Thursday September 27

For the first time in about four weeks I was able to put the moth-trap out following a rise in temperature. The night was still largely cloudless, but I was optimistic, and I was not to be disappointed.

It quickly became apparent that there were more moths about than recently, and this encouraged me to poach a few from the windows rather than just wait until the morning. This did mean that I missed one geometer which I suspected was something like a Spruce Carpet when it was resting on the perspex in the trap, but my attempts to pot it were so ham-fisted that it escaped into the night.

However, it is also true to say that of the 62 moths of 24 species eventually recorded, the seven I detained overnight turned out to involve five new species for the garden year-list (the other captures both being of Common Marbled Carpets). Perhaps I have been a bit too laid back in my approach.

So the first new species (and it was completely new to me) actually flew into our utility room and was caught there. It was a Barred Sallow, a very attractive moth. I released it to take its chances, which meant that in the morning I had to assume that the two Barred Sallows in the trap included the original moth.

Barred Sallow

I next potted what turned out to be another tick, a Brindled Green which was fluttering against the window of the utility room. Like the Barred Sallow my research into the status of the moth locally shows nothing to suggest it was an unusual capture.

Brindled Green

A couple of micro moths were next to be nabbed. The first was a rather non-descript tortrix which remained unidentified until mid-morning when I finally concluded it was a Rhomboid Tortrix. I should say that I haven't had any of the night's records verified by JS yet, and I would say this is in the highest danger of rejection. But they are supposed to fly in September, and I will be disappointed if it gets the boot....Which it did. JS reckons its a male Clepsis consimilana. Oh well, that's what mentors are for.

Clepsis consimilana - male

I actually caught several micro-moths, mostly tortricidae, overnight. This bucked the recent trend which had seen micros all but disappear.

Another micro caught on the window looked extremely non-descript. But come the morning it proved surprisingly easy to identify as a Lesser Wax Moth. Once again this was a lifer.

Lesser Wax Moth

It may be grey and boring, but there was nothing else like it in the book.

Finally, a loo break in the early hours found me potting another pyralid, this time in the bathroom. It reminded me of a Pyrausta aurata (I was half asleep and not wearing my glasses), so I was thrilled to find it was actually even more attractive than I had thought, and was a Gold Triangle.

Gold Triangle

Who says micros are boring? As far as I know, all the micros caught are common moths locally. Just new to me.

So I was well ahead on points by the time I finally got around to checking the trap. And it wasn't long before I was finding more garden year-ticks. The first was a Red-green Carpet. This was a first for the garden, but not for this blog because last year I disturbed and photographed another while I was birding in Winyates Green.

Red-green Carpet

The second was not a first for the garden (I saw one last year), and I recall seeing plenty of them when I went on a moth-trapping session in Coughton Park in 2016. It was a Straw Dot. In my attempt to photograph it on the inner wall of the trap I accidentally disturbed it and ended up pursuing it across the garden where I finally managed some kind of record shot.

Straw Dot

This is a pretty small moth, technically a macro, but not much larger than the Gold Triangle.

The rest of the catch comprised the usual suspects, the bulk being 18 Large Yellow Underwings, and nine Lunar Underwings. Four Marbled Carpets varied in looks as only Common Marbled Carpets can, only one being the easy form with a large panel of orange across the forewing. The others looked like this:

Common Marbled Carpet

Surprising finds were two Carcina quercana, my first for months. They apparently sometimes have a second generation, and the two in the trap looked pretty fresh. A Clepsis consimilana looked worryingly similar to the Rhomboid Tortrix, but seemed slimmer in shape. I have asked JS to verify it.

Clepsis consimilana

Four Light Brown Apple Moths represented a return to form, as did single Celypha lacunana, and Codling Moth. I also photographed what I thought could be a second Codling Moth, but the photo is too bad to show, and does not support the identification. So I don't know what that was.

Many of the noctuids were very worn; a Copper Underwing, a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, and a couple of Lesser Yellow Underwings. I also identified a worn Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, about a month since the last one. It escaped while I was trying to photograph it, but I think the identification is correct.

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

The glimpses of its underwing certainly show a broad black edge.

Other insects attracted to the light included three Common Wasps, a couple of large Daddy Long-legs', an Ichneumon Wasp of some sort, a small May-fly sp, and two Caddis-fly.

A single Red Admiral was the only butterfly seen, while birds were just the usual garden species.

PS I have adjusted the figures upwards this morning (28/9/18) due to find three more moths in the house last night, all of which must have arrived the night before. Another Lesser Yellow Underwing, a Small Dusty Wave, and a Twenty-plume Moth.

Saturday September 22

A cloudy morning with hardly a breathe of wind, which I must say makes a pleasant change. The last few days and nights have been wild, windy, and wet. This meant constant frustration as I kept considering and rejecting the idea of putting the trap out even though I knew the temperature was due to drop as the week progressed.

Yesterday I even went birding! Admittedly this was just a walk around Arrow Valley Lake which failed to produce anything remotely resembling a storm-blown seabird. The highlights were a pair of Ravens, 20 House Martins, and a trickle of Meadow Pipits heading south.

One reason I was keen to get the trap out is that I have noticed that moths are attracted to the Selfridges building in town and among a lot of Angle Shades and Large Yellow Underwings I found a moth which was new to me. I photographed it on my phone and shared it with JS. He immediately replied with Lunar Underwing which is apparently very common at this time of the year. He expressed surprise I hadn't caught any yet. Now there's a challenge.

So this morning I was delighted that the very first box I turned over contained a Lunar Underwing. In fact I eventually found 11 in the trap plus 15 Large Yellow Underwings, two Lesser Yellow Underwings, a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, a Small Blood-vein, a Small Dusty Wave, and a rather small Pale Mottled Willow (the first for a couple of months). I had also trapped a Brimstone Moth on the window during the evening. At least two species of caddis-fly completed the haul.

Lunar Underwing (typical)

Lunar Underwing (pale)

Small Blood-vein

Lesser Yellow Underwing

Pale Mottled Willow

Still no Angle Shades, but I was pleased with the catch as I had half expected single figures.

Finally, my first Siskin of the autumn flew over, while Chiffchaff and Great Spotted Woodpecker called from trees in our around the garden.

Friday September 14

This morning, as the Richards assembled for a foray out to Morton Bagot, I had an unexpected surprise as I looked out of the kitchen window. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was hovering over the Evening Primroses before heading purposefully towards the Buddleia.

I gave a shout and rushed back into the living room to find my camera. Sadly, by the time I returned, the moth was nowhere to be seen.

It was my second garden record.

Thursday September 13

Last night was largely moonless and clear, but I put the trap out anyway.

This morning I was not surprised to find only 19 moths of 10 species in and around the trap, but there were a few interesting ones to talk about.

The star moth was a Small Blood-vein. Although this does not appear to be a scarce one, it was still a lifer for me. It's appearance was particularly surprising because the majority appear during the summer, with a smaller second generation emergence in September - so the books say.

Small Blood-vein

Also noteworthy were a second generation Light Emerald (about two-thirds the size of the first generation), and a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (the first since early August).

Light Emerald

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing - from above and below

The rest comprised one Agriphila geniculea, two Garden Carpets, one Small Dusty Wave, six Large Yellow Underwings, one Lesser Yellow Underwing, two Square-spot Rustics, and three Centre-barred Sallows.

Earlier in the week I noticed a Small Dusty Wave on the garage door, and a Double-striped Pug in the bathroom.

Finally, Birmingham City Centre provided the surprising sight of at least five Angle Shades clinging to the outside of the Selfridge building. There was also an Agriphila geniculea, and a Square-spot Rustic. Presumably the eery blue light coming from beneath each blue disc cladding the exterior of the building attracts moths. My journey to work could become a lot more interesting.

Sunday September 9

The bathroom produced a new moth for the year last night.

A rather worn pyralid looked as though it might defy identification, but I think I have cracked it.

Acrobasis advenella

I decided to spare JS an email (he hates photos of worn moths), but I did "tweet" it out. I think this is a fairly common moth, although they are supposed to fly in July and August. This might account for it being so worn.

Thursday September 6

The moth trap went out last night, a clear and chilly one. Predictably the count suffered, and this morning I found I had only caught 39 moths of 12 species. None were new for the year. The nearest was a Cydia lacunana, which was only the second I have seen. The previous one was in June.

Cydia lacunana

The full list was: 1 Cydia lacunana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths, 1 Codling Moth, 3 Agriphila geniculea, 1 Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, 4 Centre-barred Sallows, 18 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Flounced Rustics, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 1 Setacious Hebrew Character, and two very worn Copper Underwing (ag)s.

At least there were no wasps, the only other insects in the trap being two species of Caddisfly, and a Daddy Long-legs.

A Chiffchaff was calling from the apple-tree, and several Coal Tits were making themselves known. A sure sign that autumn is upon us.