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.