The warmer weather over the last few days has meant a few more moths in the trap. New species for the year include: Buff Ermine, Green Pug, Mottled Rustic, Willow Beauty, Setaceous Hebrew Character, S. ambigualis and N. cynosbatella. At Boughton Allotments I recorded 1 Currant Clearwing at a pheromone lure.

Notocelia cynosbatella

I had the first Heart and Dart on Sunday morning but this morning only 1 Turnip Moth. We've reached the end of May and I've recorded 56 species in the trap which compares to 80 by this time last year. Best of the year so far was the Emperor Moths in Cornwall.

Emperor Moth

Nothing new in the moth trap yesterday but there was a nice Pebble Hook-tip, and in the afternoon I returned to the wood at Dunkirk which I referred to in the last post. I was leaving when I noticed another micro that I'd not seen before and just managed a photograph before it legged it. It was the very local Commophila aeneanea. 

 Commophila aeneanea

 Pebble Hook-tip

Yesterday 16 moths of 9 species with Common Marbled Carpet, Garden Carpet and Light Emerald new for the year. This morning only 8 moths of 5 species. However, yesterday, on the edge of a Dunkirk wood I photographed my first Broad-bodied Chaser of the year and a nice Micro that was completely new to me: Alabonia geoffrella.

Alabonia geoffrella

 Broad-bodied Chaser

Yesterday just 6 moths with Waved Umber and May Highflyer new for the year. This morning was slightly better with 17 moths and Common Marbled Carpet, Garden Carpet and Light Emerald new for the year.

Waved Umber

White Ermine

After a bit of research it appears that my Downy Emerald at Dunge was the 2nd record for the Dunge area following 1 photographed the previous day by DW in the Observatory trapping area. However, mine would seem to be the first for the RSPB Reserve. Yesterday morning, after the mildest night of the year (12c), the moth trapping suddenly improved with 22 moths of 18 species, of which 10 were new for the year.  In no particular order: Buttoned Snout, Clouded Border, Pale Tussock, Brindled Pug, Grey Pine Carpet, Mottled Pug, Currant Pug, Turnip, Light Brocade, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Pale Mottled Willow, Treble Lines, Bee, Rusty-dot Pearl, Tinea trinotella, A. arenella, and Celypha lacunana. My 2nd Buttoned Snout of the year was a much better specimen than the first. This morning, after a low of 4.5c overnight, just 2 moths: Treble Lines and Common Swift.

Buttoned Snout

Rusty-dot Pearl

Yesterday there were 5 species new for the year in the moth trap. Poplar Hawk-moth, White Ermine, Bee Moth, Garden Pebble, and Lime-speck Pug. I then spent the day at Dunge where, apart from a lot of Hobbies,  Dragonflies provided the most interest. There were good numbers of Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies plus Hairy Dragonflies and Four-spotted Chasers. However, the best was a Downy Emerald which I photographed near the lakes on the left past the screen hide on the ARC pit. I was unaware that they occurred at this site and I understand this may well be a good record. I shall be checking to see if it's first for the site.

 Downy Emerald

Four-spotted Chaser