Last night in Hebden Bridge

Little things to get excited about!

For the last 4 years (as far as I can remember) I have had only one Dotted Border visit the skinner trap per year. And each year I have failed to get a photograph of this very flighty (in my experience) species. On previous years the subjects have been completely uncooperative and shot off at the first sign of a camera or, on one occassion comitted suicide in the canal. Last night I came home about midnight after work and obviously everything was sopping wet. There were three moths however -

1 x Chestnut

1 x 1025 tortricodes alternella

And yes...

1 x 1934 Agriopis marginaria Dotted Border.

A better pic this time of a rather worn specimen. More pleased with the pic of t. alternella, which again although common is not a regular visitor here. I think it shows some nice detail. Winston

Last Nights Moths and a blast fof spring..

A nice spring day with heavy overnight rain in Northowram produced in the trap---

   283 Caloptilia  betulicola/elongella (type) x 1
1070 Tortricodes alternella 1

Dotted Border x3 (2 melanic)
Mottled grey   x 1
Pale Brindled beauty  x 1
Satellite x 1
Chestnut x 2
March Moth x 2
Red Green carpet x 1

Cat at pellon today

 Found this on the pavement at Pellon today, any ideas ?Nick D............

Last night in Midgley...

Hurrah, Spring is here! Last night produced 1 March Moth, 4 Chestnuts, 1 Dotted Border and 2 to ID tonight when I have more time. Not a bad start for us! The Dotted Border is a nice one to start the year with.

1070 Olethreutes mygindiana

Nice to see the first berrys on cowberry today on the local moors and the larvae of 1070 Olethreutes mygindiana in the folded leaves(thanks Wild Yorkshire for the tip off  ).This Red Green Carpet was my first moth last night to the garden trap and my earlieat by 4 weeks!!!!.

Update...field trip to hardcastle craggs on sat Night top car park by river...meet 6ish.....

One to look out for...

One good moth to look out for now is Small Brindled Beauty. It is very rarely
recorded in the county but should be flying now and for the next month or so in
mature oak woodland. Very few people start trapping in woodland until later in
March when it has probably stopped flying. The distribution in the county is
very poorly known, but we have scattered records across VC61,62 and 64. It
hasn't been seen in VC63 since Porritt's day. It would be rather nice to find
it in some new places.
 
Taken off Yorkshire Moth Yahoo group.Thanks Charlie Fletcher..Broadhead clough springs to mind.

Last Night in Hebden Bridge

Hi all, I have been looking forward to writing that title all winter now and hope tonight will be the first of many reports of 2011.

Last night trapped from dark till midnight.So far tonight , .Winston

(8:30pm) 4 x March Moth

(10:30pm) 7x March Moth
(11:15pm) 9x March Moth

(all on window and not in trap)

plus 1x Pale Brindled Beauty

2x chestnut

1097 Endothenia gentianaeana

After finding loads of teasle heads in Northowram last week I was a bit dissapointed to find all were empty .I found a single plant today at Boothtown with 8 heads ,every single one contained 1 larvae  in the seed head.a closer examination is needed to determin which species it is.

Update..after close examination they are 1097 Endothenia gentianaeana ,

Limnaecia phragmitella ?

The Limnaecia phragmitella  larvae have multiplied over the last few days to at least 20 and are very active,do they pupate in the seed head or do they need a bit of compost.??

Early Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)

Hi Guys
I found by pure chance an early Common Quaker this evening behind my caravan here in North Wales this evening. I was trying out a spot of Owl watching (failed)when I spotted the moth.

Found one at last 3 (898 Limnaecia phragmitella)

After reading charlies post I went into the garage to have a look at some seed heads I collected from Cromwell Bottom in early Jan when all the water/ground was frozen and you could easily collect them.I was amazed to find at least 10 larvae frome the four seed heads I collected.Thanks Paul and Charlie

Pale Brindled Beauty

After running the trap about eight times so far this year I finally caught a Moth last night, this Pale Brindled Beauty, seeing as it's my first Moth of the year I thought I'd post a few pics

First Peacock today

Peacock butterflys recorded today at Elland (NCD) and Crimsworth Dean (BL).

Request for Articles

Hi all the Moth report I have been working on for the last few years is about a year away now.Its just on the larger moths and butterflies of Calderdale(it will be aprox 80 pages long).The Micro/pyralids/Dragonflies  is a long way off  but I have started it and is allready 50+ pages long .If any one has any drawings sketches ,articles,poems,stories,news paper articles, etc about moths or mothing in calderdale between 1999 and 2010/11...I am looking to add them to the report.Please forward to me at e-mail on right hand side.by the end of this year...

Competition time

This year I am running a competion for  the best photo on the blogg in 2011 ,it does not have to be rare or scarce but it has to be from Calderdale (its open to all )(Nick Carters photo of the two peppered moths in cop is still my favourite) .The prize is this limited edition of Porritts list published by the YNU and Butterfly consevation 2011  Porritt lived in Huddersfield and published the first lists of Yorkshires Moths and Butterflys  1883 - 1922 and there are many local old records from Huddersfield / Halifax and the rest of Yorkshire its a great read .So get snapping and lets hope for a good year

Northern Egga,r collage

Thought id try a collage of some stages of Northern Eggar,with 1st and final caterpillar instars shown.while things are a bit quiet .regards Bri.

Whiteholme Drain 28 01 11

Plenty of these 395 Glyphipterix haworthana,larval spinnings about at Whiteholme Drain,and Langfield Common,this was spun up on Crowberry.regards Bri.

Spiders

Hi There

In the absence of moths here in Hebden Bridge (so far) I have turned my attension elswhere. This spider was found in the doorframe I was refurbishing this week. As far as I can tell it is Amourobius similis (female). Hopefully some moths to post soon.

A new Guide to Difficult Species

The British and Irish moths: an illustrated guide to selected difficult species (covering the use of genitalia characters and other features) has been produced by the Moths Count project with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, John Spedan Lewis Foundation and others. The Guide is softback and spiral bound for ease of use. It runs to 91 pages and contains over 130 colour illustrations. Written by moth experts Martin Townsend, Jon Clifton and Brian Goodey, the aim of the Guide is to make available information on the identification of difficult macro-moths, beyond what is currently available in the field guides. 72 larger moth species (plus their subspecies and forms) are included. This Guide provides the next step for those wishing to make a definitive determinations of difficult moths such as ear moths, dark/grey daggers, copper underwings and the November Moth group. As such, much of the Guide is focussed on genitalia characteristics, although there are discussions of other characteristics such as wing markings.


Copies of the Guide are available from Butterfly Conservation (http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/product/5209/difficult_species_guide.html or 01929 400209) and from specialist retailers. The recommended retail price is £20, but it is available at a special initial offer price of £15 plus £2 post and packaging to UK addresses. All proceeds received by Butterfly Conservation will be used towards ongoing moth recording.

Best wishes
Zoe
Dr Zoë Randle

Moth Recording Co-ordinator, Moths Count

zrandle@butterfly-conservation.org



http://www.mothscount.org/

1st for 2011 for me

Had an hour at Knottwood,just one Chestnut on a juncus stem,its a start !!