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June 2011
Thursday 30th June
The worst night for moths in ages but among the few there was one I'd not seen before so I wasn't complaining (in fact it was good to get an early night for once). The new one was Apotomis capreana. Also:
Blastobasis lacticolella, Twenty-plume Moth, Garden Grass-veneer, Crambus pascuella, Small Blood-vein, 4 Dwarf Cream Waves, Small Dusty Wave and 5 Uncertains.
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Apotomis capreana , Bawdeswell, 29th June |
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Wendesday 29th June
Had a look round the disused quarry at Whin Hill in my lunch break - didn't find as many insects as I'd hoped but it was heaving with birds including Turtle Dove, Bullfinch, Lesser Whitethroats and a plethora of other warblers and finches. Would be an interesting place to set a moth trap perhaps?
More moths again tonight, the most interesting ones being micros (and the most numerous being Waves). Among them were my first Bryotropha affinis and my first Hedya ochroleucana, and what I think must be Eudonia mercurella. Among 4 Oegoconia sp. (my first this year) there was considerable variation in the width and extent of the median fascia - most likely all O. quadripuncta but perhaps I should arrange for the narrowest and smallest barred individual to have a more intimate examination - how else will I find O. deauratella?* A Coleophora was another albidella type and Pearl Veneer was new for the year. Of the macros, Silver Y was also new for the year. Also:
Cork Moth, Parornix sp., Blastobasis lacticolella, Clepsis consimilana, 4 Twenty-plume Moths, 5 Garden Grass-veneers, Pearl Veneer, 4 Scoparia sp. (let me know what you think these are), Dipleurina lacustrata, Small Magpie, 2 Endotricha flammealis, 3 Bee Moths, Emmelina monodactyla, Common Emerald, 5 Small Blood-veins, 8 Small Fan-footed Waves, 4 Dwarf Cream Waves, Small Dusty Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 8 Riband Waves, Double-striped Pug, Swallow-tailed Moth, Engrailed, 2 Common Footmen, Heart and Dart, Double Square-spot, Brown Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle and 2 Fan-foots.
* Update Sept: well, I did arrange for the narrowest and smallest barred individual to have a more intimate examination and it did indeed prove to be Oegoconia deauratella! Thanks Jon!
Update Nov: the tentative Eudonia now reidentified as Dipleurina lacustrata.
Tuesday 28th June
A trip to Raynham Lake in my lunch break produced a couple of hybrid geese - one Canada x Greylag and one small dark one which I assume is one of the Barnacle x White-fronted Goose hybrids that were raised here a few years ago.
Tonight's moths were relatively few by recent standards. An Early Thorn was presumably my first of a second generation - despite it consistently holding its wings slightly open I couldn't turn it into a Purple Thorn, a supposedly common species that I've yet to find here. A tiny moth (at least I think it's a moth) resembled Brown-dotted Clothes Moth in colour and pattern but not shape and size - any ideas would be welcome! Crambus pascuella was new for the year and only my second. Otherwise there was:
Brown House-moth, Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Garden Grass-veneers, Scoparia pyralella, Small Blood-vein, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, Yellow Shell, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Engrailed, Common Footman and 2 Brown Rustics.
Monday 27th June
I checked the reservoir south of Wells at lunchtime (there'll be a Pratincole there one day). One Yellow-legged Gull among the loafing gulls.
Another cracking night for moths tonight - I didn't leave the bedroom light on for too long as I knew I'd end up spending the whole night sorting out moths if I did, but I hadn't realised Vitty had gone upstairs leaving the downstairs lights on and the doors open, so when I went down to get my water before turning in there were just as many moths downstairs as I'd just potted up upstairs! It was mainly micros again, with 52 individuals of 31 species compared to 19 macros of 13 species.
Best of the bunch was an unfamiliar yellow micro, which turned out to be Thiodia citrana - in Norfolk found mainly in the Brecks though a few recent records in the far west of Norfolk and just one other round here, at Hindolveston. Ancylis achatana was my first here, hot on the heels of my first ever at Weston Park on Saturday. I remember seeing White Plume Moth in a phone box about 20 years ago but tonight's was my first since I've been keeping records. I get Cork Moths often enough but 4 in one night was unprecedented. Another Argyresthia cupressella was noteworthy and Cherry Fruit Moth was only my second (update 2012 - actually the latter seems to have been Argyresthia bonnetellla, not Cherry Fruit Moth).
I've been a bit concerned about my Clepsis consimilana ID recently - I recall seeing small numbers of plain individuals in previous years but very few with any markings other than the dorsal spots, but this year most of them seem to have more pattern, and varying in size more than I'd remembered. Was I getting them right? Well tonight provided the answer as there were 12 of them, and I managed to photograph all of them in the same position against a ruler and compare them. They all appeared to be correctly ID'd and I discovered that the larger ones were invariably the plain ones - which ties in with the smaller males being marked and the larger females being plain. Presumably in past years I've either had a higher proportion of females or I was passing off the males as something else - when I get time I'll go back through the photos and figure it out! But for now at least I feel happier with the ID - and 12 is the highest count yet.
There were a couple of goodies among the macros too - my second ever Buff-tip (awesome moths!), first Yellow Shell of the year and a Light Arches. The other moths not yet mentioned were:
Tinea semifulvella, Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Coleophora sp.*, 2 Brown House-moths, 2 White-shouldered House-moths, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths, Bramble Shoot Moth, 2 Twenty-plume Moths, 12 Garden Grass-veneers, Dipleurina lacustrata, 5 Bee Moths (record count), Small Blood-vein, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, Small Dusty Wave, Riband Wave, 2 Common Pugs, Willow Beauty, Buff Ermine, 2 Brown Rustics, 3 Uncertains (I think) and 2 Spectacles.
* Update Sept: thanks to Jon Clifton for gen detting the Coleophora - they were both female Coleophora peribenanderi.
Sunday 26th June
More micros than macros tonight, though nothing more exciting than my first Sycamore of the year:
Cork Moth, 2 Brown-dotted Clothes Moths, Brown House-moth, Blastobasis lacticolella, Hook-marked Straw Moth, 3 Clepsis consimilana, Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Moth, 8 Twenty-plume Moths, 4 Garden Grass-veneers, Crambus perlella, Small Magpie, 4 Phlyctaenia coronata, Endotricha flammealis, 2 Bee Moths, 3 Small Blood-veins, 5 Small Dusty Waves, Riband Wave, Foxglove Pug, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Flame, Double Square-spot, Brown Rustic, 2 Uncertains or Rustics, 2 Snouts and Fan-foot.
* Update Sept: thanks to Jon for confirming by gen. det. Bryotropha similis.
Saturday 25th June
I popped in to see the Marsh Warbler again this evening, to see what it was up to. Dave had wondered briefly if it might be showing signs of breeding this morning but had eventually concluded that it was a pair of Reed Warblers breeding at the same spot. I agree, but it did make me wonder for a while, when I saw the Marsh Warbler clearly associating with a Reed Warbler, and a Reed Warbler carrying nesting material - they have been known to hybridise. However in the end I managed to ascertain that there were 2 Reed Warblers present, and the one that the Marsh Warbler was associating with gave a few notes of song so was presumably male. Indeed the 'association' eventually transpired to be the Marsh Warbler chasing the Reed Warbler rather than anything more romantic! So there's still no evidence that it's found a mate, and the fact that it continues to sing so vehemently probably means it hasn't. Maybe next year...
I was also pleased to find a new species for the local area - one I didn't know occurred here. In fact, despite some apparently being present at my work and despite me knowing of several other sites in north Norfolk, I don't think I've ever seen this species anywhere in Norfolk before. No, not a bird, nor an insect - this was a Bee Orchid.
I've never attended one of the Norfolk Moth Survey events before but with ideal mothing conditions and a relatively close location I was tempted along to Weston Park this evening. A fantastic night was had by all - the regular attendees reporting it as one of the best events ever! Several traps and lights were running in a setting reminiscent of Jurassic Park (complete with sound effects) and about 130 species (of moth, not dinasaur) were recorded, including several rare/scarce ones and many that I'd not seen before. It wasn't just moths either, as a Purple Hairstreak butterfly spent most of the night at Rob's light, Leopard Slugs provided entertainment and Longhorn Beetles irritated Rob as they rifled through his hair!
A Festoon caused some excitement but Eana incanana was even better - there's only been one previous record in Norfolk, of a single moth, but there were over 50 here!! I didn't see some of the other rarities that were recorded by others, but I did have plenty to keep me amused with no less than 28 new species including Bird-cherry Ermine (abundant), Ypsolopha parenthesella, presumed Coleophora kuehnella, Metzneria metzneriella, Parachronistis albiceps (not many Norfolk records), Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix, Variegated Golden Tortrix (abundant), Ptycholomoides aeriferanus (quite a rare moth apparently), Aleimma loeflingiana (lots), Celypha striana (several), Apotomis turbidana, 2+ Ancylis achatana, 2+ Gypsonoma dealbana, Schoenobius gigantella, Water Veneer, Udea olivalis, Phycita roborella, Figure of Eighty, Peppered Moth, Bordered White, Marbled Brown, Rosy Footman, Green Arches, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Slender Brindle and Scarce Silver-lines. Apart from them I recorded:
Cork Moth, 3 Paraswammerdamia nebulella or Swammerdamia caesiella, 2 more Coleophora sp., Clepsis consimilana, lots of Green Oak Tortrix, Marbled Orchard Tortrix, Bramble Shoot Moth, lots of Garden Grass-veneers, Crambus lathoniellus, 2+ Scoparia pyralella, Scoparia ambigualis, Dipleurina lacustrata, Brown China-mark, Ringed China-mark, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Fan-footed Wave, 5+ Large Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, Barred Yellow, 3 July Highflyers, 2 Sandy Carpets, V-Pug, Green Pug, Clouded Border, 2+ Brown Silver-lines, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, 2 Lime Hawkmoths, Yellow-tail, 2 Buff Ermines, 1+ Heart and Dart, 2+ Flames, 2+ Large Yellow Underwings, Dot Moth, 2 Poplar Greys, 1+ Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, 2+ Uncertains, Spectacle and 2 Beautiful Hook-tips.
We finally tore ourselves away at gone 2.00 and I got home to find a bedroom full of moths (from just the normal light, no MV). These included some good micros: Brown-spotted Clothes Moth (assuming not the rarer Niditinea striolella), Leek Moth, Nut Bud Moth and Amblyptilia acanthadactlya. Also:
Parornix sp., 3 Brown House-moths, 2 Clepsis consimilana, probable Grey Tortrix, Celypha lacunana, 3 Twenty-plume Moths, 8 Garden Grass-veneers, 2 Crambus perlella, 3 Scoparia sp., 2 Phlyctaenia coronata, 2 Bee Moths, Small Blood-vein, 2 Small Dusty Waves, Foxglove Pug, Swallow-tailed Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 2 Double Square-spots, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor agg., Spectacle, 4 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.
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Bee Orchid (left) and Marsh Warbler (right), undisclosed location (right), 25th June
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Purple Hairstreak, Weston Park, 25th June
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Eana incanana, Weston Park, 25th June
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Aleimma loeflingiana, Weston Park, 25th June
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Bird-cherry Ermine, Weston Park, 25th June
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Lunar-spotted Pinion, Weston Park, 25th June
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Parachronistis albiceps, Weston Park, 25th June
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Green Oak Tortrix (left) and Festoon (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Rosy Footman (left) and Scarce Silver-lines (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Peppered Moth (left) and Bordered White (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Figure of Eighty, Weston Park, 25th June
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Slender Brindle (left) and Poplar Grey (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Phycita roborella, Weston Park, 25th June
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Phycita roborella (left) and Ypsolopha parenthesella (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Ancylis achatana (left) and Celypha striana (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Variegated Golden Tortrix, Weston Park, 25th June - but is the one bottom left the same? The shape of the basal marking is quite different from the others, for instance, but I can't see what else it could be?
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Metzneria metzneriella, Weston Park, 25th June
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Water Veneer, Weston Park, 25th June
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Gypsonoma dealbana, Weston Park, 25th June
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Apotomis turbidana (left) and Marbled Orchard Tortrix (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (left) and Poplar Grey (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Short-cloaked Moth (left) and Udea olivalis (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Coleophora spp., Weston Park, 25th June - I think the left hand one is Coleophora kuehnella
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Beautiful Hook-tip (left) and Brown China-mark (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Brown Silver-line (left) and Large Twin-spotted Carpet (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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V-Pug (left) and July Highflyer (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Barred Straw, Weston Park, 25th June
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Marbled Minor (left) and Spectacle (right), Weston Park, 25th June
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Tortrix sp. (left) and Paraswammerdamia/Swammerdamia agg. (right), Weston Park, 25th June - at home I would have possibly put the Tortrix down as Grey Tortrix but I noticed a very similar moth on the Hants Moths site which is down as a gen-detted Eana incanana, so as that species was numerous here tonight perhaps that's more likely? I think most of the Swammerdamia complex I get at home are Paraswammerdamia nebulella, but I wondered if this one, with its tidier white costal spot, might be Swammerdamia caeserella. Any thoughts on these would be welcome! (Update: Jon thinks the Tortrix may in fact be Flax Tortrix)
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Scoparia pyralella (left) and Dipleurina lacustrata (right), Weston Park, 25th June - I still lack confidence with identifying Scoparines so please let me know if you can confirm or contradict my IDs (update: Jon agrees with the pyralella but thinks the other looks more like Scoparia ambigualis - told you I find them difficult! Thanks Jon!)
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Case-bearer case (left) and unidentified moth (right), Weston Park, 25th June - the right hand moth reminded me of a couple of things but doesn't seem quite right for either - any ideas? (update: Jon thinks it's Blastobasis lacticolella, which was my initial thought too, but I wasn't convinced)
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Weevil Curculio venosus (left) and Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle (right), Weston Park, 25th June - thanks to Rob for pointing me in the right direction with these IDs
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Water Boatman (left) and Millipede (right), Weston Park, 25th June - thanks Rob for suggesting Water Boatman for the insect - appears to be Sigara sp. I think
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Leopard Slugs, Weston Park, 25th June
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all manner of strange creatures were roaming the woods tonight...
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Leek Moth (left) and Nut Bud Moth (right), Bawdeswell, 25th June
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Amblyptilia acanthadactlya (left) and Parornix sp. (right), Bawdeswell, 25th June
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Crambus perlella, Bawdeswell, 25th June
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Celypha lacunana (left) and Brown House-moth (right), Bawdeswell, 25th June |
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Friday 24th June
The day kicked off with a Chiffchaff preening in the hedge outside my bedroom window - I think the first one I've seen here past the spring passage period. A Barred Yellow was my first of the year (same date as last year); the rest of the moths were:
Epermenia chaerophyllella, Brown House-moth, Blastodacna hellerella, 2 Clepsis consimilana, Grey Tortrix, 2 Twenty-plume Moth, 3 Garden Grass-veneers, Crambus perlella, up to 10 Scoparia ambigualis (but I'm not convinced there werent any S. pyralella among them), Dipleurina lacustrata, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Riband Waves, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, Swallow-tailed Moth, 5 Willow Beauties (including a nice dark form), 3 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, Common Footman, Double Square-spot, Dark Arches, Uncertain (or Rustic?), Mottled Rustic and Fan-foot.
Thursday 23rd June
A poor night for moths by recent standards. Most of what did appear were larger macros:
Blastobasis lacticolella , Scoparia ambigualis, Small Blood-vein, Riband Wave, Garden Carpet, Brimstone Moth, 3 Swallow-tailed Moths, 4 Mottled Beauties, Common White Wave, Dark Arches, 2 Uncertain/Rustics and Mottled Rustic.
Having been through my photos of Uncertain for this month and compared with online sources I think I'd best record most of them simply as Uncertain or Rustic. One day I'll spend a bit more time on this and maybe then I'll be confident about some of them...
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| Swallow-tailed Moth (left) and Uncertain or Rustic (right), Bawdeswell, 23rd June - anyone think they can identify the Uncertain/Rustic? | |
Wednesday 22nd June
Lunch at Beacon Hill revealed 4 Turtle Doves.
I get lots of Green Lacewings and a few of the smaller Brown Lacewings but until one turned up tonight I'd never even heard of the tiny White Lacewing, or Dustywing. Moths included another Epermenia chaerophyllella, a Grey Pug and this lot:
Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Brown House-moth, White-shouldered House-moth, Clepsis consimilana, Garden Grass-veneer, Crambus perlella, Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Bee Moths, Common Emerald, Small Blood-vein, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Riband Waves, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, Common Footman, Brown Rustic, Uncertain and Snout.
Tuesday 21st June
A few interesting micros tonight - No doubt Epermenia chaerophyllella is under-recorded, but 2 tonight appears to be the first multiple record in Norfolk, all others involving singles. I had to spend a lot of time sorting out 3 similar Tortrix moths and in the end I'm still not sure. The smallest and strongest-marked has, I think, to be Flax Tortrix whilst the largest and least well marked has, I think, to be Grey Tortrix. The third was closest in size to the larger one but intermediate and probably within range for both species. Its markings were also intermediate, and I'm not sure which it is. Any thoughts on these would be appreciated! 2 Twenty-plume Moths were my first for a while, presumably the start of a second generation, and Endotricha flammealis was my first this year. The macros proved less interesting, though a fine Small Angle Shades was only my third (all this year). The other 38 were:
Tinea semifulvella, 2 Blastobasis lacticolella, 3 Clepsis consimilana, Garden Grass-veneer, 4 Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie, Bee Moth, Common Emerald, 2 Small Blood-veins, 6 Small Dusty Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, Flame, Double Square-spot, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown Rustic and 2 Dark Arches.
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Flax Tortrix (left) and Grey Tortrix (right), Bawdeswell, 21st June - one of each, I think...
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Flax or Grey Tortrix, Bawdeswell, 21st June - but not sure which one - let me know what you think!
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2 Epermenia chaerophyllella, Bawdeswell, 21st June
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Twenty-plume Moth (left) and Tinea semifulvella (right), Bawdeswell, 21st June
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Small Angle Shades (left) and Dark Arches (right), Bawdeswell, 21st June
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Bee Moth (left) and Sandy Carpet (right), Bawdeswell, 21st June |
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Monday 20th June
One new moth tonight, a littl'un: Mompha ochraceella. V-Pug was new for the year. Also the following:
Brown House-moth, 2 Clepsis consimilana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers, Scoparia ambigualis (plus a second that may be S. pyralella - let me know what you think), Small Blood-vein, Dwarf Cream Wave, 3 Small Dusty Waves, Treble Brown Spot, Common Pug, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, 2 Double Square-spots, Brown Rustic, Spectacle Snout and 2 Small Fan-footed Waves.
Sunday 19th June
I popped in to Whitlingham this afternoon in the hope of seeing a Red-breasted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid that has been in the area recently - I'd intended to go last Sunday but didn't get a chance in the end. No sign of it, just a Cetti's Warbler heard singing.
Dwarf Cream Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Clouded Border and Common Footman were all new for the year tonight - the Clouded Border was only my third. Apart from those there were:
3 Scoparia ambigualis, Emmelina monodactyla, Common Emerald, Small Blood-vein, Small Dusty Wave, Freyer's Pug, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, 3 Mottled Beauties, Buff Ermine, Double Square-spot, 2 Uncertains and 3 Mottled Rustics.
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Clouded Border (left) and Swallow-tailed Moth (right), Bawdeswell, 19th June
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Dwarf Cream Wave (left) and Single-dotted Wave (right), Bawdeswell, 19th June
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Emmelina monodactyla, Bawdeswell, 19th June |
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Saturday 18th June
Nothing extraordinary on the moth front tonight, though Foxglove Pug was new for the year and there were 2 more Elephant Hawkmoths. The rest were:
White-shouldered House-moth, 3 Blastobasis lacticolella, Epiblema trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer, 4 Scoparia ambigualis, Small Fan-footed Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 3 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Freyer's Pug, 2 Common Pugs, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauties, probable Least Black Arches (but I lost it before getting a good look, so couldn't eliminate similar species), 2 Heart and Darts, 3 Flames, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Brown Rustic, 2 Marbled Minor aggs., 4 Uncertains and 2 Mottled Rustics.
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Elephant Hawkmoths, Bawdeswell, 18th June - one the right way up and the other I found lying upside down (but live and well)
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Foxglove Pug, Bawdeswell, 18th June |
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Friday 17th June
With rain set in at dusk I thought I might get an early night tonight with not too many moths - no such luck! Despite the unrelenting rain my light attracted 35 moths of 21 species. Best were another Argyresthia cupressella and another Elephant Hawkmoth while Beautiful Hook-tip and Crambus perlella were new for the year. In addition:
White-shouldered House-moth, Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Scoparia ambigualis, Small Blood-vein, Small Dusty Wave, 2 Riband Waves, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Common Pug, Willow Beauty, 3 Heart and Darts, 3 Flames, 7 Double Square-spots, 2 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, 2 Middle-barred Minors, Uncertain and Snout.
Thursday 16th June (updated 18th June)
Tonight's moths included 3 new to me, all micros. I'd not managed to ID one of them at first, but after some help from Rob it appears to be Pyrausta despicata, apparently a very good record for this part of Norfolk. Neither of the other two had been recorded in the UK until the late 80s, though both have been accidentally introduced and are common now - Firethorn Leaf Miner is a Mediterranean species which was first seen in England in 1989 and Argyresthia cupressella is North American, first discovered here in 1997. Other moths identified were:
2 Brown House-moths, Blastobasis lacticolella, 3 Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie, 2 Small Dusty Waves, Green Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, 9 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Smoky Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Marbled Minor aggs., 3 Uncertains and 2 Mottled Rustics.
Wednesday 15th June
A lunchtime stroll around Thornham failed to deliver anything much of interest, except a purring Turtle Dove.
This evening was quite breezy so I didn't expect all that many moths, though it was warm and partially cloudy. At first there weren't many - except for an unprecedented arrival of 8 Clepsis consimilana. When I've got the MV light on I normally check the room regularly as I need to ensure I don't attract too many moths. If it looks like there will be more than about 50 I turn it off - I don't have enough pots to catch more than that and I wouldn't have time to process them anyway. As it seemed quiet I may have left it a bit longer than usual tonight - when I returned to the room it quickly became clear that it wasn't quiet at all - the place was heaving with moths! I ended up spending half the night sorting them out: as I didn't have enough pots I had to find a way of evicting them without them coming straight back in, which was something of a challenge! I ended up photographing 167 moths of 53 species - by far the most I've ever had. Such numbers aren't unusual for people who use proper moth traps, but it's a lot more than I want to be attracting into my bedroom on a regular basis!!
Inevitably with such numbers there were some interesting ones. Probably the rarest, at least in terms of number of Norfolk records, was a Brown Oak Tortrix Archips crataegana (only 4 previous Norfolk records this millenium). Another Tortrix was new for me, the delightfully named Pseudargyrotoza conwagana. One of the macros was new for me too, a Pearly Underwing, a migrant species more commonly recorded in the autumn. A Poplar Grey was the first I'd seen here, though according to my records I saw one years ago in Norwich. An Elephant Hawkmoth was only my second here following one at the end of May.
New for the year were Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, Small Fan-footed Wave, 2 Large Twin-spotted Carpets and a Clay. The biggest single species count was 29 Flames - a species I only caught 3 of in the whole of 2010 and none before that (but I wasn't using an MV light then). The rest were:
Cork Moth, Coleophora sp.*, 7 Brown House-moths, White-shouldered House-moth, 4 Blastobasis lacticolella, Blastodacna hellerella, 8 Clepsis consimilana, Bramble Shoot Moth, 2 Epiblema trimaculana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers, 5 Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Dipleurina lacustrata, 7 Phlyctaenia coronata, 2 Bee Moths, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Blood-vein, 6 Small Dusty Waves, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Freyer's Pug, 5 Common Pugs, Green Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, 6 Mottled Bueaties, Common Wave, Pale Prominent, 4 Heart and Darts, 4 Flame Shoulders, 10 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Smoky Wainscot, Brown Rustic, 9 Marbled Minor aggs. (including 1 Marbled Minor), 5 Middle-barred Minors, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Snouts, 4 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.
* Update Sept: Jon has now gen detted the Coleophora - it is Coleophora striatipennella.
Tuesday 14th June
A lunchtime stroll through Syderstone Common produced few insects or birds, the highlight being a Green Oak Tortrix, a common moth but I've not seen one since I was a child. Butterflies consisted of Small Heaths and a couple of Small Coppers whilst the nearest thing to avian highlights were a singing Garden Warbler and a pair of Buzzards.
Relatively few moths tonight, though including three new for the year, namely Bramble Shoot Moth, Dipleurina lacustrata and Light Arches. The rest were 3 Brown House-moths, 4 Scoparia ambigualis, Phlyctaenia coronata, Small Blood-vein, Small Dusty Wave, Treble Brown Spot, Sandy Carpet, 3 Common Pugs, Mottled Beauty, Flame Shoulder and Double Square-spot.
Monday 13th June (updated 15th)
As I returned from Norwich at dusk there were thousands of moths flying in the headlights - it was calm, cloudy and warm - should be a good night, I thought! It was too. Though the macros produced my first 2 Swallow-tailed Moths of the year and my second ever Dotted Fan-foot, the micros provided as much interest. Among these a couple of distinctive ones were new for the year (Small China-mark and my second Gold Triangle ever) but the less obvious ones seemed interesting, though I needed some help with the IDs. For one of them I eventually settled on Ephestia parasitella - and Jon agrees - a new species for me. Another had completely stumped me as the only white Coleophora with dark speckling I could find was Coleophora hemerobiella - which would be the second record for Norfolk! I imagined it would turn out to be less exciting and indeed it has - thanks to Jon for confirming it's albidella or anatipennella (update Sept: Jon has now confirmed by gen. det. that it was indeed Coleophora albidella - thanks Jon!). There were 2 other different Coleophora which would have needed their genitalia examined for a firm ID but are apparently probably one of the commoner oak feeders lutipennella or flavipennella.
Apart from the above there were 2 Brown House-moths, Blastobasis lacticolella, Clepsis consimilana, 2 Epiblema trimaculana, 3 Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie, 3 Bee Moths, Common Emerald, Small Dusty Wave, 3 Riband Waves, Green Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Mottled Beauty, Heart and Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Double Square-spot, Bright-line Brown-eye, Smoky Wainscot, Dark Arches, Marbled Minor agg., Straw Dot and 5 Snouts.
Sunday 12th June
A Turnip Moth was my first at Bawdeswell, though I did get one in Norwich once. Smoky Wainscot was new for the year but the rest were unremarkable: Freyer's Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Mottled Beauties, 3 Heart and Darts, 2 Flames, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor agg., 2 Snouts and Fan-foot.
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Turnip Moth (left) and Freyer's Pug (right), Bawdeswell, 12th June
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Heart and Dart (left) and Flame (right), Bawdeswell, 12th June |
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Saturday 11th June
A similar night to last in some ways, with brown noctuids dominating, though Fan-foot and 4 Uncertains were new for the year. Otherwise there was White-shouldered House-moth, Blastobasis lacticolella, Garden Carpet, 2 Mottled Beauties, Buff Ermine, 5 Heart and Darts (I've had 20 so far this year compared with 1 in each of the last two years - is that just because I'm using an MV light now?), Double Square-spot, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Brown Rustic, Treble Lines and Spectacle.
Friday 10th June
Not sure if it was the rain just before dusk or the slightly cooler temperatures but the first hour after dark produced just a White-shouldered House-moth. A few large moths eventually appeared but numbers were well done on the last couple of nights. They were 2 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot and Mottled Rustic.
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Mottled Rustic (left) and Setaceous Hebrew Character (right), Bawdeswell, 10th June |
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Thursdsay 9th June
Grey Pug is a common species that I've been looking out for, as it's one I'd not identified before. I did consider it as a possibility for the as yet still unidentified pug from Tuesday but tonight I finally found one that I'm reasonably confident about (but let me know if you disagree, as always). Also tonight my second Amblyptilia acanthydactyla and a few new species for the year: Blastodacna hellerella, Eucosma cana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers, 2 Common Emeralds and Small Blood-vein. The rest were Blastobasis lacticolella, Celypha lacunana, Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie, Bee Moth, 6 Small Dusty Waves, 5 Riband Waves, 7 Common Pugs, 2 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Buff Ermine, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Double Square-spots, Dark Arches, 2 Marbled Minor aggs., Spectacle and Snout. In addition there was a Tortrix which I haven't managed to ID yet (update - I have now - it was Clepsis consimilana, my first this year - had forgotten they weren't always plain)
Wednesday 8th June
Highlight of tonight's mothing was a Small Angle Shades - only my second following one at the end of last month. Other than that there were Tinea semifulvella, 2 Brown House-moths, Epiblema trimaculana, Scaparia sp. (ambigualis or pyralella - confirmation would be welcome!), 3 Bee Moths, 2 Small Dusty Waves, Riband Wave, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Mottled Beauty, Heart and Dart, Flame, 3 Double Square-spots, Brown Rustic, Mottled Rustic and 5 Snouts.
Tuesday 7th June
Today my team at work had a 'team day', and we hired a room at Sculthorpe Moor for the event. At lunch time my whole team took a guided walk round the reserve and I think even the most ardent non-birders in the team enjoyed the Marsh Harriers, with the TV relay allowing them to continue watching the female feeding the chicks even after she had dropped out of view. Otherwise a couple of Marsh Tits and a Bullfinch were about it, with moths represented by Silver-ground Carpet and Straw Dot.
This evening produced 53 moths of 24 species, though nothing particularly remarkable among them (assuming the as-yet unidentified Pug doesn't turn out to be remarkable): Cork Moth, 3 Tinea semifulvella, 1 Parornix sp., 2 Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths, 6 Small Magpies, Phlyctaenia coronata ( first this year), Small Dusty Wave, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Green Carpet, Currant Pug, 7 Common Pugs, 3 Willow Beauties, 3 Mottled Beauties, 4 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, Flame, Double Square-spot, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Dark Arches (first this year), 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Spectacles, Snout and Small Fan-foot.
Monday 6th June
A search for White-throated Robins along the track from Hunstanton to Heacham in my lunch break failed to turn any up, but given the scenes induced by one in Hartlepool I'm not sure I'd have wanted to be too close to one! If this is what's required to see it then I won't be rushing up...
Calmer conditions produced a few more moths tonight including 4 new for the year (Common Carpet, Green Pug, Bright-line Brown-eye and Mottled Rustic). The rest were 2 White-shouldered House-moths, 2 Blastobasis lacticolella, Small Magpie, Bee Moth, 2 Common Swifts, 2 Small Dusty Waves, Mottled Pug, Freyer's Pug, 4-6 Common Pugs, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Heart and Dart, 2 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, Middle-barred Minor and Snout.
Sunday 5th June
An early start to see if the odd-sounding Reed Warbler would reveal itself. The short drive there was the most eventful birding today with Little Owl at the end of my road, Hobby over the A1067 at Bintree, Little Egret over the A1067 at Twyford and Barn Owl and Great Spotted Woodpecker at Guist Bridge. I spent an hour at the ditch in the hope of hearing a Great Reed Warbler but sadly that wasn't to be. I did hear what I presume must have been the culprit - in the hour it gave all of about half a second of song. That half second of song was enough though - unfortunately it sounded like a perfectly ordinary Reed Warbler this time, but at least I can now put to bed any thoughts of having thrown away another rare bird yesterday.
The wind isn't good for moths and I didn't have the light on for long, so I only managed 5 moths tonight (5 more than last night). The first to arrive was my first ever Pale Mottled Willow and the second to arrive was my second ever Campion. Willow Beauty, Green Carpet and Small Dusty Wave followed.
Campion, Bawdeswell, 5th June
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Pale Mottled Willow (left) and Willow Beauty (right), Bawdeswell, 5th June
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Snout, Bawdeswell, 5th June |
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Saturday 4th June
I started off with a second helping of the Marsh Warbler this morning. It showed extremely well this time, though strangely it has now moved to a reedbed - not the habitat you would expect for a Marsh Warbler. It continues to mimic new species - it started quacking like a Mallard at one point! Please forgive the overload of photos... I may have got a bit carried away!
Once I'd had my fill I took a look round Swanton Morley fishing lakes. Not much to report, Kingfisher and Little Egret was about it. I returned home via Bintree and Guist, stopping sharply on hearing a raucous-sounding Reed Warbler in a ditch. Unfortunately it shut up once I stopped. Probably nothing to worry about, but mindful of the recent Yellowlegs throw-away I don't want to do the same with a Great Reed Warbler now! I gave it 40 minutes with no sight or sound. I hadn't got a huge amount of time so I decided to leave it at that point and return in the later in the day. This I did and while others were watching hundreds of Manx Shearwaters streaming past the coast I was sat next to a ditch listsening for, but not to, an unidentified Acro. A few croaks sounded promising, but I wasn't sure if they were coming from the right bird, or even a bird! A very short burst of Acro song still sounded raucous but not loud, but that might have been because of the wind - it wasn't long enough or clear enough to nail the elusive songster either way. I will have to return in the morning, when it will probably turn out to be just a Reed Warbler.
Friday 3rd June
Far fewer moths tonight - I guess the clear skies and breeze aren't a good combination. Of the 9, 4 were Flames and 2 were new for the year (Crambus lathoniellus and Double Square-spot). The others were Garden Carpet, Common Pug and Snout.
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Double Square-spot (left) and Crambus lathoniellus (right), Bawdeswell, 3rd June |
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Thursday 2nd June
Tonight's moths were Diamond-back Moth, 6 Brown House-moths (a record count), Plum Tortrix (my first this year), 2 Epiblema trimaculana, 2 Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie, 2 Bee Moths, Common Swift, 3 Small Dusty Waves, Treble Brown Spot, Riband Wave (my earliest ever), Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, 6 Common Pugs, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties (earliest ever), 8 Flames (a record count - I'd only seen singles last year and none previously), 3 Flame Shoulders, Marbled Minor plus 4 Marbled Minor aggs., Middle-barred Minor and Mottled Rustic.
Wednesday 1st June (updated in September)
It was a night for small moths tonight with the majority of moths being either micros or smaller macros. One was unfamiliar and the best match I could find initially was Aproaerema anthyllidella, which would have been an excellent record. Unfortunately though, it proved to be less exciting - by the time I had the the gen det results back I was already half-expecting the answer as I had seen more of them since - it was in fact Bryotropha affinis . Still, it was my first, so not altogether bad, and I'm grateful for Jon for clearing it up anyway. Jon also gen detted a Coleophora for me - that proved to be the most common and widespread of all the Coleophoras - Coleophora alticolella. Common and widespread it may be, but this is my only confirmed record of this species.
The easier ones were Tinea semifulvella, Parornix anglicella (probably), 3 Brown House-moths, Blastobasis lacticolella, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths, 3 Epiblema trimaculana, Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Small Magpies, Bee Moth, Common Swift, 4 Small Dusty Waves, Treble Brown Spot, Currant Pug, 10 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Common White Wave, Heart and Dart, Varied Coronet (my first ever), Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2 Marbled Minor agg., Middle-barred Minor and 3 Snouts.
Next month: July 2011
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