'Hardy' Moths

1st March

Ravensnest Wood, Devauden

'Hardy' Moths

Quite a typical day for early March in that the temperatures were not expected to get into double figures, plus a few showers were dotted around occasionally wintery with hail.
Chanced a visit to Ravensnest this evening to get out of the house and into the fresh air.
Not hoping to see too much and that is how it turned out with 13 moths of 5 species at the finish.
Dotted Border, Yellow Horned, Clouded Drab plus micro Tortricodes alternella had made an effort to visit, although a few Dotted Border were paying a watching brief on Hazel twigs close by.
Mid way through the session one of those rouge showers crossed over the site lasting about 35 minutes, so I dropped an umbrella over the trap and sat down in the car for coffee.

Small Brindled Beauty

Finally the shower was abating, but must have notably dropped the temperature down by a few degrees for as I looked out of the windscreen, sleet now appeared mixed in with the light rain. It still carried on for a few minutes later but I had got out the vehicle by then, for another moth was circulating around the light.
I immediately knew it was a Small Brindled Beauty looking down at the ground sheet, but really had not expected it to be active on a chilly night like this, in fact many moths at all. So an interesting exercise tonight despite low numbers, to see if moths do operate in low temperatures. Answer is, yes some do it seems.