Sharp-angled Peacock at 'Barnets'

 Look back at.... August

6th August

Bishop's Barnets Wood, Chepstow

Sharp-angled Peacock

Some breaks in the cloud in the afternoon continued into the evening period leading to partly cloudy skies. The evening was reasonably warm so I was hopeful of some interesting moths. The wood though can be strangely quiet for moths quiet often I remember and it started off that way, unnervingly quiet. I had often wondered if bats had taken a lot of the moths in more open areas, but not enclosed one's. An open spot here slowly yielded moths to the tune of  75 of 22 species. The highest count was Small Magpie (18). Five localised moths in the form of Satin Lutestring, Buff Footman, Scorched Carpet, Clouded Magpie and Black Arches (12) turned up. These are moths familiar with the woods in this complex and tend to move around although arguably I have seen numbers of Black Arches seem to soar if in protected areas. Another localised species that arrived was one I had never seen before here or anywhere else. A very nice Sharp-angled Peacock dropped in, something that completely took me by surprise. It probably is using Alder or Sallow's as it's foodplant here. It is a nice addition to the species in this woodland and a moth I'd like to see again perhaps in a different area close by.