2139 Red Chestnut Cerastis rubricosa

This very handsome Red Chestnut visited my trap in Hebden Bridge last week. A new entry on the all time list for me.

1775 Mottled Grey Colostygia multistrigaria

Hi all, sorry been unable to post these pics from last Thursday's evening at Gibson Mill until now. You can see the male (notice the feathered antenae) above right and smaller (about 13mm WL) female above left. I was trying to get both in the same shot for a better comparison but it wasn't to be. The wing shape is distinctly different from Early Tooth-striped (Below) caught in my trap last week which does not have a straight or concave costa.

Hardcastle Craggs

Hardcastle Craggs next Thursday and saturday nights meet in Top car park at 7.30...All welcome

Micro's for i.d.

any ideas on this one, wingspan 27mm


this one was slightly smaller with a wingspan on 25mm

please note the wing posture, is this a useful i.d. feature, thanks for taking the trouble to look at these Martyn

Cocoons

After releasing nine Fox Moth caterpillars at Cold Edge in September I followed the info in Margaret Brooks and put the remaining eight in a large tub with peat, moss and bramble. Two died in February, two in March and three have now formed cocoons, fingers crossed for a male and female




Fox Moth at top, Northern Eggar middle and bottom two Emperor Moth

Oak Nycteoline

A Oak Nycteoline last night which is a first for me here in Northowram .Also in 2010 doing the GMS I recorded 34 moths in March this year i recorded 122 moths which shows how mild it has been.Last night moths -

Common Quaker 10

powdered quaker 1

Small quaker    3

hebrew Character 18

Clouded drab    8

Brindled Pug 1

Double striped Pug

Brown house Moth

A

Hardcastle craggs last night and the last Mad March Moffers

Hi all a very good way to end march with this Oak Beauty a very hamsome moth.A slow start with clear skies but it soon picked up and in just over 2 hours we recorded----
Ypsolopha ustella    1
Diurnea fagella          6
Mottled Grey    6
Engrailed          5
Early tooth striped   5
Brindled Pug           6(all well over 23mm)
Oak Beauty         1
Small quaker        3
Common Quaker     62
Clouded drab             8
Hebrew Character       8
Twin spotted quaker    1
Chestnut                       6
Thanks to all at Hardcastle craggs for letting us trap there and many thanks to all who attended in March.Will keep you posted about April shortly.Well done to Sandra and Christine for getting into  identifying some moths.......

Powdered Quaker?

As requested Andy here is the pic of what we think is Powdered Quaker, can you confirm please?

Weekly round up

Above a Powdered quaker recorded last night,I usually get my first one around the 10th April so nice and early.Masses of orthosia sp over the weekend and my best year for twin Spotted Quakers so far .This Brindled Pug was on the fence this morning.(its best to record pugs this way if poss showing size and allways record date)

HARDCASTLE CRAGGS THURSDAY NIGHT

Going to try and trap and Gibson Mill from 8 o'clock if the weather  holds.Please do not drive down to gibson mill.We will meet in the top car park at 7 and give any one a lift who wants..After this walk down and get a lift back.Thanks Andy..

New Blogg

Hi all an excellent new blogg on calderdale wildlife has been set up about calderdales varied wildlife and  can be viewed at the link below.
http://calderdale-wildlife.blogspot.com/

Wine Mop

Hi all, for those who wern't there last night there was an exciting innovation to the moth trapping experience at Hardcastle crags. Introducing - The "Wine Mop". This is a mop head soaked in an enticing recipe of Red wine, Black treacle, Dark Brown Sugar and Vanilla Essense. It was hoisted up into the trees on a long string to aid dispersal of the sugary scent. What moth could resist? Results - Two Skinner type light traps. approx 140 moths, The Wine Mop. Nil. I will keep trying. Winston

Back in Business in Hebden Bridge

Hi All, back in business here on the Rochdale Canal after a burnt out control box! 28 Orthosias last night and a very nicely marked pug. Winston

Hardcastle craggs

The temp was only 6 degrees and we only staye a couple of hours but a great catch...... ....
Common Quaker   45
Small Quaker    15
Twin spotted Quaker  12
Chestnut 7
Hebrew Character   10
Mottled Grey 12
March Moth 3
Yellow Horned   4
Red sword grass 1
Satellite       1
Brindled Pug    2
Agonoptrix her    4
Dieurnes fagella   1
Engrailed     6
Clouded Drab 20

Hardcastle Craggs

Red sword Grass

Yellow Horned

Big night in Midgley

A very good night for us last night with the following caught

Mottled Grey 1

Engrailed 2

Small Quaker 4

Early Grey 1

Hebrew Character 3

Twin spot Quaker 2

Common Quaker 41

Clouded Drab 9

Last night in Luddenden

great night in Luddenden, my best ever in March, included these three micro's, any ideas?












also

Chestnut 5
Hebrew Character
Small Quaker 5
Twin-spotted Quaker 4
Clouded Drab 4
March Moth 2
Common Quaker 38

Hardcastle Craggs

Another Engrailed from the Craggs on Sunday night.Loads of moths about tonight at 13 degrees.Gonna meet at 6.30 in top car park on Thursday night...all welcome...I carnt give anyone a lift there but can give anyone a lift back.......

Orange Underwing

On what must have been the warmest and sunniest day of 2011 so far I spent an enjoyable afternoon in the steeply sloped Knott Wood. Target species, 1661 Orange Underwing Archiearis parthenias. I have spent three years now trying to get a photograph of this species in their brief window of flight during March and April to no avail. Last Saturday I saw about 5 on the wing. Always hard to decide how many individuals are in the area. Today I never saw more that 6 in flight at once but there were possibly 15 in the area. Every now and again one would come close and I had a sweep at it with a large keep net on a 10ft pole. Many attempts were made! After 15 mins I managed to get one. 90 mins later another and then as I was about to leave at 3:30 things livened up and I got 2 more in quick succession. The second one caught had lost almost all its scales but the others were in good condition. I released them onto their favourite birch trees to take the photographs shown here. These medium sized moths are impressive flyers and are great to watch as they perform spiralling courtship displays not unlike the speckled wood butterfly. They have a distinctly orange appearance on the wing but seldom reveal the orange hind wings when settled. The underside of the hind wings are especially vivid.

A plea for Toads!

Hi all,

Apologies for the off-topic post, I promise my next one will be about moths! I did see my first butterfly today, however it was from quite a distance so I couldn't identify it...

The first Toads have been on the move in the area and I wondered if any of you night-time 'Moffers' would be interested in helping out with some night-time amphibians. We're extending a plea for volunteer Toad patrollers at some of Calderdale's Toad Crossing sites. We need some extra hands (and buckets!) to help the Toads cross the roads.

Five sites around Calderdale have been identified where Toads are at a high risk from traffic:
- Hebble End in Hebden Bridge
- Lumbutts/Mankinholes
- Hebden Hey in Hebden Wood
- Woodhouse Road in Todmorden
- Washer Lane in Sowerby Bridge

New 'Toad Crossing' road signs will be going up at Lumbutts and Hebble End as soon as possible, encouraging road users to drive carefully, but we still need volunteers! Particularly at the Woodhouse Road and Hebble End sites.

If you're interested and could spare the odd evening to help with some Toad transportation please get in touch with Hugh Firman at the Countryside Services. By email; Hugh.Firman@calderdale.gov.uk, or phone; 01422 393214.

Thanks!
Christine.

Hardcastle craggs .Turns up trumps

A steady 9 degrees at hardcastle craggs last night ,we ran two traps and recorded the following..
Common Quaker      70
Twin -spotted Quaker  47
Small Quaker               13
March Moth                  9
Hebrew Character       9
Couded drab              9
Mottled Grey            5
Dotted Border          6
Satellite                     6
Chestnut                17
Red Sword Grass      2
Pine Beauty               1
Red Green Carpet    4
 Engrailed                 4
Pale brindled Beauty   1
Brindled Pug             1
Ypsolopha   ustella         1
Agonoptrix her           1
Emelina Monodactyla    1