News from Todmorden

 Got this fabulous photo from Cath Bakerin Todmorden..thanks 

Stainland.

 My second ever Flame Carpet is on the fanlight at the moment. This has a richer colour than the one I posted on the 25th May. Such a nice moth.


 

 

Flame Carpet

Lee Mount - 7th June

 A nice surprise this morning on the fence by the trap with a first for me. A really striking moth still on the fence at 20:15.

:

Alder Moth

Also this morning

Red-green Carpet x 1

Garden Carpet x 1

Small Phoenix x 2

White-shouldered House-moth x 1

Tachystola acroxantha x 3

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

And another from yesterday on a small bit of heath along Rocks Lane, Ogden. There were 6 or more of these chasing around a patch of billberry and suspect by the dark colour and length of the antenna that they are probably Adela reaumurella (?)

Cold Edge

Small Heath 2

Also 2 Large Red damselflies, + another at Wainstalls

 Luddenden this week  1st to 5th June

Finally got going with these species this week

Common Pug  

Autumn Green Carpet

Knot Grass

Poplar Hawkmoth

Rustic Shoulder Knot

Scalloped Hazel

Small Phoenix

White-spotted Pug

Foxglove Pug

Pale Tussock

Grey Pine Carpet

Tawny-barred Angle

White Ermine

Buff Ermine

Ingrailed Clay

Bufftip

Green Carpet

5th June

Clouded Border

Foxglove Pug 2

Bufftip

Brown Silver-line 2

Common Pug 6

Flame Carpet

Knot Grass 2

Common Swift

White-spotted Pug

Lime Speck Pug

Double meaning of courtship song in a moth.

In case anyone is interested, I found this on line just now;

Double meaning of courtship song in a moth:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4100508/ 

Also, last night at 8:30 pm, Anne and I were sat in the the garden enjoying a glass or two of a very fine wine. We saw about ten Light Brown Apple moths, flying around each other, not two feet from Anne's head. Some of you may remember that one of Anne's brothers used to pretend he had a moth in his hands and was going to let it go in her face. She was very young, and terrified. This went on for a few years, she became frightened of moths.

Very slowly over the last ten years or so, I would show her moths sleeping in the garden. Last night was a break through, she held her hand out near the moths, hoping one would settle on her finger. As they moved a way, she put her hand near them again. Isn't that wonderful?

Right, I think I saw a post recently by Andy (?) mentioning moths dancing a courtship dance. I think he called it, "lecking". I'm not sure of the spelling and can't find the term online. Could someone please verify the term and give it's etymology? (Is it a local term, or an accepted one, in the moth world?). I'd be grateful, as I can't find a mention of it.

We had one LBA on the door this morning.

Lee Mount - 6th June

A really poor start to the day..... empty moth trap after what seemed a perfect night for them - mild and muggy. Just a pug to sort !

Then the day improved. 
A walk in the park woodland, we disturbed a Snout which came to rest on a leaf.  

Got home and saw something fluttering in the water down a rain gully. Took the grate off and pulled out a Herald. Put it on the house wall to dry out and after an hour or so it left unscathed. 

Herald - after a soaking !

Next, a butterfly in our neighbours garden. Painted Lady nectering on some ground cover Phlox. 

Then looked up and an adult Peregrine was circling overhead with what looked like a Starling in its 

talons. 

Painted Lady

A few from june

I am only running the MV every few nights to give the previous catch time to disperse. Not huge numbers of species so far but a nice mix and every one is a new record for the site :)

Poplar Hawk just one on 1st was nice to show my neighbours

Green Silver lines was also nice to have as I would not have expected them this high up.

Peppered Moth (not melanic)

Small Elephant Hawkmoth saved in a pot in the fridge to show my neighbours later was the first one I have seen for years though I know its not uncommon

Micros have been noticable by their absence

Nematopogon schwarziellus 2 of these on the 1st

Plutella xylostella one last night probably on its way from the huge rapeseed fields around Wakefield/ Mirfield :)

Rishworth - 2 moths but a decent one

 Very quiet last night but very pleased with one of the moths.

Silver Ground Carpet x1

Muslin Moth x1 (NFG)

I believe Muslin Moth isn't particularly common here. If that's true, should I add a picture?

Lee Mount - 5th June

Still quiet..

Silver-ground Carpet x 1

Scalloped Hazel (f nigra) x 1

Light-brown Applemoth x1

Brown Housemoth x 1

Ogden

 Small copper outside the classroom today, lots of whites fluttering about but no chance to firmly ID

Stainland.

3rd June:

1 x Bee Moth (male)

1 x Garden Carpet

Lee Mount - 4th June

 Expected more than I got overnight but still some nice moths..

Green Silver-lines x 1

Brimstone Moth x 1

Heart and Dart x 1

Garden Carpet x 1

Light-brown Apple-moth x 1

Bee Moth x 2

Twenty-plume Moth x 1

Green Silver-lines

Heart and Dart

Wall Brown

Monday at Clock Face Quarry, Barkisland

 

Rishworth - 28th, 30th, 31st of May and 2nd June - Fantastic Last Night!

 Somewhat quiet throughout the end of May but everything picked up last night. A year ago today I was getting Small Elephant Hawk Moths.

Moth trap 28th May:

Autumn Green Carpet x1 [NFY]

Lesser Swallow Prominent x1 [NFY]

Brown Silver Lines x3 [NFY]

Brindled Pug x2

Buff Ermine x1 [NFY]

Pale Tussock x1 [NFY]

Common Quaker x1

Moth trap 30th May:

Flame Shoulder x1 [NFY]

Lesser Swallow Prominent x1

Moth Trap 31st May:

Lesser Swallow Prominent x2

Moth Trap 2nd June:

Barred Hook Tip x1 [NFG]

Spectacle x1

Poplar Hawk Moth x2 [NFY]

Peppered Moth x1 [NFY]

Marbled White Spot x4 [NFY]

Silver Ground Carpet x1 [NFY]

Brown Silver Lines x1

Garden Carpet x2 [NFY]

Flame Shoulder x1

Bee Moth x3 [NFY]

Smoky Wainscot x1 [NFY]

Green Pug x1 [NFY]

Barred Hook Tip, Rishworth, 2nd of June

Marbled White Spot, Rishworth, 2nd June

Green Hairstreaks....

 Although it has been a slow year for butterfly species in general ,it seems that it has been perfect for Green Hairstreak with good numbers recorded from  18th April to 2nd June and still on the wing now with DJS reporting 10 yesterday it only shows for a couple of weeks  some years ....!! ..Many thanks for all the records . 

I was very pleased to hear that Andrew Sladdin got his first this year on Caslte Carr road after reading this blogg...All butterfly records most welcome

Stainland.

 Another first for me - a Scalloped Hazel. It's a good thing that the markings made it easy to ID. This sample has an upturned abdomen, it's been like that since 11.00 pm last night. I haven't found a photo online with one doing that. Is it quite common for them to rest with an upturned abdomen? I'm simply curious. It's a lovely moth.

Scalloped Hazel

Lee Mount - 2nd June

 Continuing slight improvement in the trap this morning

Small Phoenix x 2

Shuttle-shaped Dart x 1

Garden Carpet x 1

Flame carpet x 1

Twenty-plume Moth x 1

White-shouldered House-moth x 1

Tachystola acroxantha x 3

Gracillaria syringella x 1

Gracillaria syringella

Ogden - 1st June

 We went searching the known spots for Mother Shipton's this afternoon but failed...

No matter............

In the heath-land area we did find...

Green Hairstreaks 10+ though they took some searching for but eventually found a group chasing about and not staying in the billberry bushes for long. One pair were spiraling up and down above a short, stubby sycamore.

Silver Y x 1

Common Heath x 6

Small Copper x 1

Peacock x 1

Best shots I could get ...

Green Hairstreak - with a missing antenna 

Silver Y 

Small Copper

Earlier in the day Ringby Lane (up from the ski-slope above Boothtown) produced ..

Small Tortoiseshell x 10

Small White x 2

On the west slope of heather and bilberry

Common Heath x c20

Silver-ground Carpet x 1

Brimstone

Arrived home earlier today to find this beauty waiting for me by the door