Lee Mount - 16th/17th June

Burnished Brass on consecutive nights. I just thought this mornings was the same one as yesterday but photo's say otherwise !

Also some of interesting micros recently - I love the challenge of identification but certainly rely on some decent photos which is another challenge. Even then it's not always that simple !!!

Even the spelling is a challenge...

Celypha striana

Cochylichora atricapitana

Enarmonia formosana (wished for a better photo of this beauty)

Luddenden 160625

Not a great night for Moths last night, too clear but I did have this migrant, a new species here

 Bordered Straw 

this is a Broad-banded White from 130625

A couple of hours at Hardcastle Crags (10.15 - 12-15)

 Marbled White Spot , Beautiful Hooktip and Beautiful  Snout were once very rare in Calderdale and now common....within 15 years......

Lee Mount - 14th June

 I could do with a check on this one at around 16 mm. ?

and this one too..... wondering about Ingrailed Clay though markings are questionable ?

Barred Chestnut is doubtful ?

Still going through the rest of them from this morning with around 30 species - best so far this year !

Tigers!!

I thought Martyn would be interested in this post as he had the first Scarlet Tiger for Calderdale back in 2022.

Having never seen any of the boldly patterned tigers before I hit a fantastic purple patch back in April.

On the 26th I found a Wood Tiger larva on Midgley moor (above) and three days later I found a Scarlet Tiger larva nearly on my doorstep at Skircoat Green (below). It was feeding on Green Alkanet and was one of three found, the second was in my front doorway, in their final instar they can disperse to feed on other plants!

Both species were collected and then, late May and in to June both successfully made it to adults - an amazing little rearing project.

 

Cold Edge / Ovenden Moor

11th June in the very warm conditions I managed to fit in a butterfly survey in the area. Choosing the right day is key !

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) is linked with the Breeding Bird Survey done previously and following the same tetrad route.

Additional species outside the route are also included here. 

1 Small Heath, 

3 Common Blue - the first two were on buttercup flowers near Spring Dam + 1 near The Withens.

1 Peacock

1 Large White

6 Small Tortoiseshell

2 Small Skipper

14 Large Skipper

Also a Chimney Sweeper moth along with Common Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet and Grass Moths +.

Chimney Sweeper

Broad-bodied Chaser also at the top of Skirden Clough

Soil Hill - earlier in the day several Latticed Heath along with 1 Brimstone Moth and Grass moths ++.

Butterfly's - 5 Small Heath, 1 Large White, 6 Large Skipper and 2 Small Tortoiseshell.

Large Skipper

Small Skipper

Lee Mount

 Not a great deal to report with quite a poor month in May probably due to lots of very cool nights.

Sycamore  30th May

Cinnabar -21st May

Common Marbled Carpet - 21st May

Elephant Hawk-moth 21st May

Gold Spot - 21st May

June started off on 1st with a new one for me ....hardly anything since then...

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

Whiteholme

Small Heath 1

Beacon Hill

1 of 2 Small Tortoiseshells. My first for many weeks.

Also, 1 Large Skipper

Stainland.

 1 X Common Pug

Common Pug

This is the third Common Pug I've recorded this season. Each one has been quite different to the others. This  specimen was easy to ID. I hope the temperature picks up soon,.It seems that the moths are staying in sheltered places at the moment. 

Stainland.

1 X Common Pug .TBC.

I find pugs difficult to ID, except for the more obvious ones. If some kind person could ID it, I'b be grateful. Thank you.

Common Pug. TBC.

Lee Mount - 23rd May

Surprise this morning when, what looked like the same moth as turned up for one day on May 11th - the Shark. 

Shark

Also what seems a fairly early - Ingrailed Clay

Nothing else other than plenty day time activity from Twenty-plume Moths around the Honeysuckle.

Red Admiral, Large White and a Speckled Wood in the garden this afternoon.

Cold Edge

Common Darter male. Brown eyes

Small Heath 1

Also, Wall Brown 1

 

Stainland.

 1 X Foxglove Pug.

It landed on our door this afternoon. Possibly the same one as two days ago.

Stainland.

 1 x White Ermine this morning.

As it has a buff tint, I assumed it was a buff, until I checked online that is.

White Ermine.

Stainland.

 16th, 18th and 20th May.

Two of these photos are far from perfect. They do for IDs, that all. I'm unable to carry the ladders. If I could, I certainly wouldn't attempt to climb them anyway. Hey ho, at least the sun is shining!

In order as above:

1 x Common Pug. (I was torn between this and the Currant pug.) The odds were on the first one. TBC.

1 x Cinnabar.

1 x Foxglove Pug.

Common Pug. TBC.

Cinnabar.

Foxglove Pug.

Garden Moths May

A short Session last night 17th  May 25. Actinic.

6 x Heart & Dart

1 x Common Foootman

2 x Bright Line Brown Eye

2 x Common Marbled Carpet ( One Dark and one with orange )

1 x Buff Ermine 

1 x Scalloped Hazel 

1 x Brimstone

Stainland.

 1 X Cinnabar.

A lovely moth to greet me this morning.

Cinnabar

Lee Mount and Castle Carr Road - 17th May

 Very little in the trap last few days with cool clear nights - just  a few this morning.

Heart and Dart x 4 

....then the rest were singles - Clouded-bordered Brindle (f combusta), Garden Carpet, Small Phoenix, Pale Tussock, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Common Marbled Carpet, Light-brown Apple-moth, Tachystola acroxantha, Brown House-moth......and that was it !

Castle Carr Road this afternoon

Green Hairstreak x 5 - all starting to look a little worn

Wall Brown x 3

Small Heath x 1

Green-veined Whites x 2 (other 'whites' were unidentified) 

Small Copper x 4

Orange-tip x 4 (together by the stream-side at Bridge Terrace)

Cinnabar Moth x 1

Garden Moths

 Actinic Blue Light  13.05.25 11:00 - 2:00am 

                    

1 x Common Pug

1 x Cinabar              2069 / 72.031

6 x Heart & Dart     2089 / 73.317

1 X Buff Ermine     2061 / 72.019

1 x White Ermine   2060 / 72.020

1 x Flame                2098 / 73.328

1 x Cat ( Ginger) Pawing at Moths

Addenda

1 x Shuttle Shaped Dart   2092/ 73.325

Shibden Valley

Cinnabar

Lee Mount etc - 13th May

This morning - not  a lot...

Alder Moth x 1

Bee Moth x 4

Cinnabar x 1 (also one of these at Southowram - Long Lane mid afternoon.)

Foxglove Pug x 1

Alder Moth

Cinnabar

Also on High Brown Knoll today - lots of Common Heath mainly around the heather but the wind kept most other things out of sight other than Green Hairstreaks (20+) and then mostly around sheltered areas of bilberry. Its an area c 1400 ft but fabulous up there on a day like today.

Stainland.

 

1 X Small Phoenix this morning.

Small Phoenix. (more common form)

I'm posting this photo for those who may not be aware of this. There are two main forms of the moth. The one above, is the typical form. It has an unbroken dark band across the center. The other main form has brown and white lines connecting the top and bottom of the light coloured wing patterns.

To compare the other form to this one, see my post here on the 7th May 2025.

Ringstone Edge

Speckled Wood. I think this is a female, because Thomas and Lewington say that first brood females have larger yellow patches than males.

Lee Mount - 12th May

 Just a couple of nice moths this morning among a few others.

Buff Ermine

Knot Grass

Tachystola acroxantha x 4

Brindled Pug x 2

Common Pug x 1