Well...
We have finally moved home and back to our village routes (Both my wife and myself grew up in small villages).
Not just moved house, but moved County! Residing now in the South-east corner of Cambridgeshire.
Starting to feel settled in, but it still feels like i'm at an Air B&B!
I ran my maiden trap last night, not expecting much because the sky cleared and the temperature started to fall away.
But, within minutes of plugging in my Actinic trap (No MV here as it would be too bright) there were moths buzzing around it, mainly Orange Swifts and grass moths, a promising start indeed.
And then a miracle happened, as I was sitting on the sofa on my phone, a large 'being' swooped across the patio door. I was convinced a Bat had crash-landed, or maybe a disorientated bird.
No, it was a blooming moth, and a big one at that, a giant in fact! A Blue Underwing was sitting on top of the rain guard, I dashed in and grabbed my phone for a record shot and then got a pot, phew...it was still there I thought, as I enticed it into a sandwich container.
This is not only a great moth, but also a first for me and on my first trapping night in our new house...I can't quite describe the feeling.
It was also in remarkable condition and was generally very tame and didn't mind being handled.
Phew-wee, and then there were 98 more moths I counted come the morning, of a further 32 species.
I do realise that i'm now posting on a Herts Moth Blog about Cambs moths... eek! I must change it over, but I will still enjoy recording moths in Hertfordshire where I work.
Below is last night's list
Moth garden list stands at 33 species
27/08/21 - Back Garden - Fordham - East Cambridgeshire - Actinic Trap
Macro Moths
Brimstone Moth 1
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1
Common Carpet 1
Common Wainscot 5
Flounced Rustic 18
Garden Carpet 1
Knot Grass 1
Large Yellow Underwing 5
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 2
Nutmeg 2
Old Lady 1
Orange Swift 5
Riband Wave 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character 11
Shuttle-shaped Dart 2
Smoky Wainscot 2
Square-spot Rustic 1
Straw Underwing 6
Swallow Prominent 1
Tawny Speckled Pug 1
Treble Bar 1
Turnip Moth 2
Vine's Rustic 5
White point 5
Willow Beauty 5
Micro Moths
Agriphila geniculea 4
Bryotropha domestica 1
Elophila nymphaeata 1
Epiphyas postvittana 3
Bryotropha domestica 1
Elophila nymphaeata 1
Epiphyas postvittana 3
Hofmannophila pseudospretella 1
Parapoynx stratiotata 1
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad 2
Parapoynx stratiotata 1
Yponomeuta cag/mal/pad 2
Actinic Trap |
Blue Underwing |
Quick get a pot, or a sandwich container! |
Blue Underwing |
Hofmannophila pseudospretella |
Knot Grass |
Nutmeg |
Tawny-speckled Pug |
Treble-bar |
All the best for your new home. Don't expect mega-moths every night!
ReplyDeleteO no, I won't :)
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