Lee Mount - 25th November

Limited return from overnight but interesting all the same and better than nothing !
Silver Y x 1
Mottled Umber x 2
Winter Moth x 1 gone up to 3 this evening !
Tachystola acroxantha x 1

Silver Y

Winter Moth

Mottled Umber

Only House Wood , Northowram

3 nights tree searching .. Winter Moth x 127 Winter Moth female x 4 Mottled Umber x 2 Mottled Umber female x 1 Scarce Umber x 3 Chestnut x 1 Light Brown Apple Moth x 1

Lee Mount - 19th Nov

Shut the trap off last night in the wet and windy conditions. Surprised this morning to find a Scarce Umber on the outside door. I thought it was dead, with the wind blowing it's wings, so potted it up and put it in a more sheltered position. It moved so I was pleased it was still alive.

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Gracillaria syringella

Found some old vacated mines of Gracillaria syringella on a 6 foot tall ash seedling on the road down into Millbank this morning. Checked for any pupa on the leaves or still in the mines but no joy. This is a species I have found in the past as an imago in my moth trap but only ever found the mines on ash seedlings despite it being recorded on privet (Ligustrum) and lilac (Syringa)

Lee Mount - 17th November

 Four moths so far today but still hoping for some tonight.

Red-green Carpet x 1

Light-brown Apple-moth x 1

Winter Moth x 1

Blastobasis lacticolella (c 9 mm) - this had me puzzled for a while as the ones I get here are usually much paler and B adustella is usually much darker.

The textbooks and then the photos on Norfolk Moths seem to suggest B lacticolella. A consistent feature appear to be the pair of spots next to each other at around two-thirds.

More Mines

Found various mines today on my walk along Kennel Lane at Soyland and down into Millbank. Found on Hawthorn what I think are the abandoned intital mines of Scythropia crataegella which intially leaf mines and then feed communally in a web. I have only ever found and reared through species this from its communal web stage so I would be happy to be proved wrong and the mines are another species.

Lots of Stigmella anomalella on Roses throughout the walk

Just at the end of the lane from my new house is a St. John's-wort bush(Hypericum)which someone has planted for decoration and it had a large number of Ectoedemia septembrella mines on it

Apologies for the crappy photos but I had to borrow my wifes compact camera to use and it appears to not have a close up/macro function :( I am enjoying my daily walks around the area not only for the lovely scenery but also the chance to get my eye back in looking for moths, mines and larva after a 10 year break from any mothing at all. Finding the mines and moths is easy enough but making a ID of the plants and the mines is a steep learning curve all over again :)

Only House Wood

After 3 recent nights with little to show , tonight produced--- 38 x Winter Moths , Winter Moth ...3 pairs in cop , Scarce Umber x 1 , Chestnut x 1 ,and Light brown Apple Moth x 1 All with just a torch and for 1 hour just after dusk...

Leaf Mines and Cases on Juncus

A wander round on Kennel Lane at Soyland searching various trees still with leaves I found various still tenented and empty mines on Birch, Hazel, Rose and Ash. My ancient camera decided it was time to die so no photos this time sadly :( Species Phyllonorycter messaniella Phyllonorycter nicellii Stigmella anomalella I also found various mines on Oak which to be certain of species I will try and rear through over winter in plant pots covered with "pop socks" and hopefully get some adults emerge next year. I also found some patches of Rush with a few scattered cases on the seed heads still, these I suspect are Coleophora alticolella but could possibly be Coleophora glaucicolella and as I simply dont have time yet to tease out the larva from the cases to check I will again try and rear these through. I have to admit not having done any leaf mining for years (or any mothing for that matter ) I am enjoyinmg the roming round looking for species rather than running my MV trap which is still in a box waiting to be unpacked at my new house. Hopefully I will be able to sort out a new camera soon and be able to post some images of my various trips out over winter seeing what I can find using Ben Smarts superb Micro Moth Field Tips book.

Lee Mount - 12th November

First Winter Moth here. I kept disturbing a moth I couldn't get to grips with earlier this evening. Final check outside before lights out I found it on the side door.

Winter Moth

Stainland.

I had one very worn moth today. My best guess is a Sallow. Can anyone ID it, or is it too far gone?

In trying to add this image, instead of the image showing in the editor, a slection box I've not seen before popped up. It asked what size I wanted the picture to be and how I wanted it aligning. I chose, medium, and centered. It showed it as HTML code in the editor. Has anyone lese seen this? It seems a step back, one is not sure it's what one wanted until you preview or publish it. We were supposed to be making HTML invisible to users, unless they specifically wanted to use it. Google are always chaging things with no explination. SIGH

12 , November

5 Heralds today in Bare Head Tunnel , 2 Red green Carpet , Blairs Shoulfrt Knot and 2 Feathered Thorn last nite and a Red Admiral yesterday in the Garden (JC)

Not really Calderdale but...

 Some amazing records come up down south.

A Common Quaker in Stevenage, Hertfordshire 

A Radford Flame Shoulder in Bodenham, Herefordshire 

Free Books

Hi all I have 2 copies of Collins Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe and 2 copies of PBM Allans Laval Foodplants a Vade-Mecum for the Field Lepidopterist I am more than happy to pass to people in the group. Perhaps those on a limited income or younger members of the group should get priority for these :) Drop me PM via the group and your address and I will post them out free of charge. GG

Views around Halifax.

 Hello everybody.

I put a new post on my blog on Sunday. It's all photos of the lovely areas around Halifax. I wanted to try and lift people's mood for a while, by showing the beauty that's still there to be admired.

http://gordonartphotoand3dsci-fi.blogspot.co.uk/

Monday 9th November 2020

 A very mild night with thick fog.....

Light Brown Apple Moth x 3

Red Green Carpet x 1

Blairs Shoulder Knot x 1

Spruce Carpet x 2

Garden Rose Tortrix x 1

White Shouldered House Moth x 1

Tachystola acroxantha  x1

Angle Shades x 1

Lee Mount - 8th November

Tonight so far - pretty misty still and damp, but milder.

Satellite x 1

Mottled Umber x 3 (including 2 long stayers)

Brick x 2 (including 1 from 5th)

Lee Mount - 7th November

Tonight - so far.......

Red-green Carpet x 2 

Red-green Carpet and a Harvestman

One new one this morning - still pretty misty here

Brick x 1

Brick

Mottled Umber x 2 - both still here from 5th Nov

Lee Mount

Last week or so, nothing doing. One moth last night and still here this morning.
Mottled Umber x 2

Mottled Umber x 2 still here along with a Feathered Thorn (below)

Also Light-brown Apple-moth disturbed in garden vegetation 

Turnip..?/

 Had this one last night odd looking Turnip ..?? Very White underwing with light trailing edge,

Stainland.

There was a nice surprise for me this morning. It may well prove to be my last Angle Shades moth of the season. It's showing slight signs of wear, but is still a very handsome moth.

Angle Shades.