12th May

Redding's Inclosure

A slow wander down to Redding's Inclosure near Staunton enabled me to find a few moth species.
The day was a fine one within the wood and had quite a few cyclists around, enjoying the bright sunshine down the forest tracks with their voices carrying for some distance.
Birds were singing sharply this late spring day resonating far into the wood as if the barrier of trees were acting as fine acoustics. I had not been down here for a while and it felt good. One of last visits here a few years back had me walking past a dead deer which was not pleasant sight. Not sure if it had been shot or it had died of natural causes, still not particular good.
This time upon my exit, at the top of a 'scrape' the that forestry had carved out into the wood, I would have a better memory, for two healthy deer watched cautiously at a distance my movement along the track. With no camera in hand it was fruitless to attempt a photograph, they would be gone in a flash (no pun intended), so I just carried on getting a good view on the way.

Whilst I was there the few moths I came up with included  Brown Silver-line, Flame Carpet, Adela reaumurella, Micropterix calthella, Esperia sulphurella, Eriocrania semipurpurella and a pleasing leaf mine find of Eriocrania sangii. (pictured below)

Eriocrania sangii blotch mine

Unbelievingly the Flame Carpet was the most difficult to find. I had spotted it's movement several feet down the track, probably disturbed by the sun's progressive arc across the sky into shaded areas.
I kept my eye on it; or so I thought. Locating it against the dead bracken at this spot, took an absolute age to find. Several 'snap shots' of the area, and gazing, reviewing of photographs, eventually the moth came to view.
This is zoomed in so you can the difficulty I had, great camouflage though.
 

Flame Carpet