Luddenden 21st February

My best night ever in February variety wise last night

Oak Beauty 4

Pale Brindled Beauty 3

Dotted Border 1

Mottled Grey 1

Chestnut 1

Satellite (orange spotted 1) 

March Moth 1

also my first Hebrew Character this year on the 19th

Lee Mount

 A second Dotted Border on 14th Feb 

A fourth Pale Brindled Beauty (monochraria) on 19th Feb and still here on 22nd

Tortricodes alternella x 1 on 21st along with a single March Moth

Tortricodes alternella

 LUDDENDEN - February so far

It's been pretty good in Luddenden so far this February starting with the first Moth on the 3rd

3rd.  Pale Brindled Beauty 1 (f monochraria)

10th  Pale Bridled Beauty 2

11th Pale Brindled Beauty 2  (1 f monochraria)

        Spring Usher

        Dotted Border

        Chestnut

Spring Usher

12th Pale Brindled Beauty 3 (1 f monochraria)

14th Pale Brindled Beauty 2

15th Pale Brindled Beauty 4

16th Pale Brindled Beauty 10 (1 f monochraria)

        Spring Usher

        Dotted Border

        March Moth

17th Pale Brindled Beauty 7 (3 f monochraria)

        Spring Usher 

Usually most of my Pale Brindled Beauties are f monochraria but there has been very few this year despite having more already than my total numbers for the last 12 years.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Pale Brindled Beauty f monochraria

Lee Mount - 12th Feb

 All three Pale Brindled Beauty still there tonight with one new one on the window

Dotted Border (underside and upper)

Lee Mount 10th and 11th February 2023

Some moths, at last. Well,it's a start !

Pale Brindled Beauty x 3 tonight including the form monacharia

Also Agonopterix heracliana (I suspect, rather than ciliella) x 1

Castle Carr Road

Fox Moth caterpillar, just short of  c 3" long, creeping along a track just off Castle Carr Road in the sunshine this afternoon. Moved it off the track into the adjacent field edge to save it getting run over or trodden on. 

Still nothing at all turning up in or around the trap in Lee Mount - despite it being on most nights. 

Rishworth - 3rd February - First moths of 2023

 Hello all, It's been quite a while, but I'm back and hopefully actually back unlike last year.

The trap ran from 17.00 to 22.20 tonight and I've managed the first moths of the year for here :)

Moth Trap 3rd February 2023 - 17.00 to 22.20

- Pale Brindled Beauty x2 [NFY]

    - Normal form x1

    - f.monocharia x1

- Agonopterix heracliana x1 [NFY]

Pale Brindled Beauty f.monocharia, Rishworth, 03.02.2023

Pale Brindled Beauty, Rishworth, 03.02.2023

Free online webinar

 Just seen this free event for Thursday....

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wingtip-decoys-and-stealth-cloaks-by-marc-holderied-brad-ashby-lecture-tickets-472200272727

It might be of interest to some.

New Macro Moth Species for Calderdale in the last 3 years

Chocolate Tip ,

Scorched Wing 

Black Arches

Cloaked Pug

Silver Hook

Lesser Common Rustic (gen det)

December Moth

Box Tree Moth

Vines Rustic

Scarce Footman

Heath Rivulet

Obscure Wainscot

Scarlet Tiger

Small Mottled Willow (i thought this was a new record but have found 2 old records for this migrant)

Lee Mount

 Nothing doing yet here at all this New Year - we live in hope !

Three micros from last year (with help from CS and CF)

Bucculatrix ulmella (14th Aug 22)

Caloptilia rufipennella (20th Aug 22)

Ypsolopha sylvella (21st Sept 22)

2022 AND INTO 2023

  2022 was again an excellent year with record temps and again more new species for Calderdale. Obscure Wainscot , Scarce Footman , Scarlet Tiger ( no one had that on there list of maybe's) , Heath Rivulet  and Vines Rustic.   Small Mottled Willow , Red Necked Footman , Box Moth and many more. HNY and here's to 2023....who knows what will turn up next..??????

Lee Mount !

Nothing doing at all here in December other than indoors a single Twenty-plume Moth on 4th. With the weather as it is, it's not looking hopeful for any moths just yet though I keep hoping for December Moth (don't think they like our area !)

Lee Mount - 27th and 28th October

Very mild last night but plenty of rain. This was a new one for here , well first time I've recognized this micro though it has quite a distinct shape.

Exapate congelatella (10mm)

The weather still produced just a few moths for this morning.

Tachystola acroxantha x 1

November Moth agg x 2

Feathered Thorn x 1

Brick x 1

Sallow sp ? x 1 (still to confirm)

2 shots of suspected Sallow sp. - looks quite faded at 15mm -any thoughts ?

Confirmed as Scarce Bordered Straw (thanks to AC CF and DIC)

Also later in the day singles of...

Mottled Umber and a Red-green Carpet

Lee Mount

 Last few days - not a lot..........though November Moth agg up to 3 most nights

Silver Y x 1 (18th) and a Feathered Thorn

Lesser Yellow Underwing (22nd) looked freshly emerged ! 

24th Oct

Shuttle-shaped Dart x 1 - seemed quite late for this sp.

Tachystola acroxantha x 2

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

26th October

Mottled Umber x 1

Common Marbled Carpet x 1

Lee Mount - 18th October

Just a single Feathered Thorn this morning and a Red-green Carpet still from yesterday.

A Streak just turned up fluttering around the light trap, a first for here, Hopefully a photo if it complies !

Streak - best angle I could get so far

Speckled Wood in Luddenden this afternoon.

Shibden Valley

Red Admiral 1 

Lee Mount - 17th October

Just a few moths on and around the trap this morning

Red-green Carpet x 2

Light-brown Apple-moth x 2

Ypsolopha sequella x 1 (stunning little micros)

Large Yellow Underwing x 1

November Moth agg x 1

Yellow-line Quaker x 1

October Butterflies

Small White.... 13th Holly Blue...13th Comma ...15th Red Admiral .....14th Small Tortoiseshell ....13th Peacock........13th Speckled Wood ...13th Wall Brown .......11th

Red Admirals

Three Red Admirals seen yesterday in different locations and one at Mixenden reservoir on 10th. Will be on the lookout for more if we get some sunny days !

Have been trying for Haworth's Minors but no luck as yet - hardly any ragwort in flower on the uplands !

Lee Mount - 6th October

I went out into the garden just after dark - 3 moths buzzing around the Erysimum and Verbena bonariensis looking like Hummingbirds Hawkmoths - too small. 

Indoors for the camera and managed to get a single shot of one on the Verbena, wings always in motion. I came to the conclusion they were probably Silver Y's but they didn't seem to like the torch, or my presence ! I couldn't re-find them though I tried shortly afterwards but the wind had also increased so might try again tomorrow night - unless they end up in the trap in the morning !

Still a Red Admiral around the garden late morning.