Wall

A Wall today at Wainstalls (thanks Pete Smith) ,and a Brimstone at Cromwell Bottom (thanks JM)

Luddenden Dean - 23rd May

I just re-read my post and I forgot (how could I )!!! - my first Brimstone Butterfly in Calderdale - flew past at the pond on the edge of WadeWood below Jowler late afternoon.

An interesting afternoon from Booth and up the valley to the Lower Lodge at Castle Carr and return down the other side of the valley. It was much better when the sun managed to get through.
Orange-tip butterflies all over the place
Peacock x 1
Speckled Wood x 10 (+)
Wall x 1 (down the track from Saltonstall to Wade Wood (I sat on a seat and it appeared on a wall in front of me - got some photo's but not brilliant - it wouldn't stay still for long.

Wall

Green Hairstreak - just before Jerusalem Farm. It took me by surprise sitting and flitting about on an Oak tree. Poor photo unfortunately.

Lee Mount 23rd May

Campion x 1
Heart and Dart x 1
Light-brwon Apple Moth x 2
Many-plumed Moth x 3
Common Pug x 2
Brindled Pug (probably) but well faded !

 Any thoughts on this micro from 18th May ?

Campion

Svensson's Copper Underwing??

Found a few of these caterpillars on the privets when they were cut the other day, are they Svensson's Copper Underwing?

Cromwell Bottom Sat 18th

2 x Iron Prominent
2 x  Pale tussock
3 x Common Swift
5 x Common Pug
1 x Shuttle Shaped Dart
1 x Green Carpet
1 x Flame Carpet
1 x twenty plume moth
1 x Diamond Backed moth (early migrant)
1 x Cinnabar
2 x White Shouldered House Moth

                                                            A female  Capua vulgana x 1.....

Hollas Lane Dwarfs

My quest for Elachistas this year took a turn for the better yesterday when I found this Swan-feather Dwarf (E.argentella) at Hollas Lane.

Also there I collected this mine on grass sp. It seems to be tenanted with an Elachista larva. They have a reputation for being parasitized so I won't hold my breath.............

Lee Mount - 19th May

This mornings haul !
Peppered Moth x 1
Bee Moth x 1
Many-plumed Moth x 3
Light-brown Applemoth x 2

Puss Moth from 18th and Pale Tussock from 15th still on the fence tonight..

Stainland.

8:30 pm,  today. I found a Bee Moth on the door. I took it as a good sign, things are looking up.

We are in the final stages of having a new kitchen fitted. It(should) be finished by Wednesday this week. It's been the most stressful thing we have had done to the house, BUT it looks fantastic already. The front room no longer has a four and a half foot high stack of boxes. All we need is to get the fridge and washer back in the kitchen. (And learn how to operate the new computerised cooker).

Bee Moth.

Lee Mount 18th May

Puss Moth this morning was a belter - still there this lunchtime. Pretty sure it's a first for here, need to check (?)
Also in the trap..
Cinnabar x 1
Heart and Dart x 1

Puss Moth

Also on Ovenden Moor this morning near the wind-farm, it was a bit dull and overcast but I managed to find 4 Green Hairstreak's hanging on to heather, all very still waiting for the weather to warm up !

Cromwell Moth night

This sat 9 onwards.....weather looks very good .....

Field trip to Cromwell Bottom

Looks like a good year for Mother Shiptons


https://cromwellbottom.blogspot.com/2019/05/mothing-trip-to-tag-meadow-and-north.html

Recent sightings

Scarr & Long Wood
Speckled wood x 5
Orange tip x 5
Cinnibar x 2
Peacock x 1

Ogden Water
Mother shipton x 1
Speckled wood x 4
Peacock x 1
Orange tip x3
Mint moth x1

Jerusalem Farm
Mint moth x2
Peacock x1

Today

Lee Mount - 1 overnight moth on the fence..

 Pale Tussock

Hardcastle Crags

Brown Silver-line

Found 3 of these in bracken on 'The Crag' just beyond Gibson Mill. I guess there would be a few more with more time to look.

Lee Mount

Yesterday 14th May
Holly Blue - on a holly bush at home on and off throughout the day
Bee Moth last night and a.....
Pale Tussock x 1 on the fence

Small Copper at Dean Head yesterday (John M)

Also from HSS meeting last night...
Brimstone Butterfly at Cromwell Bottom yesterday
Holly Blue - Hardcastle Crags..... error... it was in Peoples Park

VC63 Garden Moths Mon 13th May 2019

Still warm circa 10-12 o  Generally Catches down

Actinic 20 W

73.325 BF2092   Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

A dimorphic species ( male female difference) . Two different specs

And yes it did not take long to find a catch with mites

Ogden

I was up on the moor above Ogden today. I saw 6 whites, all too far away for an ID, and two Small Tortoiseshells.

I managed to get a sun tan on my face, which surprised me. It's tingling now. Still, I love the sun.

Gordon.

Butterfly's so far 2019

Good numbers of Green Hairstreaks this year and Orange Tip seem to be everywhere...The first Small Copper reported today from Cold Edge (thanks Pete Smith) A few Holly blues and there were 17 + Small Tortoiseshell at Norhtowram yesterday.....Anyone recorded Large White or Common Blue YET...???

Ogden

I got up there in good time this morning. Perfect conditions at the end of the concrete track that leads from the promenade up towards the golf course. I also checked the open woodland/heath at the top end of the plantation.
Green Hairstreak x 19
Peacock x 6
Small Tortoiseshell x 4
Green-veined White x 32 and counting.
Speckled Wood x 6

Mother Shipton x 8
Common Heath x 22

 Cinnabar (in the trap at home)

 Common Heath's - as far as I can tell

Mother Shipton  - always a blade of grass in the way !

Lee Mount

Very quiet with nothing at all in or around the trap last few days.
Last night - Twenty-plume Moths in numbers (20+) around the shrubbery, mainly honeysuckle, before dusk but none in the trap this morning.

This morning
Cinnabar x 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x 1
Tachystola acroxantha x 1

A Real Treat

Returning to the previous image below , as I thought , the structures associated with the Palps might well be Mites . ( Thanks A Zilla , NH Museum )  I am therefore going to keep an eye out on future imaging , unfortunately , they are at the limit of macro photography  , but can be put under the microscope or x30 Loupe. The following recommended reading in relation to the Mites of Moths & Butterflies has been recommended and there is a review link below  in case anyone is interested

The Mites of Moths & Butterflies Asher E. Treat

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/409538