Merveille du jour

Another trapping session in Colwyn Bay prodiced the first Merveille du jour of the year, a really smart moth. Also common marbled carpet, lbam and a probable but very worn spruce carpet.

Mynydd Bodafon, Anglesey 15/11/12

As it was a very warm evening I dug the moth trap out of its winter storage. Conditions were cloudy and humid but the skies cleared overnight which may have reduced the catch. However there was quite a variety, if not huge numbers.

3 Red-green Carpet
1 Angle Shades
1 Silver Y
2 Black Rustic
2 November Moth
1 Blair's Shoulder-knot
1 December Moth
2 Feathered Thorn
1 Beaded Chestnut
2 Flounced Chestnut
1 Winter Moth
1 Northern Deep-brown Dart
1 Spruce Carpet

December Moth

November Moth

Still catching the occasional moth with a spruce carpet in the trap last night and a light brown apple moth still on the wing with a silver Y the night before.

Colwyn Bay

Put my spare trap up at R&R's in Colwyn Bay last night and recorded my first mottled umber of the year. Also 4 common marbled carpets and an angle shades. Back home I just had a single figure of eight.

Slightly milder last night so gave it a go and trapped a common marbled carpet and 3 micros one of which I think is acleris sparsana which would only be 6th record for Gwynedd so opinions welcomed as to it's id. Also had common plume and one that got away which I think was eudonia angustea type.

Hark the Herald!

A good catch for this time of year last night.

1 Herald
3 Pale Pinions
2 Angle Shades
3 Feathered Ranunculus
1 Black Rustic
1 probable Northern Deep-brown dart
1 Common Marbled Carpet
3 Silver Y

Any suggestions or corrections appreciated.

 A lovely Herald

 Common Marbled Carpet

 Black Rustic?

 Figure of Eight

 Figure of Eight

 Northern Deep Brown Dart?

 Pale Pinion

 Silver Y

 No idea - any help please?

Gr-eight

New in for the year last night was a figure of eight while also trapped were a silver Y, feathered ranunculus and lbam.

Jays

There has been a report of a large influx of Jays into the UK recently. Mike Smith has had a few around Cemaes this week and I had one nearby at Llanrhuddlad today. We don't normally get them in this neck of the woods so presume them to be migrants. Has anyone else had Jays in parts of North Wales that doesn't normally get them this week?

Still coming

Green brindled crescent was new for the year last night while I also trapped a paler version of beaded chestnut plus silver Y, feathered ranunculus, angle shades, blair's shoulder knot and 2 red line quakers.

Immigrant

Not a lot happening lately but managed an immigrant dark sword grass last night along with blair's shoulder knot, common marbled carpet and an lbam.

Scorpion Fly

Got this shot of a Scorpion Fly whilst Blackberrying with the kids at the weekend.It was wondering around cobwebs looking for prey on which to feed with it's extended mouth-parts.You can see the scorpion like tail on the tip of it's abdomen.

For the first time in about three weeks I was able to set the heath traps out again, and they certainly produced a good number of moths. I had over 110 moths in one trap, most of which were Lunar Underwings. There were also a few new moths which included my first Red-line Quakers of the autumn, a lovely Green-brindled Crescent, a Turnip Moth and a migrant Dark Sword-grass. The first Blair's Shoulder-knot for Bardsey was trapped in the observatory MV trap.

 Green-brindled Crescent

 Blair's Shoulder-knot

 Red-line Quaker

 Turnip Moth and Dark Sword-grass

Caloptilia stigmatella- 12 in the moth trap is a record catch for the island

Line up

A red-line quaker was new for the year last night while also trapped were 5 feathered ranunculus, black rusric, lesser yellow underwing, blair's shoulder knot and garden rose tortrix.

New garden record

New record for the garden last night with a dusky thorn, although I used to catch the odd one when I lived in Deeside. Also 3 blair's shoulder knot, brimstone, black rustic, common marbled carpet and feathered ranunculus.

Cemaes 6th Oct 2012

Last night was pretty good in my Cemaes back garden. 3 Black Rustics, 1 Green Brindled Cresent, 3 Blair's Shoulder Knots,1 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Feathered Ranunculus, 2 Marbled Carpets and an Ichneumon Fly. Most was around but not in the trap, and thankfully I got there before the blackbird and sparrows! Also for interests sake here's a shot of a Black banded I had in the garden in Sept 5th 2008.A nationally and locally rare species with the only other Anglesey records being in Swtan and Amlwch.

Biggest total

My biggest single catch of 5 Blair's shoulder-knot in the trap last night along with common marbled carpet, feathered ranunculus and nfy beaded cheshtnut.

Cemaes Moths

Not much in the trap this last week or so. Highlights have been this Dark Sword Grass, Pink barred Sallow and this brown jobbie that I've been struggling with. Any ideas?

A Blair's shoulder knot was new for year last night while others trapped were 2 lesser yellow underwing, garden carpet, angle shades, silver Y and feathered ranunculus.

Same but different

A different form of garden rose tortrix trapped last night from the one I had earlier in the year along with lesser yellow underwing, silver Y, common marbled carpet and 2 lbam.

Rained off

After keeping the trap indoors out of the torrential rain over the last couple of days I risked putting it back out last night and had another black rustic along with 2 common marbled carpets, a brimstone, lesser yellow underwing and 3 lbam's.

Black beauties

First signs of autumn moths last night with 2 black rustics in the trap. Also 2 angle shades and a large yellow underwing.

Nettle Tap and ?

 Day-flying Nettle Tap is a common micro but new for me.  
Can't find this one below having had a good look.  It was in the house so prob not scarce. Any help please.

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After catching a centre-barred sallow at my son's in Dyserth a couple of weeks ago one turned up nfy in my garden last night. Four large yu, feathered ranunculus and lbam were the rest of the catch.

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Fewer moths

A definite down turn in moth numbers now but managed one nfy last night with a green carpet. Also my second canary-shouldered thorn with the few others being mostly yellow underwings.

Yellow barred Brindle - First Garden record

The moth trap seems full of Marbled Carpets and Large Yellow Underwings at the moment. However this nice Yellow barred Brindle was the first I've had in my Penrhyn Bay garden.

Island update

Its been ages since I last posted on here, mainly as I've caught very few moths in the last few weeks. Last night was a bit of an improvement, with around 60 moths in the trap. Amongst the Flounced Rustics, July Highfliers and Small Square Spots was the year's first Canary-shouldered Thorn and Heath Rustic. Also notable was an Oblique Carpet and Common Marbled Carpet.

 Canary-shouldered Thorn

 Oblique Carpet

 Heath Rustic. This species is said to be local, and indeed this is the only record of the year here so far. However, in September 2010 I placed the moth trap on the mountain in some calm weather and caught two hundred of them each night!

I also saw this pretty stunning caterpillar, and was wondering if anyone had a clue what it was?