Getting a few more moths now. Over the last couple of days Brown Rustic, Plum Tortrix and Crambus lathoniellus have been new for the year. However, I was particularly pleased to get a Pretty Chalk Carpet in the trap this morning-only my 2nd ever record and in much better condition than the first in 2009. A Birch Shieldbug also appeared the other day.

Pretty Chalk Carpet

 Birch Shieldbug

Sixteen moths of ten species this morning still isn't good for June. However there was my 3rd ever Pebble Prominent and a Small Magpie was also new for the year. Yesterday I spent a very windy day at Dunge. We struggled to find much at all to report. We saw around 6 Hobbies on the RSPB Reserve and a few of Med Gulls at the patch, A Hairy Dragonfly was seen near the Willow Trail on the ARC pit.

Hairy Dragonfly

 Pebble Prominent

Not much to report from the moth trap with only Bright-line Brown-eye new for the year in the last couple of days. However, today I did spot a Little Owl perched on Hop Poles in the village and managed a distant snap.

Little Owl

Made the annual vist to east Blean Woods for the Heath Fritillaries this morning and saw about 12 there. There was also a new species of moth for me but only one dragonfly species-Hairy.

Heath Fritillary

 Heath Fritillary

Anania fuscalis

Another cool night (5.5c) resulted in 17 moths of 15 species including the first Large Yellow Underwing of the year. Also new were Marbled Minor (agg.), Mother of Pearl, and Monopis obviella. Yesterday I had the first Humming-bird Hawk Moth in the garden this summer.

Humming-bird Hawk Moth

 

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