After 3 blank nights a moth! However, it was just a Turnip-but my latest ever.

Turnip Moth

Just one moth again this morning: The Chestnut. This species has become more common in my garden recently with 24 of my 30 records occuring in the last 3 years. Below is a photograph taken back in August at Lydden, Kent.

 

Straw Belle

Mild night with a low of 8.5c. Only 1 moth again: Blastobasis lacticolella. Below is another of the new micros for this year recorded in September.  

Pandemis cinnamomeana

After 4 completely blank nights there was just 1 moth this morning: November Moth (agg.). For several years I've been looking for a Mother Shipton and I finally saw one this year on a visit to the Cotswolds. Picture below:

Mother Shipton

A low of 2.5c overnight and the first frost of the year on cars in the street. So it was no surprise that there was nothing in the trap this morning. One species that had a good year here at least was the Old Lady with nearly a quarter of my records over the last 12 years being this year.

Old Lady

Colder night-minimum 4c. Three moths: 2 November Moths (agg.) and a Rusty-dot Pearl. Didn't get a Frosted Orange in the garden this year-picture below from Cornwall in September.

Frosted Orange

7c minimum last night and 2 moths this morning: November Moth (agg.) and Silver Y. Below is one of the new micros from earlier in the year.

Cherry Bark Moth-Enamonia formosana

A warmer night with a low of 8c. Just one moth: Light Brown Apple Moth. below is another of the new micros I've had this year.

Caloptilia syringella 

It was the coldest night for a while 3c-so first complete blank for sometime too. Below is another of the new micros for 2011.

Coleophora albitarsella

A colder night with a low of 5c-just 1 moth: Lesser Yellow Underwing-probably the same one as yesterday. Below is a butterfly picture from Cornwall at the end of last month.

Clouded Yellow

Minimum of 9c again last night. Six moths this morning: November Moth (agg.), Rusty-dot Pearl, Light Brown Apple Moth, 2 Blastobasis lacticolella, and my latest ever Lesser Yellow Underwing-I thought it might be a Lunar Underwing but sadly it's not. There was also a Green Sheildbug sat near the trap-picture from the archives below.

Green Shieldbug

A minimum of 9c last night-staying mild but just one moth Acleris sparsana on the vanes of the trap. The second one of the Autumn-see post on October 26th. Below is a nicely marked micro seen on the Dungeness RSPB reserve earlier this year.

Eucosoma campoliliana

Mild weather continues with a low of 9c overnight. Just 3 moths this morning-the first night of the Winter Garden Moth Survey: November Moth (agg.), Silver Y and Light Brown Apple Moth. Below is one of the new micros of this year. 

Batia lunaris

A slightly colder night last night with a min. of 7c. Only 2 micros this morning: Blastobasis decolorella & Light Brown Apple Moth. Below is a Clouded Brindle from earlier in the year. This was the 3rd garden record, but the first for 10 years!  

Clouded Brindle

Slightly cooler night but dry (min. 8.5c). Again only 1 moth-The Mallow-see below. The 2nd one of the autumn for me.

The Mallow

Another wet night with a low of 9.5c. Down to 1 moth this morning: The Chestnut. It's been a good autumn for L-album Wainscots. I only recorded my first in 2008, with 5 of my 8 records coming this year.   

L-album Wainscot

Low of 10c & some rain again last night produced 3 moths this morning: Large Wainscot, Silver Y & Light Brown Apple Moth. Here's the Scarce Umber from last year.

Scarce Umber

Down to 2 moths this morning: November Moth (agg.) and Yellow-line Quaker. The temperature hardly varied in the last 24 hours with a min. of 10c & a max. of 11c. In November 2010 I recorded 2 firsts for the garden list, the long awaited Merveille du Jour, pictured below, and Scarce Umber. The Merveille du Jour came about a month after I'd photographed my first one ever whilst on holiday in Cornwall. That picture subsequently appeared on "Autumnwatch" and can seen at the following link:

http://flickriver.com/photos/34579661@N04/popular-interesting/

Still awaiting the first Feathered Thorn of the year.

Merveille du Jour

The mild weather continues with a low of 11c last night. 8 moths: Blastobasis lacticolella, Yellow-line Quaker, Light Brown Apple Moth, Blair's Shoulder-knot, November Moth (agg.), Large Wainscot, Shuttle-shaped Dart, & Silver Y. Still hoping for a Feathered Thorn this autumn. Below is one of this year's new micros. 

Ypsolopha sequella

Another mild wet night (10c) produced 7 moths: 1 Red-line Quaker, 2 Yellow-line Quaker, 2 November Moths (agg.), 1 Turnip & 1 Blastobasis lacticolella. I've recorded 21 new micro species in the garden this year. One of the nicer ones is illustrated below.

Pempelia formosa

A very wet night with a low of only 12 c. Again 9 moths in the trap: 2 Yellow-line Quaker, 3 November Moths (agg.), Chestnut, Rusty-dot Pearl, Light Brown Apple-Moth and Shuttle-shaped Dart. Earlier in the year I was surprised to find a Lime Hawk-Moth in the middle of the kitchen floor. It was the 3rd "garden" record, but the 1st in the digital camera era, which enabled me to get this photograph.

Lime Hawk-Moth

A minimum of 9c last night. 9 Moths this morning: 2 Yellow-line Quaker, Chestnut, Green-brindled Crescent,Turnip, 2 November Moth (agg.), Blair's Shoulder-knot & the Brick.

The Chestnut

Slightly cooler night 9c-10 Moths: 2 Yellow-line Quaker, 1 Red-line Quaker, 3 November Moths (agg.), 2 Large Wainscot, 2 Turnip & a Rusty-dot Pearl.

Red-line Quaker  

Yet another mild night (Min 12 c) produced 2 Yellow-line Quakers, Turnip, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Rusty-dot Pearl & a very worn carpet (Spruce?). Looking back over the year, 2 species which I've waited 12 years to get in the trap are illustrated below.

Oak Hook-tip

 Oak Nycteoline