Hummingbird Hawkmoth at Booth this week  kindly sent in by Sarah Flood ..many thanks Sarah....

Big Butterfly Count - 19th July to 11th August

Please note that the Big Butterfly Count starts on 19^th July until 11^th August. Launched in 2010, it’s an annual nationwide survey run by Butterfly Conservation. Declines reveal the poor health of our environment – “WE NEED YOUR SIGHTINGS” is their appeal – ‘Big Butterfly Count’ type it into your computer or use the link below and log all your sightings.

https://www.bigbutterflycount.org/


Also, it's about the time to look out for Purple Hairstreaks ! I had my first one last year on 14th July. Watch around the tops of Oak trees in the sunshine mid / late afternoons.

Lee Mount - one or two from the last few days !

 Lempk'es Gold Spot (I think) I know this needs to be identified with care compared with Gold Spot !

 Elephant Hawkmoth

 Flame

 July Highflyer

 Narrow-winged Pug (I think)

 Pinion-streaked Snout

Riband Wave (aversata)

One for Colin

I have this on my blog which I suspect is a the Ringlet aberration:  caeca

Anybody any ideas?

Leaf Miners

I found a mine of this Red Birch Pygmy (P.ulmifoliella) around 18 days ago at "Treacle Wood" near the Cromwell cabin. It emerged last Saturday morning. I was quite happy with the photo of this tiny moth.

This Common Thorn Pygmy (S.crataegella) mine was at Copley meadow a couple of days ago complete with a distinct green larvae and red frass. It quickly vacated and spun a tiny cocoon (below) - it should emerge next March sometime, hopefully......

Stainland.

Today:

Speckled Wood x 1.
Marbled Beauties x 3.

Neither Anne or I remember seeing a Speckled Wood in the garden before. It was feeding on a Welsh poppy but too flighty to photograph.

Stainland.

We were just going to bed. I opened the door to smell the air, and this hansom thing flew in. I took a shot of it, before sending it out again.

Small Magpie.

Stainland.

Three moths today. The first is a Pug. I looked on Yorkshire moths at all the Pugs listed as flying tonight. Not one matched mine. The nearest was a rare one, (of course it was) so it could not be that.

Could someone ID it for me please?

Pug, ID needed.

Don't get too excited about the next one. It isn't a moth from a distant galaxy, capable of lighting itself internally. Nor is it a rare luminous form.  It's on the inside of our fanlight and taken in daylight.

Riband Wave, ab. remutata,

I have admit that I don't know if this next moth, a Clouded Border, is the same one I posted yesterday. As far as I knew that moth flew away, it had certainly gone half an hour after I snapped it. I've studied the markings on both quite carefully, they are the same as far as I can tell. I looked on-line at images of them, many have virtually identical markings. There are variation too. So, here it is, you'll have to make your own mind up about it.

(Son of) Clouded Border,

Stainland.

I came home from shopping just now to find a Phoenix by the door. That's the second one this year. Some years I never see one at all. Word gets round the moths that our house is a Safe House, obviously.

Phoenix.

Stainland.

I should have put this in the post with the Eve's Top quarry photos. I forgot.

See Colin's comments about the web below. I've changed the name/ID under the image to suit.

I thought it was a spiders web for eggs. Then I saw Colin's post about butterfly webs. It has to be one of those. It had several ripe grass seed heads wrapped in it and was roughly 2 inches long. The poor butterfly must have been exhausted. Not only did she lay the eggs, she then started to build a nest for them, incredible.

Given the number of Ringlets and Meadow Browns, it must to be one of those two that made it. I wonder if I can find it again? It would be nice to see them hatching.

Pisaura mirabilis -
Nursery Spider Web.

Stainland.

A nice range of moths early this morning. Considering the rain last night at 2:30 am, it was a surprise to see so many moths about.

I'm not sure about the first moth, I think it maybe a Dark Arches. If it is, it's the first I've ever seen. Yet another, "wide spread and common" one I've never seen before. As I opened the door, it flew in. I took it outside after the photos. Would someone ID it please?

Dark Arches. TBC.

I was very pleased to find the next one. I've only seen one before, 3 or 4 years ago. Such a pretty moth.

Clouded Beauty.

My first Blastobasis sp of the year.

Blastobasis lacticolella.

I was excited when I saw the next one, I couldn't believe it's colour, it's lovely. I looked on line at photos of Marbled Beauties. Sure enough there are several photos of them in this colour scheme. Also, I found an even bigger variety of colours than I was aware of. I don't know how I missed that. Now I want to find one of the white and brown ones, and then one of the... and...  

Also on line, I came across a nice little example of a Marbled beauty against a different backgrounds and one under a different light source. Amazing things moths:

https://www.animal.photos/moth/moth-marb.htm

Marbled Beauty.

Also found last night but no photos:

Marbled Beauty x 2 more.
Light Brown Apple x 1.
Brimstone x 1.
Common Footman x 2.
Light Emerald x 1 (Possible). I was only 18 inches from it. Under the artificial light it looked white. As soon as it saw the camera it was off. Followed by rude words from me.

Finally, I came a cross a very interesting article about moth camouflage. I'm going to read it again in a minute or two.

https://www.microcosmic.info/2016/07/moth-camouflage.html

Aberants

I took a walk around Pasture on the Calderdale Bradford Boundary today with a number of objectives.

1. One stretch had a very good spread of Wall Brown some years ago along the semi trodden grass track . Unfortunately no wall Browns were observed.

2.The Primary aim today was to net numbers of Ringlets for examination and identification of Aberrrations LINK

3. As expected along the Field Margins they were large Nettle strips were very large expanses of Peacock Webs were noted and I think est 2000 - 4000 cats which might yield large numbers from this colony

4. They were usual specimens of Meadow Brown and Grass Veneers

I 'll post   reference link with information  to the Aberants as and when they are found and photographed here but if you are photographing Ringlets look out for the elongated form where the rings are strectched or elongated there is also variants with much reduced spots on the hind and forewings ab Arete

It is worth posting any of  Aberants you think you might have identified here for documenting eg Ringlet , Small  Copper , Peacock etc

Key References
References 

1 .British Butterfly aberrations Home - Families
2.British Butterflies Ringlet
3. UK Butterflies Aberrant Ringlet
4. Cockayne Collection

Stainland.

I just opened the door, (8 pm today) and a Brown House Moth was on it, sheltering from the rain. It's only the second one I've seen.  Last time I got a poor photo.

Brown House Moth.

Stainland.

I spent two hours at Eve's top Quarry today, (I was an the bottom of it).
There were a large number of butterflies in and around the long grass. I didn't have my macro camera. I didn't feel I could cope with carrying both cameras today. As I wasn't sure what I was going to photograph, I took the FZ72. It's a good workhorse. The downside of it is, I can't get right in to the smaller subjects. A few photos first, then the number(s) of each species I counted.

Ringlet.

Speckled Wood.

Red Admiral.

Grass Veneer.

Everywhere I looked there were Ringlets and Meadow Browns. Most of the butterflies were not willing to sit still for portraits. I could not possibly have counted them with any accuracy. I would be at one side of a meadow, counting some and the other side would have at least as many flitting around.

I only counted those butterflies where I was sure of the ID. Meadow Browns and Ringlets look very similar from a distance and depending on the angle. So, on to the numbers:

Meadow Browns x 26. (Plenty more about).

Ringlets 16. (Plenty more).

Small Tortoiseshells x 3. (One was very pale and worn).

Unspecified White, (for a change) x 1.

The Small Torts seem very low in numbers this year. I remember counting 90 on a patch of thistles some years ago.

As I walked today, I disturbed a lot of small small grey/white moths. When they land on grass, they simply vanish. I only manged one photo of a micro, (see photo above). I don't know if they were all the same species, it seemed unlikely.

Cromwell Bottom Big Butterfly Count

Cromwell Bottom was at its best today , the meadows are full of wild flowers and the population of 5 spot Burnet Moths is back to its former glory (nearly). Banded Demoiselle were showing very well today..

Meadow Brown ....Abundant
Ringlet ..................Abundant
Small Skipper ,,,,,50  +
Large Skipper ..5
Small Tortoiseshell...2
Common Blue...3
Small Heath .....3
Red Admiral .....1
Painted Lady ...2
Comma ...3
Large White ...3
Green - veined White.....1
Gatekeeper....1

Yellow Shell x 2
Shaded Broad Bar x 1
5 -spot Burnet Moths ....Abundant
Cinnabar ...2

Brown Hawker
Broad Bodied Chaser
Banded Demoiselle
Large Red  Damselfly

Stainland.

My moth visitations are slow but steady. I discovered this one later this afternoon. It's one of the confusing species regarding identification. I'll stick my neck out and say it could be a Eudonia lacustrata. I'm happy to be corrected.

Eudonia lacustrata.

Stainland.

I was dead-heading the roses this afternoon and discovered three Marbled Beauties. They were all different colours. Also, The grey and white one is noticeably bigger than the other two and seems to be of a different shape. The size variation is not obvious in my photos below, due the the varying magnification factor in my three examples. I think size variation and shape are quite common in Marbled Beauties. I've noticed it each year, when they arrive.

Marbled Beauties.

I thought it would be nice to show the three together. I seem to think I may have done this a couple of years ago. Oh well...

Stainland.

My first Common Footman of the year.

Common Footman.

Also, I had 2 Marbled Beauties.
1 Brown-eye Bright-line.

The Brown-Eye has different yellow patches than the one I posted earlier, the're  less pronounced. I didn't bother with photos of the MB's or Brown-Eye.

It's amazing, it's not the first time I find a new-to-me moth, then more land on our door the same year. Word must get round that it's a good shelter.

Lee Mount - 7th July

I seem to manage one Varied Coronet a year ! (27th June 16, 8th July 17, 28th July 18, and this one today in the trap this morning.

 Varied Coronet

Also from the garden last night were 4 Large Yellow Underwing nectering on  Erysimum 'Boules Mauve'

Wood Tiger + Old Lady

This beautiful male Wood Tiger was sent to me by  Steve and Annie , 2 sighting in a week at  Crimsworth Dean and Gibson Mill thanks for the photo.. ..

Also this fine  OLD LADY seen by NK at Queensbury......cheers Nigel