Thursday 6 December

The recent run of mild nights encouraged me to put the trap out, maybe for the last time this year. It was starting to irk me that I hadn't recorded a particular species in the garden. Happily this morning, despite the gloom and rain, a single Winter Moth was sitting on the fence. Job done.

Winter Moth

Not the most spectacular moth, and worryingly similar to a species called Northern Winter Moth which I think would show a white underwing poking out from the skirt of its upper wing. I used to see what I took to be Winter Moths regularly on the front door of the flats Lyn and I lived in in Birmingham 15 years ago (the foyer had a light on all night). But I had never seen one here before......correction, I recorded one in 2009 according to some previous notes I had made.

I also attracted three Light Brown Apple Moths, the first for about two months. This adventive species seems to breed throughout the year, and was not too much of a surprise.