Monday 13 November 2017

23rd October

Fryth Wood, Howick

Just a mere 146 years between sightings.

A last minute decision to chose this location to moth trap was a to be an inspiring revelation.
I had already found a immigrant Gem 9 days previous which I was very pleased about, but I had heard a Vestal's had been sighted in various counties. I was hoping but felt a wood was not ideal.
My ideal location had to be aborted because the remnants of storm 'Brian' was still passing through.
A keen west-south-westerly was still blowing in exposed areas this evening bringing a few spots of rain on occasion in breezes.
Luckily my usual spot in this wood was sufficient enough to thwart most of the stronger breezes which tended to brush over the tops of trees leaving the lower ground levels protected and much calmer compared, however a few gusts did spiral downwards.
I did not hope for anything unusual to come to the trap, not in this wood, just the possibility of perhaps a new species to the site that I had missed on previous visits.
The breeze was a concern but moths still arrived which put me in a positive frame of mind.
Things went quiet so I had a coffee and a short wander only to come back to find a Red Admiral butterfly perched upon an egg box looking at me from inside the moth trap.
An unusual situation indeed and a first ever for this to happen to me on a night time trap.


It would be the first of three highlights within the next 30 minutes though as things got busier.
Next a small moth came to the light and kept flirting back and forth. I wondered if it was an out of season Small fan-footed Wave, for I sometimes get extra generations of moths in favourable conditions here in the south-east of the county. A temporary pause by the moth allowed me capture it revealing a very nice Vestal, and a new location for it.
The best was to come not too long afterwards as another butterfly came to the trap, or so it appeared.
It looked like a Marbled White butterfly as it's wings flapped around the upright, actinic tube light.
Excitement poured over me, this looked very unusual, unfamiliar, even visually exotic on this blustery mild evening.
I managed to capture it quite easily with no fuss and in one of those moments that I can't explain I spoke under my breath and said a Crimson Speckled. Why I said this I don't know for I'd never seen one but it most have logged somewhere in the grey matter after looking at pictures in my book and online.
The moth settled down and upon checking my book it had to be a Crimson Speckled.


A stunning moth with beautiful markings which derives from the Mediterranean countries and north Africa.
So how had it got here. I can only think storm Brian had collected it with the strong warm southerly winds that had originated right back into the African continent shown on weather maps a few days previously.
Further investigations found that somebody had found one before in the county in Monmouth in 1871, a mere 146 years ago as confirmed by Martin Anthoney.
He said he had always wanted to have seen one and I can see why. I'm extremely lucky to have seen it myself and probably this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to have seen it here.
   



1 comment:

  1. Crimson Speckled is just amazing - I am insanely jealous of you catching that. I was trying my hardest at Dingestow, but the great thing about migrant moths is that they can turn up anywhere! Well done.

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