Fly Flatts

Looks like the Painted Lady invasion is underway with 30 + today ,along with Small Heath , Peacock , Oak Eggar , Diamond Backed moth and Cinnabar.....

Painted Ladys also seen at Shibden Valley, Small Skipper at Barkisland , Red Admiral Greetland  (P Smith) , 10 Cinnabars Shibden  (Annie H), Painted Lady in the Crags (Nat P) and a stunning Oak Eggar at Norland moor and Mint moths at Shibden (Joy Morris) many thanks for all the records..

North Loop - Sunday

1 Six-belted Clearwing to Barry's lure and an Agriphila geniculea netted.

Cold Edge and Ovenden Moor

I did the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey late morning around the usual Tetrad. It was reasonably warm but not really enough sunshine. I ended up with more day-flying moths than butterflies but both were good even if the butt's were in short supply.
Painted Lady x 1
Small Heath x 6
Green-veined White x 2
Small Copper x 1

Timothy Tortrix x 1
Common Carpet x 1
Common Heath x 3
Cinnabar x 1
Chimney Sweeper x 1

Same species Pug x 2 near The Withens former pub - photo's below for scrutiny. 

Very small pugs (second individual not very good photo) - both were flying when the sun shone, both feeding on small white flowers ! Nearest I can get is Marsh Pug.......any thoughts ?

Lee Mount - 21st June

Still poor returns in numbers from the overnight trap but another Elephant Hawkmoth was again, a bit special. I put it on the honeysuckle and it took off like a helicopter on a mission !
Small Magpie x 1
Heart and Dart x 2

Also in the churchyard this morning I found a Yellow Shell

No butterflies yet today so think they might need a few more warmer days to emerge.

Luddenden Dean - Jerusalem Farm

This afternoon we had a walk around the area and Wade Wood. We were prompted by an email from Chris about Ermine Moth caterpillars totally stripping two Bird Cherry trees. Other nearby trees appeared unaffected.

Not  a lot of caterpillars left so I guess they have pupated after eating that lot !! The underneath of the tree was also covered in web - fascinating. Thanks Chris.

Also just a few butterflies about in the meadow area including this one below, several Speckled Woods and Green-veined Whites

Meadow Brown

And another from the same area Nemophora degeerella

Lee Mount - 19th June

Only seen one of these before, on Norland Moor in 2016 if my i d is correct.
One in the trap was a treat.

Shoulder-striped Wainscot

Sunshine and butterflies!!!!!!

Had a look at Hollas Lane NR a couple of days ago. Small numbers of everything, not surprising after the soaking they've had recently.

Highlight was this Blood-vein following on from one last year.

BUTTERFLIES:

Common Blue x 1

Small Heath x 3

Small Tort x 1

Small White x 1

And a few Large Skippers, Meadow Browns and Silver Ys

Nice to see three Chimney Sweeperes at near by Copley meadow including this one which may have just emerged. Not sure if that's an exuvia next to it?

Mint Moth

Never seen this one before. It was in our garden on Catmint flower and I think it may be a Mint Moth--Pyrausta aurata. Can someone confirm? Lovely and daintily coloured.

Lee Mount - 17th June

Red Admiral yesterday in the garden on Erysimum was the first for the year.

Just a few moths overnight in or around the trap this morning
Large Yellow Underwing x 2
Ingrailed Clay x 2
Tachystola acroxantha x 1
Crambus lathoniellus x 1
Common Pug x 1
Garden Carpet x 1
Heart and Dart x 1
Clouded Silver x 1
Clouded Border x 1

Lee Mount - 15th June

Elephant Hawkmoth on the fence by the trap this morning - but nothing else !
Still a great moth to see.

Lee Mount -14th June

I put the lamp on last night despite the rain after a week when it's been wet both day and night ! I was hoping for at least something !
Just two moths in the trap this morning
Ingrailed Clay x 1 (nearly missed it as it flew straight out of the trap and fortunatley landed in a flower pot !)
Common Swift x 1

Ingrailed Clay

Also tonight some micros' about, disturbed in the garden.

Many-plumed Moth x 5

Tachystola acroxantha x 2

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

It's milder, so if the rain keeps off I might get something in or around the trap later this evening or in the morning. Live in hope !

Stainland.

One Garden Carpet.

Garden Carpet.

Lee Mount - Pug check ?

One from 3rd June - photo's not as clear as I would have liked - think maybe Freyer's Pug ?

Recent Bits

A fine Red Admiral today was the first this year for me and it looks like we might be in for a Painted Lady invasion as there were 100's on the coast yesterday .

                                          I found this  BuffTip on the path in Shelf Park

   A Humming Bird Hawkmoth in Queensbury last week (thanks NK)
  2 Mint Moths in a garden in Shibden (thanks Joy Morris)
 Wall Browns from Wainstalls and Beacon Hill (thanks Pete Smith)

Stainland.

A Silver Ground Carpet, unless I'm mistaken. It arrived before 1 a.m. and is still here, it must have been a cold night.

I can't see many moths flying in the next few days, we are to expect heavy rain.

Silver Ground Carpet,

Stainland.

Two moths sheltering from the pouring rain today. A Brimstone and a White Ermine. Both are attractive moths.

Brimstone.

White Ermine.

White Ermine, antennae detail.

Cromwell Bottom Thursday Morning

It was largely sunny but breezy but even in the sheltered spots there was an a disturbing dearth of moths and just two butterflies seen all morning. Highlights were this female Meadow Longhorn (Cauchas rufimitrella), Mother Shipton and some Hawthorn Moth larvae on one of the newly planted Blackthorn saplings.

Ghost Moth

The first displaying Ghost Moths at Northowram , about 10 males and 2 females were observed at 22.14 ....
On the 6th at 22.15 there were 21 males and 1 female..

Crimsworth Dean

This afternoon along the track from the edge of the woodland in the valley leading to Lumb Falls. Pretty breezy with short spells of warm sunshine
Small Heath butterflies x 3
Green-veined White x 4
Small White x 4
Orange-tip x 1
Several other whites just went by unidentified - as they do !

Hollas Bridge

Had a quick walk round today for the first time , looks excellent with a good selection of plants , hope Common Blues have found it looks perfect.Still a good number of Orange Tips about today male and females , Small and Green -veined Whites and a Peacock . A beautiful Broad bodied Chaser showed very well..