Just spent a week in West Cornwall where we had very sunny weather but a cold northerly wind kept the temperature down especially at night. Consequently the moth numbers were poor with a total of 7 moths trapped in 7 nights. However, on Friday morning there was just 1 small carpet in the trap which proved to be a Devon Carpet which was a new one for me. Also on Friday I managed to catch up with the Dalmation Pelican at Drift Reservoir which had been present for a week or in the area. The 6 Red Kites flew past our cottage were only a fraction of the numbers seen last week in Cornwall.

 Dalmatian Pelican

 Devon Carpet

Red Kite

Since my last posting the only new species for the year in the trap was Rustic Shoulder-knot. I went looking for the Red-rumped Swallow yesterday afternoon-didn't see it, but before the rain returned I did photograph this Red and Black Froghopper-the first I've seen.

Rustic Shoulder-knot

Red and Black Froghopper

Cold nights over the last few days have kept moth numbers low.  However, there have been a few new records for the year: Common Swift, Muslin Moth, Tinea trinotella, Flame Shoulder and Buff Ermine.

Muslin Moth

Since my last posting Brimstone and Nut-tree Tussock have been new records for the year and a 2nd Least Black Arches was only my 4th ever.

Nut-tree Tussock

Lest Black Arches

It's warmed up somewhat over the last couple of days with several new species for this year appearing in the trap. Yesterday there were: Shuttle-shaped Dart, Pale Mottled Willow, Spruce Carpet and M. obviella. Today, Common Plume, Brown House-moth, Red-green Carpet and Turnip were all year firsts, but best records were my 2nd ever Dotted Chestnut, my 3rd Least Black Arches and new for the garden list was the Spruce Seed Moth-Cydia strobilella. Today at Stodmarsh several Hobbies were on show and Cuckoo perched just long enough for a photo.

 Spruce Seed Moth

 Dotted Chestnut

 Cuckoo

   

A warmer night last night produced the following in the trap this morning: 2 Waved Umber, Pebble Prominent (only my 4th in 17 years), Red Twin-spot Carpet, and Bee Moth new for the year. Yesterday I arrived at Dunge at mid-day so missed the bulk of the Pomarine Skua passage, but luckily 9 went passed the patch at around 14.00. Black Tern, Little Tern, Fulmar, and Black-throated Diver were also new for the year for me.

 Pebble Prominent

 Waved Umber

 

I made my 2nd visit of the year to Bonsai Bank, Dengewood today where the first Duke Of Burgundy Butterflies are just emerging. I managed to see one of the two seen today. There was also a very nice Green Hairstreak which proved a bit camera shy, and someone else saw a Dingy Skipper.

Duke of Burgundy

April was a disappointing month for the moth trap with a lot of cold nights producing just 5 species new for the year: E.sulphurella, The Streamer, Double-striped Pug, Angle Shades and Twin-spotted Quaker. However, the last day of the month produced the first Holly Blue in the garden this year.

 Holly Blue