Hardcastle Craggs 07 07 12

A good night at Craggs with 44 species of macros Beautiful Snout top and Scallop Shell ,although raining for quite a time some great Local Moths came in July Highflyer, Barred red ,Narrow Winged pug,Tawny Barred angle, Green Arches Rivulet,Green pug,Dark Spectacle and Northern spinach.at least 25 Mottled beauty (but no Satins).Andy, Bri ,Peter .

Recent sightings

I've been out and about over the last few days (keeping to the drier days anyway), had a few good sightings that you might like to know about. Beechwood Park LNR, Illingworth/Ovenden The meadow was full of chimney sweeper moths, along with speckled wood. Painted Lady Had my first view of a painted lady this year on 4th July, on the road out of Wainstalls towards Castle Carr top lodge,just as it passes over Caty Well Brook (Grid reference SE045287). It was fliting around feeding on thistles Thursday 5th July Angled Shade and lots of Peacock caterpillars on the footpath linking Bradford Road to Hud Hill/Landmere in Northowram/Stone Chair area (Grid reference SE116275) Chris

Larch Pug 05 07 12

Had another try at Cockhill Wood Plantation with Actinic last night left trap right in plantation and typically no Pugs came to the light! i noticed quite a few Creeping Thistles flowering on the main ride seperating the  Larch and Spruce.And Nectaring on the flowers were 3 Melanistic Pugs and a Narrow Winged Pug plus this Normal form Larch Pug,also nectaring with them  Dusky,Pale Shouldered Brocades,Common Rustic Aggs,Clouded Bordered Brindles,LY Underwings,Purple Clay.Actinic pulled in Tawny Barred Angle dk form,3 Green Carpets,Ingrailed Clay,Pale shouldered brocade and Small dooted buff ,Micro Eucosma sp plus another micro yet to be identified,  Bri.

Bad Weather

Ok so we all know that the weather has been poor since the beautiful March , but we have still recorded some excellent moths , its more of a quality year than quantity.So a quick look at the highlights so far
449a Prays Olea
596 Elashista poae
656 Tachystola acroxantha
Eyed Hawkmoth
Wood Tiger
Larch Pug
Devon Carpet
Chamomile Shark
Red Twin Spot Carpet(thanks Charlie Fletcher)
Broad Barred White
and Satin Beauty (thanks Charlie Fletcher)

September and October must be in for a heatwave......

So if the weather is good hopefully trap a Red necked Footman at Hardcastle Craggs sat night 9.45 all welcome...

Satin Beauty

Many thanks to Charlie Fletcher who has re identified this species as a female Satin Beauty ,I had  id'd  it as an Engrailed reared from a cat found at Hardcastle Craggs in May..

Another French Dragon

Ogden

 A couple of days ago now, when it was slightly warmer and dryer. Not much around, but near the golf course there were large numbers of small heaths around.

Headed up towards the ponds to see if there were Dragonflies around, but only really found large red damselflies, though this one appears to have some kind of mite attached to it, though the picture is not great, the orange marking on the side appears to be a cluster of mites. There was one dragonfly, but it saw me as the moment I saw it and it moved away into the trees. It was defiantly a hawker, though it is a bit early!

It started to rain so I left the ponds in the woods, but the rain soon left so I went to have a look at the pond up the back lane. It was still pretty gloomy, but there were around 5 Azure damselflies in the area that I could see. I know the pictures not great...

Also we had this lovely moth in the garden about a week ago now. I think its a Knotgrass moth, though I could well be mistaken.

Found in France

Took this amongst several others on a recent trip to France (La Brenne area), not had chance to get the books out yet, anyone ID i

t?

Cockhill Wood Plantation 01 07 12

C

Purple Hairstreak 30 06 12

Saw a Purple Hairstreak yesterday at Ramsden Wood Clough,in between torrential rain as the sun came out,and plenty of Nemophora degeerella about.regards Bri.

Engrailed

This emerged today from a larvae found on beech at hardcastle craggs in late May.

Moth Night IS On Tonight

Meeting at cromwell Bottom tonight  about 9.30.All welcome.....

Moths at last

Finally got round to putting the trap on last night as the weather for the first time in ages looked pretty good.30+ species of macro including this rather worn Broad Barred white,Cinnabr,Ghost Moth,Pale Sh Brocade,Gothic,Burnished Brass,BGY,,Campion,Buff arches,Freyers Pug(6) and a lot of micros to sort...

Time to get that new guide out.

Even with the new micro guide I knew the Tortricidae were never going to be straight forward. This was reared from oak, forewing 8mm – anybody any ideas?

Skircoat Green allotments.

I had a 656 Tachystola acroxantha floating in the water tub yesterday - a bit worn and crumpled but still alive. One to watch out for as it appears to be expanding its range in to Yorkshire.

Charlie.

Calderdale Wildlife Blog--PROBLEMS?

I have just tried to open the Calderdale Wildlife Blog and I have been warned by my computer security not to open the page as it is a well known fraudulent website! Has anyone else received this message and is there a problem?

Thanks, Philip

Moth Night Cancelled

To nights moth night at Cromwell Bottom has been cancelled due to the RAIN,..I will try and do it next sat night if this weather ever improves.Many apologies for any inconvenience..Andy,Bri  and robin

I know it's rained a lot but a shark in the garden!

I found this resting on my outside thermometer on the 19^th June and passed it off as a Pale Pinion. I took a couple of photos though and have just gotten around to looking at them. Although the moth is very worn it seems to me to be a late Chamomile Shark (a first for me) - anybody have any thoughts?

 There is a patch of Chamomile just a few yards from where the moth was found – I’ll have to have a good search for larvae if it ever stops raining.

Wood Tiger

Heres a few pics of the Wood Tiger emerged on 18 06 12 from a Larva


found on Whiteholme Drain on 05 05 12.only the 2nd ive ever seen both

were larva.it emerged 3 weeks after pupating,superb moths.regards Bri.