Shibden Head

Pouring with rain early afternoon so thought I would have a go at the tunnel.
Treacherous conditions in there with snow having blown all the way through and dripping wet from the roof - but I gave it a go hanging on to the walls.

I managed with difficulty to find 7 Heralds. 3 on the roof and 4 in the wall cracks. How strange - they were all covered in minute due drops so wonder how they are able to survive in these conditions (??)
Still fantastic moths to see.

PUGs.....................

This will be a great read if you like Pugs....coming soon

EB Ford Revisitted

After a rigorous and freezing week getting the last remaining Bird Seed Donations out ( EBF Emergency Bird Feeding ) on the FEET non Public Sites it was luxury to start on the volume by EB Ford  - Butterflies in the New Naturalist series . The style of the book having been written circa 1945 is hard work but there are some interesting gems and observations to be re - learned. EB Ford also writ a similar work on Moths

I thought I would just add some notes in this post as I worked through the book for general interest and or discussion given that most of our lepidoptera is quiet

Notes

It was interesting to note the historically reporting of Butterflies through the ages and to  note the reporting of the Purple Edged Copper as an early British species ( debatable)


More to follow............

Lee Mount - 20th February

I left the trap on last night with it being a little milder. Paid off with a March Moth on the trap and a Dotted Border on the door frame though the latter was in a bad place for a photo though it was a different moth from the one the previous day with slightly darker colouration.

I guess this cold snap again will put paid to any more moths this week (?)

March Moth

Lee Mount - 19th February

Another Dotted Border today on the outside door frame. It stayed most of the day but disappeared mid afternoon.

First moth of the year and bagworm map

This Spring Usher in Bankhouse wood ignored all the dry stone walls and lichen covered trees to roost on a painted iron bridge.

I cobbled together this map of the bagworm cases I found near to home in the last two years. All were on or near dry stone walls and at quite high altitude. They're often numerous when they do occur.

If anyone does find any other bagworm species I'd be grateful if they could forward me site details.

Charlie.

Lee Mount -6th February

At last - a moth. But what is it doing out in this weather ???!!
First moth of the year on the garage door first thing and still on the door at lunch-time despite the snow.

Dotted Border

Copley garden

Not a moth or butterfly, but nice to be out in the sun today in the garden and have 2 honey bees feeding on flowers. Also a few wolf spiders battling and stalking each other.

LYU

Had this wandering around the garden wall yesterday , the first of the year.

Early Moths

70.282 BF1960 Early Moth Theria primaria a Spring sp Wonder if any one will stumble on one this year they dont appear  widely reported but probably about

http://calderdalemoths.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/early-moth.html

Proofreader needed

Hi all , I have been putting together the updated version of the Moth and Butterflies of Calderdale (including the first micro List)  . I have done all i can and now need someone to give it a read and pull out all the spelling / grammer mistake. (anyone who knows me  will know there will be many ). Any help greatly accepted .leave message below if you can help.....

Sloth Moth

Feeling Lethargic after Xmas ?

Consider the Coprophagus Sloth Moth Cryptoses choloepi,

Not Strictly in Calderdale but I thought this rather obvious example of adaption might reflect a wider lesson of  some of the more subtle adaptions of moths that go unsung throughout the UK and adds to philosophy that it is what we dont know thats counts. So think twice before we Chop it , Cut It , Kill it , Alter it or Remove it !!!!

Its wing markings admirably marked for living amongst the fur of Sloths were  subsequently Larvae feed on dung.The larvae of the sloth moth, Cryptoses choloepi, live in the dung of the three-toed sloth, Bradypus infuscatus. Adult female moths apparently leave the fur of the sloth to oviposit when the sloth descends, once a week, to the forest floor to defecate.

25th Dec 2017

Just finished a Royal Christmas Dinner.  Not being far from my mind most of the time, I thought I should send seasons greetings to those moth people I've had the pleasure to have met and to those I have not met. Merry Christmas to all.

Here is one of my Christmas deigns for this year.

Ho Ho Ho!

Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas To All on the Blog and I suppose as close as you can get to a Santa Moth

LikelyTrosia nigropunctigera 

Maybe  a moth is not what you would "expects from an empty Santa Sack :-) But if you are a Calderdale Moffer its truly a Gift

Best wishes & Seasons Greetings to All those Creatures of the Night known Collectively as "The Calderdale Moffers "

UK Butterflies.........

merry X -mas

How to Moth an Egg

Ingredients

2 Northern Eggars
Burnished Brass with a lid
Clouded Silver Saucepan
Ruby Tiger Tablespoon
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing
True Lover’s Knot timer

Method

1. cover the eggs with Chevron by about ½-inch
2. Then quickly but gently Swallow Prominent one at a time using a Feathered Ranunculus
3. Now switch a on Conformist, and give the Drinker exactly 1 min
4. remove the Great Brocade from the heat using the Dark Dagger. 

6 mins will produce a soft White Plume
7 mins will produce a firmer, more creamy Frosted Orange

by Winston Powes...........

Lee Mount - 21st December

Still up to 3 Winter Moths about in the last few days and yesterday a nice Mottle Umber also turned up - and still there on the pebble-dashing all day today.

Mottled Umber

Lee Mount - 18th December

2 Winter Moths tonight near the light in the porch. The first moths here  since 2 in the same place on 3rd December.

10th December

Hi,

As it's still quiet on the moth front, I thought I'd post an image I created two hours ago. It's supposed to represent a moth in flight and the air turbulence around it's wings. I hope you don't mind.

 Moth in Flight.

Bare Head Tunnel

Just 7 Heralds today in Bare head Tunnel............................