Luddenden 24th June 2023

It's been another decent night in Luddenden with a new species here and one not seen for years

      Sandy Carpet - first record here

                 

Figure of Eighty - first record for 8 years - two last night

Map Winged Swift 1

Green Pug 1

Riband Wave 6

Silver Ground Carpet 1

Green Carpet 5

Clouded Border 1

Sandy Carpet 1

Common Footman 3

Swallow-tailed Moth 2

Barred Red 1

Small Elephant Hawkmoth 1

Elephant Hawkmoth 1

Peppered Moth 3

Ingrailed Clay 2

Heart & Dart 1

Smoky Wainscot 4

Flame 1

LYU 1

Dark Arches 4

Shuttle-shaped Dart 1

Uncertain 1

Figure of Eighty 2

Lee Mount - 25th June

 Managed a new micro for here this morning

Crassa unitella

Also another 19 sp. including this Buff Ermine

Lee Mount - 23rd/24thJune

 Last night - 2 Silver Y's active at dusk, again around Sweet Williams and Erysimum flowers.

This morning - still not getting a lot but no matter.....

Beautiful Snout is always a bit special but it was off before I could get a clear photo of it.

Beautiful Snout

Marbled Beauty - first one for the year

Also singles - Varied Coronet, Uncertain, Clouded Silver and 3 Dark Arches etc.

Yesterday afternoon along Back Lane, Ogden - 30+ Meadow Brown, 2 Speckled Wood and 3 Small Heaths as well as 2 Silver-ground Carpets and loads of Grass Veneers.

Stainland.

23 June 202

1 x Common Footman

1 x  Marbled Beauty

1 x Garden Grass-Veneer (TBC)

1 x Unknown, needing an ID please.

I'm a little puzzled by the Veneer. I was sure of the one I posted a couple of days ago. This one, has a  metallic sheen and there is a strong contrast between the dark stripes and body colour. I photographed the Veneer I posted earlier from a very close position The one in this post, was photographed from below with a telephoto lens. I wonder if the "iridescent" look is caused by the angle. It certainly was when I photographed the Mother of Pearl last August. It just seems very dark. Could someone please check my ID?

Garden Grass-Veneer (TBC)

I've been unable to ID the next moth. I spent an hour and a half on it and have run out of time. We are going away for a week and were packing, when we discovered the 'fridge had stopped working. We rushed to town in a taxi to find a new refrigerator. We came home home to a floor full of water! So, could some kind soul please tell me what the moth below is as well?  From wing tip to wing tip, was about half an inch.Thank you.

There is an old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." It certainly sums up our last two days. I'll not trouble you with yesterdays woes. I just wish I'd stayed in bed that day.

 Needing an ID please.

Stainland.

 20th and 22nd of June.

20th June

1 x Straw Dot

1 x Agyresthia trifasciata TBC

I Struggled with the Agyresthia and I'm still not certain. It was sheltering in a tricky, place I couldn't get a side view of it Would someone be kind enough to give me a definite ID of it please?

Agyresthia trifasciata TBC

22nd June

1 x Bee Moth - Male

1 x Riband Wave - Unbanded

1 x Common Foorman

Lee Mount - Saxifrage Plume

 One from last night on Erysimum. New for here. 

Saxifrage Plume 

Lee Mount etc - 22nd June

Poor return last night 

Elephant Hawkmoth x 1

Large Yellow Underwing x 1

Cydia splendana x 1

Celypha lacunana x 1

Late on last night there was still a Varied Coronet on the Sweet Williams along with two Silver Y's and a Diamond-back Moth on Erysimum.

Varied Coronet

Late morning in Hebble Brook clough, the valley just below Ogden reservoir at SE066303. Thistles are coming out a bit now....

Meadow Brown x 30, Red Admiral x 2, Speckled Wood x 1, Large Skipper x 2, Small Heath x 9, Small Copper x 1, Large Skipper x 2, Small White x 2 along with two unidentified 'whites'.

Possible Small Skipper - but it wouldn't stay still long enough to be sure.

Shibden Valley

 Please identify this attractive moth

Beacon Hill

 1 (female) of 2 Large Skippers

20 June

 Shibden Valley: Meadow Brown 10

Lee Mount - 20th June

Sixteen species overnight but not a lot new at all.

Silver Y on the Sweet Williams last night but no sign of the recent Varied Coronets.

First Dark Arches of the year and two Large Yellow Underwings (first one was 11th June)

Riband Wave x 3 included one banded form.

Silver Y

Lee Mount update

17th June - best night so far with 20 sp including singles of Ruby Tiger, Green Oak Tortrix (4), Light Emerald, Green Carpet, Ingrailed Clay (2), Riband Wave etc. Two Varied Coronets from 15th still being seen each evening on the Sweet Williams.

18th - Clouded Silver x 1 and a Cinnabar.

19th - Shroggs Park SE083260 - Red Admiral, Large Skipper, Speckled Wood x 11 and Meadow Brown x 2

Soil Hill at SE074312 this afternoon (19th) - visit cut short with a thunderstorm threatening.

Latticed Heath x 1, Silver-ground Carpet x 1 and a good number of Grass Veneers.

Butterfly's along the hill's Ned Hill track at SE076313 - Meadow Brown x 6, Small Heath x 10, Large Skipper x 6

Rannoch Looper Luddenden 17th June

This is the second individual. Careful checking by me, Andy & Brian confirms this is the second Rannoch Looper for Calderdale. There is an influx in northern England at the moment so keep your eyes open, there could be more.

 

Stainland.

I had a nice surprise this morning. A Silver Y with its wings open was on the doorstep, it was fluttering them, getting ready for takeoff. I got one photo before it flew. I've never seen one with wings open before, so I was very pleased. (It doesn't take much!)

Also, there was a Garden Grass-veneer on the wall.

Silver Y 

Garden Grass-veneer - Chrysoteuchia culmella

 Rannoch Looper 15th June Luddenden

This beauty turned up last night (not the best photo, hopefully I'll get some better ones). It took us long enough to decide what it was but Andy has just confirmed it. A very rare Moth and another species to Calderdale's growing list.

I will be keeping it until tonight if anyone would like to see it, please call Andy for our address   

                        

  A better photo but with the wings up

also Scallop Shell amongst others

Lunar Hornet Moth , Walsden

 An adult Lunar Hornet Moth on Grey Willow seen today near Walsden

Stainland.

 From 15th & 16th June.

15th

1 x Marbled Beauty (1st this year for me)

1 x Common Marbled Carpet - Worn (Orange form)

1 x Eudonia lacustrata

1 x Golden Rod Pug (1first for me) 

Golden Rod Pug

16th

1 x Cinnabar (little beast flew off before I got a photo)

1 x Light Brown Apple 

1 x Eudonia lacustrata

I wonder how many Light Brown Apple are in out hedge? Every time I walk near part of it, one flies out.

1 x  Pale Tussock (1st for me, I was very pleased ti find one)

Pale Tussock

Pale Tussock - Front legs detail

Lee Mount - 15th / 16th June

I planted some Sweet Williams in tubs last autumn in the hope of attracting Varied Coronet. I've been checking the blooms each evening. Nothing doing until last night..... then two turned up. Hovering at times over the flowers and also resting to feed on the nectar. One still here, in the trap this morning.

Love it when a plan comes together

Varied Coronet

Not a lot else this morning other than a Turnip Moth and two unidentified pugs, Heart and Dart x 5 etc.

Shroggs - reclaimed landfill

An hour down there late morning. I did a steady stroll around the grassland perimeter..

 SE079260

Meadow Brown x 64

Large Skipper x 41

Ringlet x 1

Speckled Wood x 3

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey - 13th June

Trying to catch up with records.... 

I did my WCBS - BBS tetrad SE0430 - part of Cold Edge and part of Ovenden Moor on Tuesday. It was pretty warm at 22c+ though a stiff >NE breeze probably limited the count to 41 from 6 species. It's not always easy to pick the best day for butterfly's, weather wise, at this upland location but it will do !

Cold Edge section centered on SE 043303

Wall Brown x 2 

Small White x 4

Small Copper x 1

Small Heath x 13

Large Skipper x 13

Red Admiral x 1

Ovenden Moor section centered on SE 047308

Small Heath x 5

Wall Brown x 1

Small White x 1

Beacon Hill

 1 Ringlet

Byron Edge

Small Heath 2 

Lee Mount - Sunday 12th June

A better night ! 48 moths from 22 species including

Ruby Tiger x 1

Elephant hawkmoth x 1

Bright-line-brown-eye x 1

Flame x 1

Large Yellow Underwing x 1 (first of the year here)

Brimstone Moth x 2

Dark/Grey Dagger x 1

Flame Shoulder x 1

Garden Carpet x 1

Tachystola acroxanth x 17

Pug sp. x 2 (unidentified including one melanistic)

Several micro - still looking at but included this Coleophora sp.? 5mm 'ish' with 'woolly' antenna base extending onto it's head -  though not found anything near a match ! 

Cromwell Bottom

 Charlie , Anthony and myself ran 4 traps last night at Cromwell Bottom , 300 + moths of 105 species .Sandy Carpet x 3  , Obscure Wainscot x 5 , Alder Moth , Miller , Scalloped Hook Tip , Small china - mark ..more to follow

10 June

Beacon Hill: Red Admiral 1, Large Skipper 1

New Bank: Wall 1

Swales Moor - Ringby Lane and Ringby top

Day flying moths...

Chrysoteuchia culmella x 6

Yellow Shell x 1

Mother Shipton x 1

Butterflies along the lane and the top field

Painted Lady x 1

Large Skipper x 3

Wall x 7

Small Heath x 16 

Small White x 1

Large Skipper 

Painted Lady

Cold Edge

 3 Wall, including these 2 males

Lee Mount - 8th June

Just four moths this morning

Heart and Dart x 2

Freyer's Pug x 1 (as far as I can tell)

Freyer's Pug

Also this micro - not a lot to go on !

5mm micro - possibly Scrobipalpa acuminatella for any comments but not sure as I think they need Gen det and it's gone now!

Bar Lane Ripponden

3 Speckled Wood

Also, 2 Small White 

Lee Mount - 7th June

Sill a cold wind overnight ....

Peppered Moth x 1

Heart and Dart x 6

Spruce Carpet x 1

Common Swift x 1 (never had one of these pale unmarked ones before - it made me check)

Peppered Moth and Heart and Darts

Common Swift

 

Spruce Carpet - rather than Grey Pine Carpet I think

Lee Mount - 6th June

Elephant Hawkmoth x 2

Heart and Dart x 8

Lee Mount etc... 5th June

 Moth trap - still not a lot..

Scalloped Hazel (nigra) x 1

Heart and \Dart x 2

Elephant Hawkmoth x 1

Light-brown Apple-moth x 1

Brown Housemoth x 1

Also Holly Blue and Small White butterfly's around the garden.

Shroggs - reclaimed landfill site 

Crambus lathoniellus x 1

Silver-ground Carpet x 1

Speckled Wood x 4

Large Skipper x 2

One Bird Cherry with a lot of ermine moth webs

One Bird Cherry with a lot of ermine moth webs

Large Skipper

Stainland.

 My first Angle Shades moth this year, nice and fresh.

Angle Shades

Lee Mount - 3rd June

 Five sp. of butterfly's yesterday in the garden. Same conditions today and not a single sight of one !

Moths this morning

Common Swift x 1

Elephant Hawkmoth x 1

Tachystola acroxantha x 1

Gracillaria syringella x 1

Common Swift

Elephant Hawkmoth

Gracillaria syringella (appeared on the car after I'd washed it)

Lee Mount etc - 2nd June

 An interesting day at home today, once the sun came out.

Pair of Large Red Damselfly around the garden plantpots.

One each - Wall Brown, Small Copper, Large White, Small White and a Speckled Wood.

Heart and Dart x 3 in the moth trap - but no other moths  !

Rustic Shoulder-knot x 1 yesterday

Mother Shipton x 1 found at Withens Clough res'r yesterday afternoon

30th May

Angle Shades x 1

Foxglove Pug x 1

Cinnabar x1

Copley - St Stephen's graveyard this afternoon

Comma x 1

Small White x 2

Cold Edge

 20 Large Red Damselflies

Also: 1 Wall, 1 Peacock