Monmouth Town
New record for Vice county 35
A visit to the town of Monmouth on Monday 26th of March for the good lady to conduct a little casual shopping produced a very unusual sighting of a micro moth.
A wander back along Monnow Street looking at various shops did not initially hold too much interest for me that is until we got to this clothes shop. The shop window front came into sharp focus all of a sudden because a moth was attached to it.
I immediately knew what it was.... a Small Magpie.
After getting a photograph, the first question for me was what was it doing out now?
I checked the flight season after getting back home and e-mailed Sam Bosanquet because this moth is normally flying around June and July at its peak.
Sam returned my mail to point out that one late April sighting had been made in the databank but never one in March, so this becomes the earliest ever sighting by far for Vice county 35.
Glad I went shopping with the wife now!
Hi Nick - your post prompted me to check my note book as I also had a small magpie recently. I didn't need to go shopping - it was on my living room ceiling on 3rd April. Potted and released.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, that's interesting and a early date indeed.
ReplyDeleteSam Bosanquet did ask me if the one I found was inside or on the outside of the window to rule out if it had emerged from indoors. I suppose there could be a possibility here at Monmouth, but I do know the outside temperature did hit 13-14c locally for two days at this time in March which may have triggered it to emerge. Still, both impressive dates none the less!