Ogden Water

Found this moth at Ogden Water today, under the security door, preety sure it is a dotted border, but if not then please let me know.

Sat night ..Craggs 6.45....21.03.15

Sat Night ..Too cold tonight gonna try next week....

This sat if weather (too cold) is ok at the Craggs...6.30 meet...................Worth a look for Orange Underwing if your out in the sunshine over the next few weeks in Birch woodland................

Spring Moths

A great night at the Craggs last nigt with a total of 70 moths of 10 species.Thanks to Colin for the photos.....


March Moth       33
Common Quaker 2
Chestnut              9
Oak Beauty         2
Yellow Horned   1
Pale brindled Beauty  4
Dotted Border             5
Satellite                      1
Agonoptrix Her          3
Tortricodes alternella   10



 Local weather Still Full Moon Dark 6:30 Temp 10 Deg Sky Clear

 Thanks to Brian Andy and ALL in the group for help with light etc

2258 The Chestnut Conistra vaccinii

 1926 Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria

 1930  Oak Beauty Biston strataria

2 Specimens varying in band and colour

1663 March Moth Alsophila aescularia

Antennae March Moth

 1934 Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria 

1934 Melanic Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria f. fuscata)

1659 Yellow Horned Achlya flavicornis

2187 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi 

Wings recently inflated

1025 Winter Shades Tortricodes alternella

Dotted Border Left Pale brindled Beauty Right

 Non Lepidoptera

 Dung Fly

Spider Trochosa sp likely .T. terricola./ ruricola

SAT NIGHT

If the weather is good(or even ok) we will be at Hardcastle Craggs at about 6.30 on Sat ...All welcome

The Craggs

Good to be out and a few moths about in the cold....
Dotted Border      22+
Spring Usher          1
Chestnut                 1
Pale Brindled Beauty    1


Happy Birthday Bri................

Hardcastle Craggs Friday 20th Feb

Meeting at 6 in Hardcastle Craggs , gonna run the trap for a few hours and do some tree searching.All welcome , if anyone needs a lift leave a message.....

Peacock

I got a report  from Nigel G of a Peacock Butterfly sunbathing near Lumb Falls in Crimsworth Dean on 30th November. A nice late record.

Mega Moths...........

Last night saw in the region of 7,500 Winter Moths in Only House Wood one tree have over 200 individuals on it..A few Scarce Umber and many female Winter moths..............have a look in your local wood....!!!!

Only House Wood

Down the woods again tonight with Steve Cummings in tow with all his camera equipment. Steve set up and started filming Winter Moths in cop and emerging from the leaf litter.
   I had a good look round the rest of the wood, as many as 500 + Winter Moths and 10 pairs in cop  , 2 Scarce Umber , 10 Mottled Umber  and  5 Northern Winter Moths

Down the woods

Popped down into the local beech wood last night , ---
200 + Winter moths
24       Mottled Umber
1 female Mottled Umber

Memories of Summer

Forgot to post this in the summer when I spotted this fine example of a really fresh White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album. This is only the second one I have seen near the town centre.

Lee Mount

It was a surprise this afternoon after a cool overcast day with drizzle and very little sunshine to find a very worn Red Admiral on the Erysimum. Also a Comma, but it disappeared before I could get a photo.

Various !

In the garden last 2 days, at least 7 Red Admirals and 2 Speckled Woods on the Erysimum. and Sedum

Walk over Ovenden Moor, Fly Flatts and Ogden today
c6 Speckled Woods and 2 Red Admirals along the track from Ogden car park this morning.
c20 Red Admirals seen over Ovenden Moor along with 1 Small Tortoiseshell
6+ Speckled Woods along the edge of the tree belt by the golf course this afternoon and c4 Red Admirals with 1 Comma by the former Res'r keepers cottage.

Red Admiral on Sedum

High Brown Knoll

Walking over the highest point in Calderdale yesterday and spotted quite a few Red Admirals in the patchy sun ant this very handsome Cat. Cat someone id it for me please?

Recent news

Lots of Red Admirals about this week along with Small Tortoiseshell ,Small and large Whites ,Speckled woods and a Peacock around the house. Black Rustics seem to having a good year along with Brown Spot Pinion. Lots of Common Marbled Carpets , Lunar underwings and the last of the large yellow underwings.

Ogden (Fox Moth ?)

We found several af these large caterpillars at the lower end of the golf course yesterday in and area of grassland, billberry and heather. They are at least 2 and a half inches long and curl up when disturbed. We think they are Fox Moth caterpillars but would be glad for someone to confirm if our
 i d is correct - or otherwise!.

Lee Mount

A Humming Bird Hawk Moth on Tuesday afternoon was feeding on and around an Erysimum plant in the garden for around 20 minutes. Unfortunately I could not get a photo of it but I am on the lookout for it returning !
This is the only second sighting of this species we have had in the garden since we moved here in 1974 so we made the most of it  while it was here.

Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' - this plant seems to flower for ever in summer and winter given a reasonably sunny spot (but gets knocked back in winter with hard frosts) a great plant for insects.

Also on the plant there have been numerous Bees and Hover Flies, 4 Red Admirals together, just 1 Small Tortoiseshell and up to 3 Speckled Woods have been around. Several Speckled Woods also seen this week near the Ski-slope at Ploughcroft.

This week in the trap.............

The recent warm nights and easterly winds have not sent us any migrants as yet , but this week , Black Rustic , Lunar Underwing , Red Barred Tortrix , , Beautiful Plume , Blairs Shoulder Knot , Autumnal Rustic and the highlight here a Beaded Chestnut.................

RFI Ghost Moth records

Hi guys, I am trying to collate any info regarding local (West Yorks.) Ghost Moth populations and would welcome any info regarding dates, locations and numbers. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.