After numerous garden moth traps over the last six weeks with average counts of 30+ moths per session it was nice to head up to GWH on Saturday (early) a.m. and catch up with CP for one of his 'morning after, what did we catch' events in the company of D? and later DB. It was a quiet, 'punter-free' event despite being a very pleasant morning, certainly not as chill as the previous outing.
The drive up was pleasant with, unsurprisingly, little traffic. On arrival the table was full of loaded pots and the Skinner trap was covered over.
During a couple of hours we picked through numerous moths of 80+ species (a guesstimate on my part) including the usual crowd pleasers plus some new species for me and plenty which I've never, or rarely, caught at home. Interestingly, CP was very pleased with a couple of the micro Ethmia quadrillella which was new for me although I'm 90% certain I had one at home last week which dodged my efforts to pot it. On social media later in the day other people pictured this moth so maybe its getting commoner. Evergestis pallidata was another new moth as was Slender Brindle.
It was nice to finally see Langmaid's Yellow Underwing next to the more common Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing - see pictures below showing NO characteristic details whatsoever!!
On a final pass of the Skinner trap out popped a Four-spotted Footman, sadly only a rather bland-coloured male but, rather better, the 'last moth in the book' - an Olive Crescent!! Bizarrely it was a new moth for all but me having seen one in East Sussex in Michael Blencoewe's garden trap many years ago. The only bycatch of note were Red-legged Shieldbug and Orange Ladybird.
After clearing up the traps it was time for a nice doorstep sausage bap and coffee in the GWH cafe with overhead aerialists - Swifts (20), House Martin's (5), Swallows (10), Red Kite (2) and Buzzard (3-4). A brief walk around the gardens produced little other than calling Bullfinches and both common Woodpeckers.
Below Dot Moth, Evergestis pallidata, Elephant Hawkmoth and Olive Crescent, Poplar Hawkmoth, Coxcomb Prominent, uncooperative Langmaids and its look-alike LBBYU.
Last night, at home, the moth trap electrics were playing up, first refusing to come on and then only firing one tube. In conjunction with a cool windy night the catch was pathetic but did at least feature another Tree-lichen Beauty and, slightly better, a new-for-year, and indeed only the second, Lychnis - both pictured below.
