Quite a few moths the last 2 days with 98 of 30 species yesterday and 92 of 34 species today. However the only new macro for the year was an Old Lady yesterday, whilst this morning M
onopis obviella was a new micro for the year. Slightly more interesting was the Ash Bud Moth this morning which I think is the first tiem I've seen an example that wasn't the dark phase type.

Ash Bud Moth

 Old Lady

Yesterday I had 57 moths of 19 species and this morning there were 66 moths of 20 species. Today the catch was dominated by "brown jobs" with 23 Flounced Rustics, 12 "Yellow underwings" and 6 Square Spot Rustics. There was however one new micro for the year which was my 3rd record of Ypsolopha sequella and the first for 2 years. I then paid a visit to the Feast Hide at Grove Ferry where I failed with the Spotted Crake but the Kingfisher was posing.

Ypsolopha sequella

 Kingfisher

 Kingfisher

A cooler night (11c) meant justb 45 moths of 16 species this morning. I then made a trip to Grove Ferry. No sign of any Wrynecks this morning but whilst in the Feast Hide a Bittern perched in the reeds at the back of the pool for about 30 minutes. A Kingfisher also put in a brief appearance and there were also a couple of Green sandpipers and a Water Rail.

Bittern

 Kingfisher

Bittern

No trap Saturday night due the weather. This morning there were 71 moths of 31 species. New for the year were Tawny Speckled Pug and my 2nd ever Argyresthia semifusca.

Argyresthia semifusca

Despite the rain there were 76 moths of 34 species this morning including a rather worn Tree-lichen Beauty which was new for the garden and brings the total to 500.

Tree-lichen Beauty

Rain overnight but there were still 47 moths of 18 species. New for the year and the garden list was Cochylis hybridella-list now 499.

Cochylis hybridella

46 moths of 23 species in a wet trap this morning. New for the year were Setaceous Hebrew Character, Summer Fuit Tortrix and Dichrorampha acuminatana. A trip to Dunge produced liitle in the way of birds. I did photograph a Brown Argus on the RSPB Reserve.

 Dichrorampha acuminatana

 Brown Argus

Both yesterday and today had 26 moths in the trap. However yesterday there were only 12 species and today 20, including Metalampra italica for the 3rd year running and what I'm fairly certain is Monopis laevigella-The Skin Moth, which is new for the garden and brings the list to 498.

Metalampra italica

The Skin Moth

Yesterday had 65 moths of 24 species but only Mouse Moth was new for the year. This morning there were 67 moths of 31 species with a small tortrix which was new for the garden list. I only managed a poor photo but I have been informed that it is the Pine Leaf-mining Moth  (Clavigesta purdeyi)  Garden list 497 now.

Phycitodes binaevella

 Clavigesta purdeyi

Another fairly good catch with 54 moths of 28 species this morning. Straw Dot was new for the year and a small micro: Parachronistis albiceps was new for the garden list-now on 496.

 Straw Dot

 Parachronistis albiceps

67 moths of 31 species this morning but only Marbled Beauty was new for the year. Spent a day at Dunge today. Only 2 Wood Sandpipers and a couple of Garganey were of note. I did photograph an Emperor Dragonfly (eating a Damselfly) and a Clouded Yellow Butterfly.

 Emperor

 Clouded Yellow

Wednesday night was the coldest for some time with a low of 9c and only 21 moths of 12 species. Last night was mild again and produced 50 moths of 30 species. Only Small Rivulet was new for the year.

Small Rivulet

A colder night with alow of 9.5c. There were 55 moths of 25 species this morning. new for the year were: Pyrausta aurata, Nephopterix angustella, and Agriphila geniculea.

Agriphila geniculea

Pyrausta aurata

53 moths of 25 species this morning. new for the the year were: The Lychnis, Small Waved Umber, and Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner. Year total has now passed 200 species.

Orange Swift

Small Waved Umber

 The Lychnis

56 moths of 30 species this morning. New for the year were Pale Prominent, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix and new for the garden was another Tortrix: Zeiraphera insertana. Yesterday there was a nice Small Tortoiseshell in the garden too.

Pale Prominent

Zeiraphera insertana

Small Tortoiseshell

73 moths of 33 species in the trap this morning. Orange Swift was new for the year and Saltmarsh Plume was new for garden list. However, it legged it just as I was thinking it looked interesting. The previous night I stayed near Hastings to have a look at a night's catch in Hastings Country Park. I saw several species new to me, the most interesting of which was a Bloxworth Snout, which had been saved from a previous night for me to photograph:

Bloxworth Snout

Moth numbers dropping dramatically with the lower nightime temperature of 10c last night, so only 29 moths of 17 species this morning. New for the year was Ruby Tiger. Here's a picture from Alberta:

Black-necked Stilt

A cooler night with a low of 12c meant only 48 moths of 24 species this morning. Small Fan-footed Wave was the only species new for the year. I did take a couple of photographs:

Red Twin-spot Carpet

 Willow Beauty

100 moths of 46 species this morning. The most interesting record for me was a White-line Dart, which was my 2nd ever garden record and the first since 2001. Also new for the year were Chinese Character, Small Phoenix, Cypress Pug, Maple Pug, Smoky Wainscot, and Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella.

White-line Dart

Chinese Character

Another good night with 110 moths of 40 species. New for the year were: Small Emerald, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Copper Underwing, Dark Spinach, Straw Underwing, Lesser Treble-bar, Rush Veneer, Phycitodes binaevella, and Coleophora lineola.

 Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing

Rush Veneer

Phycitodes binaevella

 Coleophora lineola

 

A slightly cooler night (12.5c) produced 56 moths of 34 species this morning. New for the year were: The Nutmeg and Bird Cherry Ermine.

The Nutmeg

 Bird Cherry Ermine

 Early Thorn

Yesterday morning I had 177 moths of 62 species-probably my best ever night. It had been a very warm night with a low of 16c. I was happy to get my 2nd record of Pebble Prominent and 3rd record of the very camera shy Stathmopoda pedella. However there were also 2 new species: a tortrix, Gyspsonoma dealbana and a pyralid Pempelia obductella which is apparently a pRDB2 species that is largely restricted to Kent. Apparently they wander on warm nights which of course Thursday night was. Also new for the year were: Burnished Brass, & Cydia splendana. This morning was a different story. A thunderstorm at 2 am had blown the vanes from the top of the trap, leaving just 30 moths of 21 species. Yesterday went to Dunge where we were lucky to see a flock of 10 Curlew Sands which landed briefly on the ARC where there was a Black-necked Grebe and a Wood Sandpiper. Not a lot else but I did manage to find a Brown Hawker perched which is very unusual and enabled me to get my first decent picture of this species.

Pempelia obductella

Pebble Prominent

 Brown Hawker

76 moths of 40 species this morning. New for the year were: Flounced Rustic, Batia unitella, Red-barred Tortrix, Brambleshoot Moth, plus my 3rd record of Holly Tortrix, which was the 1st for 11 years, and my 2nd record of the Peach Twig Borer. At the end of another month I reached 160 species for the year which compares to 225 at the same stage in 2011 and 184 at the end of July last year.

Peach Twig Borer

 Brambleshoot Moth

 Holly Tortrix