Lee Mount - 20th March

 Jut two new ones overnight (others recent ones still hanging on the fence by the trap)

Twin-spotted Quaker x1

Chestnut x 1

Chestnut

Twin-spotted Quaker

Lee Mount 18th March

 Three new moths this morning to add to the 'long stayers' from the last few days

Small Quaker x 1

Dotted Border x 1

Agonopterix ocellana

Initially thought possibly A. alstromeriana 

Revised now to A. ocellana - thanks Gordon.

Small Quaker

Long stayers still on the garden fence.

Oak Beauty x 1, March Moth x 4, Hebrew Character x 2, Agonopterix heracliana x 1, 

Clouded Drab x 1.

Last Nights Moths 18/3/2021

Just two moths in the trap again last night but at least another new species for the garden :)

2 x Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

My garden is at around 250 AMSL so way higher than our last place in Elland Park rd. Very little woodland nearby and the only mature trees nearby are a large Beech, Sycamore and an Oak some 25 mtrs away. Otherwise its all rough pasture with a stream and some woodland bordering it on either side about 500 yards away running down the valley towards Millbank. We are surrounded by open moorland so I am hoping for some upland species in the trap as the year progresses. But my main interest is in actively looking for moths in all stages by searching rather than trapping, and as this is "virgin territory" for me I am hoping to find some new to me species up here. The garden will be cleared and planted with insect attracting plants over the next year or two and hopefully this mini oasis of nectar sources will attracting some new species into feed. I have plans to create a small wildlife pond and bog area so this I hope will also draw in new insects if not lepidoptera. At Park rd in around 5 years of trapping and finding butterflies by day I recorded around 460 species of lepidoptera in our tiny garden. I strongly suspect that up here the list might be much shorter but at least I will enjoying the recording of new species rather than counting out 150 Large Yellow Underwing morning after morning before work :) All in all I am looking forward to a full years bug hunting up here and though I hope lockdown ends soon its not going to curtail my entomolgy this year at all if it does not :)

Rishworth - 18th March - Overnight Moths - A spring celebration!

 The trap was absolutely brimming with moths last night, a spring moth festival.

Moth trap 18th March

Oak Beauty X3

Common Quaker x5

Small Quaker x5 (NFY)

Hebrew Character x4 (NFY)

Dotted Border x1 (NFG)

Twin Spot Quaker x1 (NFY)

Yellow Horned x1

Mottled Grey x3

March Moth x1

Chestnut x4

Satellite x1

KITCHEN WINDOW

Brindled Pug x1 (NFY)

Lower Burnt Moor 17/3/2021

After yesterdays first moths of the year in the trap I got optimistic and ran it again last night :)

Sadly only one moth in the trap this morning , but at least its a new species for the site :)

Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica

Update just found a March Moth on the patio doors near the trap so double my list for the night :)

Rishworth - 17th March - Overnight Moths - At Long Last...

 I finally got a Common Quaker!

Moth trap 17th March 

Oak Beauty x1 (yet another different one, they are all different)

Mottled Grey x1

Common Quaker x1 (NFY)

Lee Mount 16th and 17th March

These moths arrived overnight on 16th and all still there on the fence tonight, 17th. They are not for moving !

Oak Beauty x 1

Common Quaker x 1

Clouded Drab x 1

Hebrew Character x 2

March Moth x 4

Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella x 1

Unidentified micro x 1 - to look at later when I can check the photos.

First of the Year

Just two moths in the trap last night here at Lower Burnt Moor

1 Yellow Horned Achlya flavicornis,

1 Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria

This is the 7th time I have run the trap this year and the first moths in the trap last night at last.

Rishworth - Overnight Moths - 16th March - All Change

 Not bad last night, but the title "All Change" is because every one of the moths are different to yesterday's. Fantastic! 5 mayn't seem lot but it's good to get more than one at this time in the year!

MOTH TRAP 16th March

Oak Beauty X3

Chestnut x2

Stainland.

I saw my first bumble bee of the year this afternoon, it was like a flying mouse. They're always a welcome sight. It's been a beautiful day, just like Spring. I hope it's a harbinger of things to come.

15th March 2021

The first bright day for 2 weeks produced the first Small Tortoiseshell in the garden a welcome sight after all that gloom..... Ran the trap all night.. Oak Beauty x 1 Grey Shoulder knot x 1 Common Quaker x 1 Clouded Drab x 1 Early Grey x 1 Hebden Bridge....Oak Beauty x 6 . Yellow Horned x 1 and 1 Satellite ...thanks Winston P...

Grey Shoulder Knot (3rd local record)

Rishworth - Overnight Moths - 15th March - If only a dozen.

 Fantastic night here on the trap's first all nighter of the year.

MOTH TRAP 15th March

Oak Beauty x11

Mottled Grey x3

Chestnut x2

Yellow Horned x1

Satellite x1

Tortricodes Alternella x1

March Moth x1

Small magpie

 Small Magpie in the house today

Stainland.

1 x Dotted Border. 

 

This is a different one to the other day. The one I have today is very worn.

Rishworth 18th Feb

 A very belated post but I have got round to getting this on

Moth Trap 18th February:

March Moth x1 [NFY]

Pale B B x2

1 f monocharia

1 normal

Summer Supplies

 Got these today from Anglian lepidopterist supplies , should keep me busy in May , June and July.....Well worth a go if anyone has a bit of spare time.....

28th Feb , first butterfly's

 Small Tortoiseshells reported from various sites today.....................

Stainland.

 First moth of the season for me, I'm so pleased.  A Dotted Border.

 

Dotted Border.

 I've seen cocoons weathering out of peat, and collected one at Upper Gorple reservoir on Sunday. It was about 30cm below the present level of peat. I wondered if they would be of interest to any Lepidopterists. 

Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to transfer the images from my desktop to this blog, but if you're interested I've posted them on the Halifax Scientific Society Facebook page.

                                                                       Oak Beauty
 

another good February night in Luddenden 

Oak Beauty   1

Chestnut  1

Pale Brindled Beauty  4  (all pale)

March Moth 3