Twenty-one species this morning with Cherry Bark Moth and The Clay (my first for 4 years) new for the year. Also my 4th Tree-lichen Beauty of the year. Struggled again around Dungeness today-probably the most quiet visit of the year so far. My friend saw the Great White Egret on Hooker's Pit but I even missed that. There were a few Painted Ladies and Brown Hawker Dragonflies around the reserve. Only 1 Hobby was seen and a handfull of common waders.

The Clay

Cherry Bark Moth

Painted Lady

Down to 8c last night so just 13 species this morning with A. straminella new for the year. However, with help, I've identified a tortrix from the 13th of this month as Ancylis achatana which is new for the garden. Yesteday there was a very dark mystery pyralid with wing length about 12mm.I would be grateful for any suggestions-see below.

Further note:

 It seems after further discussion that the tortrix below is Cydia fagiglandana-also a new one for the garden. The pyralid maybe a dark form of P. roborella.

Cydia fagiglandana

 Pyralid for ID

No trap Friday night due to the heavy rain and only 11 species yesterday morning. This morning there were 57 moths of 21 species. New for the year were my 5th ever Dark Spectacle, The Nutmeg and new for the garden: Cochylis roseana.

 Cochylis roseana

 The Nutmeg

Thirty-one species this morning with Rosy Footman, V-pug and Tinea trinotella new for the year. I then spent the day at Dunge where a few waders were seen on the RSPB Reserve, with Red Knot and Green Sandpiper on the ARC Pit, and Greenshank and Common Sandpiper on Burrows. The 2 Spoonbills appeared to be on the usual pit behind Scotney Farm, although heat haze and wind made seeing them difficult. A Little Owl was on a barn at the farm too with Tree Sparrow and Corn Bunting also in the area.

Greenshank

 Rosy Footman

Thirty species yeasteday morning and this morning with Humming-bird Hawk Moth in the garden yesterday afternoon. New for the year were Nut-tree Tussock, White-line Dart and another new micro for the garden list: Hypatima rhomboidella. Made a nother visit to Oare yesterday evening where the 2 Temmink's and Little Stint were still on the East Flood plus 6 LRPs and 2 Spotted Redshanks.

LRP, Temminck's and Little Stints

 Hypatima rhomboidella

This morning Shaded Broad-bar, Scalloped Oak and Cochylis hybridella were all new for the year but best of all was a Buff Footman which was new for the garden list. This afternoon I paid a visit to Oare Marshes at high tide. The 2 Temminck's Stints showed well near the road and Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpipers and at least 5 LRPs were noted.

 Buff Footman

 Temminck's Stint

  

The last 2 mornings have produced 25 and 36 species respectively. New for the year were: Dusky Sallow, Acleris forsskaleana, European Corn-borer, Red Twin-spot Carpet, and my 2nd garden record of  Dingy Shears.

Dingy Shears

Dusky Sallow

Moth numbers remain reasonable with 33 species yesterday and 37 this morning. There was the 2nd Bordered Straw of the year and new for the year were: Mouse Moth, Dingy Footman, Maple Pug, White-point, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, and Cydia splendana. Best of all was Epiblema foenella, another new micro for the garden list.

Epiblema foenella

 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Yesterday there were 64 moths of 35 species with my first Elephant Hawk-moth for 3 years. Also new for the year were Gold Triangle, and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. This morning there were 53 moths of 30 species with my 3rd record of Fen Wainscot. However, I was surprised to find Oncocera semirubella on the trap vanes, a species I've seen on chalk downland, but a first for the garden list.

 Oncocera semirubella

 Elephant Hawk-moth

 Fen Wainscot

 

The last couple of mornings have been the busiest in the trap so far this year with 40+ species both days. New for the year, in no particular order were: Chinese Character, Dark Arches, Spruce Bud Moth, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, A. advenella, Buff Arches, Common White Wave, Udea prunalis, Large  Fruit-tree Tortrix, O. glaucinalis, Poplar Grey, Coronet, Hoary Footman, and Slender Pug.

 The Coronet

Chinese Character

Yesterday Peppered Moth was the only "new for the year" species in the trap, but this morning was the most interesting so far with 61 moths of 31 species. New for the year were: my 2nd ever Green Silver-lines (badly worn unfortunately), my 3rd Tree-lichen Beauty, Large Tabby, Small Blood-vein, Grey/Dark Dagger and Small Emerald. I think the best one got away as I opened the trap. From the bit I saw of it I think it may well have been a Beautiful Hook-tip, but I shall never know!

 Tree-lichen Beauty

 Grey/Dark Dagger

 

This morning Least Carpet, Common/Lesser Common Rustic, The Snout, Beautiful Plume and Anania coronata were all new for the year. On Tuesday I made a late afternoon visit to Oare where the Bonaparte's Gull was still present. I also noted a Greenshank and 4 Whimbrel on the East Flood, but couldn't find the Spotted Redshanks. Yesterday we had another difficult day at Dunge in very windy conditions which ended mid-afternoon with horizontal rain. Before that we noted 2 juv Yellow-legged Gulls at the patch where there was also a Med Gull. There was an Avocet on Burrows.

Yellow-legged Gull?

Bonaparte's and Black-headed Gull

  

Moth numbers reasonably good the last two nights. New for the year were: P.binaevella, E.cana, Bird-cherry Ermine, Dot Moth and Clouded Silver.

Clouded Silver

 Dot Moth

New moths for the year over the last 2 days include G.dealbanba, Dwarf Cream Wave,The Dun-bar and The Fern. On friday struggled to find much at a fine but windy Dungeness. A Cuckoo was still calling at the ARC pit and 3 Sand Martins were noted there. Three Hobbies were around Dengemarsh. A Red-banded Sand Wasp was noticed on the track to the Hanson Hide and a Great Crested Grebe with young was also seen.

 The Fern

 Red-banded Sand Wasp

 Great Crested Grebe

The shade temperature reached 34c yesterday in our garden and the moth trap did not disappoint with the biggest catch of the year: 65 moths of 32 species. new for the year were: Swallow-tailed Moth, The Festoon, Orange Moth, B.lacticolella, Meal Moth, Hollyhock Seed Moth, M. italica, C. unitella, and Z. isertana. However, best of all were 2 micros I plucked from the vanes at dusk last night whilst sitting in the garden. The were both new for the garden list: Dasycera oliviella and Pammeme regiana.

Dasycera oliviella

 Pammene regiana

This morning, after a very warm night, there were 45 moths of 25 species. New for the year were:   Common Emerald (3rd garden record), Clouded Brindle, Blood-vein and Clepsis consimilana. We've also reached the end of the month and so far this year I've recorded 126 species. This compares to 137 at this stage last year and 161 at the end of June in 2011, so overall the poorest first half of the year for sometime.

Common Emerald

 Clouded Brindle