Tuesday 30 June 2015

June in Caldicot

Being new to moths, I recently started running an actinic trap in my garden near Caldicot Castle; over four separate evenings in June I trapped a total of 26 species. The most interesting were Bordered Straw on June 17 and a Small Ranunculus on June 30.





Sunday 28 June 2015

Lower Ochrwyth - 27 June

Ran the MV last night and trapped 117 moths of 50 species.  Bulk of catch was Flame x26 and Heart & Dart x25.  Species of interest included: Double Line, Sandy Carpet, Cypress Carpet, and Epinotia bilunana.

Thursday 25 June 2015

Piercefield Woods

We'd another excellent night of trapping for Scarce Hook-tips last night, this time in Piercefield Woods. This site hasn't been trapped before as it is difficult to access, but NRW sorted out permission to drive cars through Piercefield Park, so we managed to get the equipment into the woods above the cliffs.

Between 8 traps we caught 14 Scarce Hook-tips, all very fresh males, as well as the other lime specialists Pauper Pug, Salebriopsis albicilla and Dichomeris ulstalella.

Scarce Hook-tip


Dichomeris ustalella
From the two nights of trapping it appears that Scarce Hook-tip is well established throughout the Piercefield-Wyndcliff-Blackcliff woodland complex, which is great news.

Other nice moths caught last night included Ruddy Carpet, Green Arches, Treble Brown-spot, Small Yellow Wave, Lunar Thorn, Satin Lutestring, Shark, Mocha and Eudonia delunella.
Ruddy Carpet

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Black Cliff last night

We had a bit of a 'mega' session at Black Cliff Wood (ST5398), with 4 MV lights and 4 actinic traps running for much of the night, in an attempt to find Scarce Hook-tip in this part of the Blackcliff-Wyndcliff Woods complex for the first time. In this we succeeded, with a total of 10 fresh males - most of these being in Martin Anthoney's trap. We also recorded two of the other Small-leaved Lime specialists, Pauper Pug and Salebriopsis albicilla.
Scarce Hook-tip
Salebriopsis albicilla
Other highlights included Orange Moth (caught by Nick and Scott from NRW), Waved Carpet, Beautiful Carpet, Blomer's Rivulet (about 100!), Eudonia delunella, Strophedra weirana, Eidophasia messingiella and Pammene herrichiana (tbc).

Orange Moth
Waved Carpet
Eidophasia messingiella (atypical)
Eudonia delunella
Pammene herrichiana
George (Butterfly Conservation Wales)

Saturday 20 June 2015

18th June
Penhow

Marbled White and Ringlet just emerging over the last few days.
Saw 2 dark Ringlet's, both which appeared camera-shy ..never stopped moving, and 5 Marbled Whites.


Small Skipper and Essex Skipper must be imminent I would have thought.

Lower Ochrwyth - 15 June

A bit late posting this but on 15th  MV brought in 107 moths of 30 species including: x4 Elephant HM, Alder Kitten, Waved Umber, Sharp-angled Peacock, Scorched Wing, and Clouded Border.


Thursday 18 June 2015

11th June
Near Livox, Wye Valley

A bit of a late post but thought it was of interest regarding the migrant theme as of late.
Went looking for butterflies mainly and found 29 butterflies of just 4 species.
Common Blue-26
Grizzled Skipper-1
and the migrant's
Painted Lady-1
Clouded Yellow-1
There was also a 'super-charged' Humming-bird Hawk-moth racing flower to flower.
Could not get a picture of this guy but thought two out of three ain't bad.




Also for the attention of George Tordoff and Steph Tyler.
Found 4 Bee Orchids in full bloom!
Although fairly uncommon I believe, the most astounding thing for me was where they were.
If plotted on a map they would very nearly form a straight line running about 200 yards in old measurement.
Consistent wind direction and seed dispersal perhaps?


Sunday 14 June 2015

Ochrwyth quarry

Overcast afternoon, so not very much on the wing.  I did manage to find a couple of Common Blue sitting up in the  grass, also my first Six-spot Burnet of the year, a few Crambus pratella and x2 Pyrausta cingulata.



Gordon Road, Blackwood

A rather wet night on Friday 12th June resulted in by far the best haul of moths so far in 2015 - at least 135 moths of 43 species including 15 NFYs.
By far the most interesting of the haul was a first record for VC35 for the micro moth Crocidosema plebejana which has been confirmed today with Sam Bosenquet, It is a scarce moth which usual inhabits coastal habitats, but does undergo migration movements in suitable conditions.


Saturday 13 June 2015

Uskmouth Butterfly Transect 11th June

Sheila carried out the transect starting at 12.30pm, after the warm air from the south had arrived, but  the numbers of butterflies were disappointing. They should build up in the next few weeks with good weather. Sheila recorded just 28 butterflies and 2 moths: Speckled Wood 11, Common Blue 6, Green-veined White 4, Large White 2, Small White 2, Peacock 2, Meadow Brown 1, Burnet Companion 1 and Yellow Shell 1.

Seaview St Brides 11th June

After a lack-lustre season so far, almost constantly cold and very windy, a bumper moth night on Thursday.
We trapped 204 macro moths from 29 species! New for us were shears, small waved umber and the highlight, a bordered straw.
D and J




Friday 12 June 2015

Lighthouse Park

Snatched 90 minutes with the actinic tubes and sheet tonight before the rain arrived at home. 36 moths of 15 species NFY were
Scarlet Tiger
Spruce Carpet
Gold Spot
Treble-bar

And this Bordered Sallow.


Bordered Sallow

Lighthouse Park

Ran 4x30w actinic tubes & a sheet last night at home. potted 180 moths of 35 species NFY were as follows
Dark Arches x 1
Common Wainscot x 3
Peach Blossom x 1
Burnished Brass x 2
Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix x 1
Chrysoteuchia culmella x 2

But the star of the night was this Goat Moth.
6-7th June
Various locations including;
New Tredegar, Fochriw, Bedwellty and Bargoed.

Emerging Summer Butterflies
Managed to take some time out to visit the above sites in search of butterflies over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of June.
Saturday 6th proved to be hard work as the elements were against me in the form of gusty winds and clouds quickly forming over the ridges of the hills casting shadows. A few butterflies were about but many had to be disturbed from low down in the vegetation.





Sunday 7th however was much kinder with light winds, prolonged warm sunshine, and very few clouds around later.
The often dismissed Small Heath seem to be in good numbers in many places visited whilst some some of the emerging summer butterflies posed for photographs like the Wall Brown and SPB Fritillary.
The recent southerlies that blew up in the latter part of the first week had brought in a few migrants with Silver Y and Painted Lady's encountered all very 'fresh'.

 

Coleophora follicularis

I wouldn't normally post a photo of a Coleophora, but this is one of the more handsome species. I found some larval cases on Hemp Agrimony at Slade Wood in May, and took a few home to try and rear through (we have some potted Hemp Agrimony in the garden, which made life a bit easier in terms of supplying fresh leaves). This adult emerged a few days ago.
Coleophora follicularis
George

Redhouse Barns 11th June 2015

I ran the MV and recorded 184 moths of 27 species, including 87 Small Square Spots, 25 Heart & Darts, a Clouded Border, a Light Emerald, 2 Silver-Y's, 11 Large Yellow Underwings, one Dark Arches, 2 Clouded Bordered Brindles, a Cloaked Minor, 2 Rush Veneers,a Blood Vein, one Agapeta hamana and 2 Scorched Wings.

Some of the 87 Small Square Spots

Surprisingly there were no hawkmoths. I live in hope of catching a migrant hawkmoth one day at Redhouse Barns - the trap is visible from the sea-wall, although its approx 1 km inland. Over the past 4 days I have seen 4 Painted Ladies from Uskmouth to Goldcliff and in-between. Also the first Meadow Browns have appeared.

Redhouse Barns 4th June

I ran the MV and caught 107 moths of 22 species, including 70 Small Square Spots, 5 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, a Lime Speck Pug, one Poplar Hawk, one Eyed Hawk, 2 Green Carpets, a Wax Moth, Burnished Brass and Diamond Back Moth.

Eyed Hawkmoth

Poplar Hawkmoth

Uskmouth Reedbeds 4th June

I put the Skinner actinic trap out in the Ringers' Ride and the next morning recorded 7 Silky Wainscots, 3 Obscure Wainscots, 2 Small China-marks, 1 Small Square Spot and 1 Heart & Dart. I had previously put the trap out twice in May and caught no moths at all.

 4 Silky Wainscots

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Lighthouse Park

Ran the actinic tubes & sheet for a couple of hours tonigh on the patio. ENE11 clear 10° but there was a nip to the breeze.just 10 moths of 8 species best of them was this Bordered Straw.


Bordered Straw.

Imperial Park

Checking under works security lights before starting my shift this morning potted a couple of nice moths. First was an Eyed Hawkmoth then a Lobster Moth. The best of the bunch was a lifer for me Striped Hawkmoth.
Lobster Moth

Striped Hawkmoth

Friday 5 June 2015

Lighthouse Park

Ran the 120w actinic last night at home while i was at work. 69 moths, 52 macro 17 micro.
26 macro & 7 micro species 11 NFY  best trap of the year so far.
Highlights were this Eyed Hawkmoth, Grey/Dark Dagger agg & Latticed Heath.



Imperial Park

A few moths about under the security lights at work last night. Highlights were Figure of Eighty, Miller & Ghost Moth