Hardcastle Craggs Friday night

This Friday meeting at 9.30 hopefully running 3 traps around Hollin Hall,bring midge repellant....All welcome.

Cork Moth

Hi All, Found this 216 Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella behind the wireless on Sunday. Win x

Beyond Calderdale

Hi all,

Could somebody tell me what the below moth is? It was in my trap last week, I didn't measure it, but wondered if it was an early Pinion-streaked Snout (Schrankia costaestrigalis)?

sorry for the blurriness...

I'm due to leave Calderdale tomorrow, to take up a position as the Volunteer Ranger for the Large Blue Butterfly at Collard Hill in Somerset. If anyone is interested in hearing how the flight season goes, I'll be writing a daily update for the Large Blue Blog. Do come and visit if you get the chance, it'll be great to welcome some Northern 'moffers' to the hill!

A couple of weeks ago I spent a happy day at Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk, Swallowtail chasing. We saw at least 10, and spent a good hour with one patrolling a huge blossom laden blackthorn. Thought you might like a couple of the pics from the day.

A favoured perch - it returned repeatedly to this vantage point.

On vegetation adjacent to the path.

See you back in the Crags later this year. Christine.

Crags 290511

Devon Carpet and Peeble Hooktip, Crags 290511

Craggs 29th May

14 Hepialus humuli Ghost Moth 1

1288 Alucita hexadactyla Twenty-plume Moth 1
1301 Crambus lathoniellus 25
1334 Scoparia ambigualis 20
1648 Drepana falcataria Pebble Hook-tip 1
1722 Xanthorhoe designata Flame Carpet 3
1727 Xanthorhoe montanata Silver-ground Carpet 45
1738 Epirrhoe alternata Common Carpet 1
1751 Lampropteryx otregiata Devon Carpet 4
1759 Ecliptopera silaceata Small Phoenix 6
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 1
1769 Thera britannica Spruce Carpet 1
1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 3
1817 Eupithecia pulchellata Foxglove Pug 1
1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 2
1837 Eupithecia subfuscata Grey Pug 1
1902 Petrophora chlorosata Brown Silver-line 3
 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 1
1920 Odontopera bidentata Scalloped Hazel 1
1957 Lomographa bimaculata White-pinion Spotted 1
1958 Lomographa temerata Clouded Silver 2
1991 Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawk-moth 1
2008 Ptilodon capucina Coxcomb Prominent 1
2028 Calliteara pudibunda Pale Tussock 5
2098 Axylia putris Flame 1
2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 24
2326 Apamea crenata ab. combusta Clouded-bordered Brindle [melanic form] 3
2326 Apamea crenata Clouded-bordered Brindle 3
2330 Apamea remissa Dusky Brocade 1
2334 Apamea sordens Rustic Shoulder-knot 2

I thought this was an ocherous pug (21mm) last night but now I think its a very worn Currant..(thanks Brian)

Blake Dean Fri 27 05 11

2305 Small Angle Shades Euplexia lucipara 1
2102 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta 7
1759 Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata 1
2441 Silver Y Autographa gamma 1
2158 Pale-shouldered Brocade Lacanobia thalassina 2
2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica 1
1902 Brown Silver-line Petrophora chlorosata 1
2326 Clouded-bordered Brindle Apamea crenata 2

So, At a most excellent private party at Blake Dean hostel, the moth trap and generator were set up just below the ‘Rave tent’. The night felt chilly and quite breezy but the rain held off. Trapped between 9:30 and 10:55. What was nice about the session was that partygoers kept popping by to see if anything had arrived yet and there were many interesting and varied questions from all ages. Just like a national moth night in fact, but in this case there were to be some moths!

I had a glass of red wine on the ground propped up against the trap, which seemed the safest place to avoid the feet of the young ‘tig’ players who kept racing by. First moth of the night (Flame shoulder) dived straight into the glass! And later on whilst I was distracted by other activity 2 more of the same in there too (P.S. All were unharmed. P.P.S. I still drank the wine).

A steady stream of common macros till nearly 11pm. 16 moths and some interesting ones to talk about. Also a Buff tip in the morning with a damaged wing. By midnight gazebos were lifting and things were getting a bit hairy. The rain came and so to bed at 12:20 …

This link has been posted to any interested partygoer and so a big thankyou for letting me trap there and hopefully giving you an insite into the world of moths. Please browse through the pages of this blog for more interesting posts or give me a call if you want to join us in the woods for a nights trapping. Win x (07986 222678).

Large Skipper butterfly

My first Large Skipper (male) this year, Sunnybank Todmorden

Philip

Hardcastle Craggs Fri 27 05 11

Pics of Small Phoenix with Devon Carpet for comparison unfortunately s phoenix wouldnt behave in closing wings up,also this freshly emerged Male Bordered White,regards Bri Andy Martyn.report as follows.


17 Hepialus lupulinus Common Swift 2

18 Hepialus fusconebulosa Map-winged Swift 5
1301 Crambus lathoniellus 2
1334 Scoparia ambigualis 2
1727 Xanthorhoe montanata Silver-ground Carpet 26
1751 Lampropteryx otregiata Devon Carpet 5
1759 Ecliptopera silaceata Small Phoenix 2
        Dark Barred twin spotted carpet 1
1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 2
1834 Eupithecia vulgata Common Pug 2
1902 Petrophora chlorosata Brown Silver-line 1
1954 Bupalus piniaria Bordered White 1
1991 Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawk-moth 1
2006 Pheosia gnoma Lesser Swallow Prominent 1
2028 Calliteara pudibunda Pale Tussock 2
2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 28
2289 Acronicta rumicis Knot Grass 1
2326 Apamea crenata ab. combusta Clouded-bordered Brindle [melanic form] 2
2334 Apamea sordens Rustic Shoulder-knot 1
2474 Rivula sericealis Straw Dot 1

More Devons

A cold wind blew up the valley at the Craggs last night but with winston somewhere at the top of the valley with his trap and increasing cloud cover we set two traps around Hollin Hall.No less than 5 DEVON CARPETS to light and a lot to sort out yet(mainly Pugs0full list and photos to follow,.Heavy rain and stong winds at 12.00 stoped us a bit early...

More Pugs

 Common Pug

 Freyers Pug

Grey Pug

Another good night for Pugs on wednesday with therse  species above and a very fine Green silver Lines.

Midgley Moth

Looks like The seraphim to me what does anyone else think..dont know what size it was .???

516 Large Clover Case-bearer Coleophora trifolii

Hi All, Look out for these at the moment in clover fields, a sleek micro with a silvery sheen to the wings tipped in copper an white ends to the antenae. This one found yesterday afternoon in Pecket Well. Win

Todmorden 23 05 11

Found 1 of these beauties in a Todmorden garden yesterday,3 Micropterix aureatella,regards Bri,also 15 or so Argyresthia trifasciatus on a garden Juniper.

Bradford Ermine Video

Last week I went to Frizinghall to film the Bird Cherry Ermine Cats and uploaded the edited piece last night.......

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBaldIbis?feature=mhee#p/c/1793C8A30060D976/3/6EZf7ar68Tk

Weekly round up

A poor night at the Craggs on Friday with only 7 moths caught.Lots of larvae collected from oak with pic showing above  for id.??
  Again at home in the trap a poor week with winds,clear skies and  rain.highlight have been 966 Cocylis atricapitana (pic above)Campion,Gold spot ,Beautiful Golden y and first elephant Hawkmoths of the year.
   Small Copper,orange Tip ,Red Admiral and speckled wood on the butterfly front.
    Trapping at the Craggs on friday and Sunday next weekend weather permitting.
Help Please.
Anyone know a sight in west Yorkshire for Brown argus????

Mystery Cat?

Adonis?

This Blue that I filmed down EGP on Thursday, I thought was a Common, but isn't the white border diagnostic for Adonis? Commons have black borders, surely? Undersides are similar in these two species, even down to the spear shaped mark in the centre of the underwings. Any thoughts?

Pugs...Mid March - Mid May at Northowram

White Spotted Pug(top)and Common Pug (bottom)

This year so far I have been studying the pugs at light in the back garden and trying hard to id them.So far the results are as follows----

Brindled pug   22

V-Pug             1

Double striped Pug  3

Common Pug     13

Foxglove Pug     2 (1 on 18th april very early record)

Oak -tree pug  3

White Spotted Pug   1

Pug sp...7

1011 Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 19 05 11

Quite a few of these very attractive common micros on the wing today,the names a bit of a mouthful !! regards Bri.

Friday evening

Craggs at 9ish ...all welcome..gonna try and run 2 traps if bulbs and gennys let us..................Andy and Bri