Green Carpet x1
Single Dotted Wave x2
Coxcomb Prominent x1
Marbled Minor Agg. x12
Common Footman x4
Heart and Dart x3
Dark Brocade x6
Map Winged Swift x4
Burnished Brass x1 - A fresh one this time.

Scalloped Oak, Rishworth, 17th July

Common Wainscot, Rishworth, 17th July

Burnished Brass, Rishworth, 17th July

Lee Mount - 18th July

Just a small selection from this morning's haul - 23 species.

 Lempke's Gold Spot

 Scalloped Oak

Silver Y

And one here for double checking ? - I thought at first Smoky Wainscot but those faint basal dark streaks more suggest Shoulder-striped Wainscot

Lee Mount - micro sussed (?)

Still struggle with lots of micro's but there are always one or two I have a go at. These are two of them from 14th July. Just checked them out on Norfolk Moth and looks ok..........please advise if I'm in error !

 Notocelia roborana

.............and the other one from 14th July

Ancylis achatana

Stainland.

I took a stroll to Eve's Top quarry yesterday. Considering it was breezy and cloudy, there were quite a few butterflies and moths about. I wasn't going to take a camera. In the end, I put Anne's pocket compact in my jacket. Next time I'll know better and take one of my cameras.

Butterflies.
 21 x Ringlets.
10 x Small Heath.
8 x Gatekeepers.
7 x Whites. (All too far away to ID).
2 x Red Admirals.
1 x Small Tortoiseshell.

Moths.
1 x Shaded Broad-Bar. (A first for me, if it is, but I'm not sure I got the ID right).
1 x Udea lutealis. (Unable to get a good photo).
1 x Mottled Beauty. (I'm confused. I can't decide if it's a Mottled B. or a Willow B. It's quite worn. That's  inspite of  the help sheet Andy provided. .

Now the photos, moths first.

 Shaded Broad-Bar. TBC.

The moth below was on my door this morning. I thought I'd put it with yesterdays finds.

Mottled Beauty, worn. TBC.

Butterflies.

I spent a long time deciding what the one below is. I settled on a very worn Ringlet. I came across five like it, over a fairly wide area. If you look at the top right wing, you can see what must be the remnant of the second spot. You can see a mark on the right wing but it's not as obvious.

 Very worn Ringlet. TBC.

I think this is a male Gatekeeper. I couldn't get any closer to it.

Male Gatekeeper?

Red Admiral.

End.

Butterflys ....

Small Tortoiseshell x 50 +
Meadow Brown x 50 +
Small White x 3
Large White x 2
Large Skipper x 1
Purple Hairstreak x 5
Red Admiral x 2
Painted Lady x 1
Ringlet x 6

Stainland.

Last night's moths;

2 x Brimstone.
1 x Bee Moth.
1 x Blastobasis lacticolella.
1 x Swallowtail.
1 x Marbled Beauty (May have been the same one I postedon 16th July)

The only moth still by the door this morning, is the very worn Swallowtail.

Rishworth - 16th July - Overnight Moths

A really busy night last night here in Rishworth. Plenty for the year list. Any comments welcome...

Moth Trap 16th July:
Double Square Spot x1 [NFG]
Mother of Pearl x1 [NFY]
Burnished Brass x1 [NFG]
July Highflyer x1 [NFG]
V-Pug x1 [NFG]
Mottled Beauty x2
Engrailed x1
Blood-Vein x1
Buff-tip x1
Marbled White Spot x2
Common White Wave x1
Large Yellow Underwing x22
Common Footman x2
Lesser Swallow Prominent x2
Small Angle Shades x1
True Lovers Knot x3
Peppered Moth x4
Marbled Minor Agg. x1
Coxcomb Prominent x2
Dark Spectacle x1

Double Square Spot, Rishworth, 17th July

Dark Spectacle, Rishworth, 17th July

Common Footman, Rishworth, 17th July

V-Pug, Rishworth, 17th July

Burnished Brass, Rishworth, 17th July

Big Butterfly Count...starts this weekend

Just had an hour in the garden ....
Small Tortoiseshell x 1
Ringlet x 1
Large White x 1
Green veined White x 1

Stainland.

Just one very attractively coloured Marbled Beauty.

Marbled Beauty.

Cloaked Pug - confirmed

This was a bit of a surprise last night when I got around to checking photo's from the night before (14th July).  - As I checked it out against different pugs the only one which seemed to fit was 'Cloaked'. 

A large pug, but it wouldn't stay still to measure, as it moved from place to place on the pebble dashing. Thank goodness for the camera !

The large black central spot stood out and the surrounding markings quite distinct with some fading on the left wing. Also with the tawny band across the abdomen near the base checked with the books description.

Looks 'bang on'.... but never seen one before - AC was the first stop for a check. From there on it was confirmed later looking good to CF and Andy did some checks too.

No re-appearance, unfortunately, but no matter. A suspected immigrant, though there are likely small breeding populations in the UK mainly found in Spruce plantations.

Not sure of overall UK status though Yorkshire Moths has one record for VC 63 - pre 1980.

Lee Mount - 15th July

Not a lot overnight
Antler Moth x 1
Large Yellow Underwing x 2
Dark Arches x 1
Bird-cherry Ermine x 2
A couple of micros still under scrutiny
Pug x 1 still to identify - well marked but think maybe any colour has faded !

 Antler Moth

Pug still to work out  - quite a large one but I couldn't get near it with the measure !

Rishworth - A Burnet in the hand...

I went for a walk to the Six And Narrow B Five Spot Burnet colony today. I did go elsewhere but other than a sleeping Meadow Brown this was the only Lepidoptera.

Narrow Bordered Five Spot Burnet Moth, Rishworth, 15th July

Skippers A Few "Tips"

Further to Andy's post 

A few comments to date having regard to differential ID on this Confusion Species  I have never seen an Essex other than one possible query candidate at Glapthorne with Andy but no image etc 

I'll post some detailed shots of the Small Skipper Antenna Tips but as pointed out in the video on Essex shiny black ink like with a clear differential line on the tip 

On the Black wing mark as I take this to be the sex brand found on males so females will perhaps add to the complexity of identification When considering the features such as Size , Habitat Phenology  ( emergent time ) etc it should be remembered that those are not definitive pointers and their is considerable overlap but can contribute to an overall positive siting 

Small

https://www.flickr.com/photos/colin_duke/sets/72157641173099514/

Large

https://www.flickr.com/photos/colin_duke/sets/72157645239807022/

General