Another warm night produced 21 moths of 16 species. New for the year were Green Pug and a Tawny Shears, which was only my 2nd ever record and the first for 6 years. This morning I went over to East Blean Woods where the Heath Fritillaries were showing well.

Tawny Shears

 Heath Fritillary

 Heath Fritillary

Last night was  humid with a low of 13c and was by far the best night of the year so far with 35 moths of 22 species. New for the year were: Agapeta hamana, the Nut-bud Moth, an Oegoconia sp., the Hollyhock Seed Moth, Eurpean Corn-borer, Garden Grass-veneer, Mottled Beauty, Flame Shoulder, The Flame, Heart & Club, and Double Square-spot.

 European Corn-borer

 Agapeta hamana

   

17 moths of 10 species this morning. New for the year were Clouded Border and Eudonia lacustrata. On Tuesday I photographed Celypha cespitana on the Dungeness RSPB Reserve-a new species for me.

 Eudonia lacustrata

 Celypha cespitana

Still not many moths to report. On Monday I had just 2 moths in the trap, yesterday 5 and this morning 3. However this morning Pale Mottled Willow and Common Footman were both new for the year. Last week I made a brief visit to East Blean Woods and failed to see a single butterfly species. Yesterday I spent most of the day at Dunge but there were few birds of interest. The Six-spot Burnet moths were common along by the power station wall and a Common Seal was eating a flatfish at the patch.

Six-spot Burnet on Viper's-bugloss

 Common Seal

Just 6 moths of 6 species after a wet & windy night. White Ermine was new for the year.

White Ermine

The last 2 days have produced a few moth species new for the year: Buff-tip, Mottled Rustic, Esperia sulphurella, and my 3rd garden record of Scalloped Hazel which was the 1st for 8 years. Unfortunately it was a very tatty individual so no photograph.

Buff-tip

The warmest most humid night of the year so far only produced 15 moths of 11 species-not even the best night of the year. However, I did get 2nd garden records of Oak Hook-tip and Plum Tortrix, and a nice Clouded Silver which proved too lively to photograph.

Plum Tortrix

 Oak Hook-tip

Nine species this morning after a warmer night. New species for the year over the last 3 days are: White-shouldered House Moth, Brown Rustic, The Spectacle, and Platyedra subcinerea.

 The Specatcle

 Platyedra subcinerea

Nine moths of 7 species this morning. New for the year were Agonopterix arenella, Silver Y, Waved Umber, and Mottled Pug.

Waved Umber

 Agonopterix arenella

New for the year this morning were Heart & Dart, Willow Beauty, Light Brown Applle Moth, and my 2nd ever record of Oak-tree Pug. Itn seemed very "quiet" at Dunge so I was encouraged to make the longish journey (I was driven) to Cuckmere Haven for the (1st Summer) American Golden Plover. I'd heard the bird was very confiding and we weren't disappointed.

Oak-tree Pug

 American Golden Plover

Well not exactly fantastic but last night was the best of the year so far with 17 moths of 11 species, including a new macro species for the garden list: Light Brocade. I also had both Privet and Poplar Hawk-moths, which were new for the year alomg with the Red Twin-spot Carpet & Marbled Minor (agg.).

Light Brocade

Privet Hawk-moth

A warmer night produced 11 moths. May Highlyer, Spruce Carpet and Common Marbled Carpet were new for the year. Also a 2nd Pale Tussock after the one 2 days ago was interesting. Yesterday I photographed a Common Blue Butterfly locally which was my 1st of the year too.

Common Blue

Low numbers continue in the trap but with a few new species for the year. The best of these was a Pale Tussock yesterday. This was my 11th garden record in 14 years of trapping. The exciting news was of the Black Kite between here and Selling for the last few days. I've seen it on 2 occasions-the first I've seen in the UK. I'm still hoping to get a photograph.

 Pale Tussock

  

Since the last post moth numbers have continued very low for June. New species for the year have been Vine's Rustic, Treble Lines and Common Swift. However this morning I had The Parsnip Moth, which I have seen before, but not in my garden. So the garden list now stands at 490-can I get to 500 this year?

Parsnip Moth

Treble Lines

Slightly better this morning after 2 nights with nothing in the trap-(something I've not experienced in June before)-there were 8 moths of 6 species, with White-spotted Pug, Swallow Prominent & Diamond-back new for the year. Paid a visit to Bonsai bank this afternoon where I saw around 4 Duke of Burgundy Butterflies, 1 Green Hairstreak, several Dingy Skippers and a couple of Brimstones.

Diamond-back Moth

 Duke of Burgundy

Green Hairstreak

Well we've reached the end of another month and the Moths this year have actually been worse statistically than I thought. By the end of May last year I had recorded 56 species in the garden and this year the figure is 26. I did get however get 6 moths yesterday including Green Carpet, Freyer's Pug and a new micro fopr the garden list: Argyresthia trifasciata. On Friday I made a rip to Dunge and whilst it was generally fairly quiet I did photograph a Mediterranean Gull at Lade and a Little Owl in the Dungeness area.

Little Owl

Med Gull

 Argyresthia trifsciata

Green Carpet