14th May

Grondra Great Wood, near Shirenewton

A new location for Pauper/Fletcher's Pug

Had a good turn out at Grondra Great Wood this evening with cross range of species.
I never really get huge numbers here of anything in particular but the range is generally good when conditions are in favour. The species list here is growing at a good rate I'm pleased to report.
With a couple of moths still to look over, the count was over 50 tonight, with at least 28 species. These included 5 localised, 2 Scarce B and 1 Red Data Book moth.
I was not targeting anything in particular I just did my usual thing, turn up, observe, and record.
The night was quiet and fairly still. Little traffic rolls past here on this minor road especially of an evening and there was only 3 cars recorded tonight which was very unusual; must have been plenty of good programmes to watch at home.
A local farmers dog barked at my presence quarter of a mile away in the still distance questioning what I was up to, and one of the small localised bat's made its rounds over head once every 10 minutes or so, but thankfully it did not get interested in what I was doing for it's potential meal.
The temperature was set to drop away this evening but was holding up ok whilst I was there.

Pauper/Fletcher's Pug

For moths, the biggest surprise was a single Pauper/Fletcher's Pug turning up, although considering I was close to flowering Lime trees I would make perfect sense. This according the V35 distribution maps would be a new site and farthermost westerly point found so far. After I discovered it at Great Barnet's Wood, Mounton last year, 2018, this new location helps it break away from the Wye Valley stronghold and opens doors for other possibilities within other local woods going forward.

Little Thorn

Another new macro for the site at Grondra was Little Thorn (2), which appears to be dotted around in many of the woods locally near by, St. Pierre's Great Wood nearby being one example. It can found often by day I find, lying atop of vegetation in shade.

Roeslerstammia exerlebella (Coppel Ermel)

The copper coloured micro Roeslerstammia exerbella was trapped here again at Grondra Great Wood following on from a second generation sighting in August 2016. I thought this micro only fed on Lime but Birch is it other food plant. It's obviously doing very well here in this wood on Lime.