21st December

Wet evening at St. Pierre's Great Wood, Mounton

I was keen to get out into the wild woods again before the year is out so choose a local wood quite close to me. The weather looked a bit iffy, however it was going to be reasonably mild this evening and overcast with just light rain at times. The forecasted rain did not seem to be materialising here at Chepstow until I was about to depart.
I was already packed and I was going I thought.... looking out of the window at the rain.
The rain was mainly light throughout the evening mirroring the forecast, although some moderate spells did occur especially towards the end around 8pm. This was when I started to get soaking wet and promptly packed up.
Still, it was a good exercise to get out there in the rain and just see what affect it might have on the moth population. The moths did not seem to bothered I can report, as 22 moths of 4 species turned up, although one did reside a distance away on vegetation.
Winter Moth (10), December Moth (9), darker speckled forms of Mottled Umber (2) and a single surprise Yellow-line Quaker. Quite late in the season for this species and the one that sat some 18 feet away from the trap. I was lucky to see it.
I was pleased to discover it because it's my only sighting of this moth this year.