Warmer nights have produced much bigger nembers in the trap and the year list is now 102. Best reocrds last week were Poplar Kitten a garden first, and what I'm told that this is probably a Cryptic Fern but the specimen was not retained. This new species for Britain has been discovered this year and several have been recently recorded in Kent and Sussex apparently. I usually get 1 record of the very similar Fern each year in around July/August. An Eyed Ladybird was also in the trap last week and 3 Red Kites passed the garden on Friday.

 Red Kite

Poplar Kitten

 Fern/Cryptic Fern

 Eyed Ladybird

The moth trap has got going now the nights have warmed up and the year list now stands at 85. The best records are of 2 new macro moth species in the garden: The Seraphim and Toadflax Brocade. Stag Beetles have appeared too with 2 males in the trap yesterday morning.

Toadflax Brocade

 The Seraphim

 Stag Beetles

Again cold nights have kept numbers low but since my last post there have been a few new species for the year in the moth trap, including: The Buff-tip, Treble Lines, Cinnabar, Turnip Moth, Red-green Carpet, Heart and Dart and Platyedra subcinerea. A Red Kite flew past the garden on Saturday, and at Seasalter yesterday were 3 Wheatears.

 Wheatear (Greenland Wheatear?)

 Platyedra subcinerea

 Cinnabar Moth

 Buff-tip

We've reached the end of another month, and I see that I'm actually doing better than last year when by the end of April I had recorded 25 species, whereas this year the figure is 39. The best news since my last post was the Pine Cone Tortrix which was on the outside of the trap this week. This was a first for the garden. First recorded in the UK on 1st May 2011 by Francis Solly in Clowes Wood, Kent. (5 Miles from here). There was a 2nd Coxcomb Prominent this week and new for the year: Rustic Shoulder-knot and Shuttle-shaped Dart. Garden list now 642. I also found a Dock Bug in the garden.

Pine Cone Tortrix

Rustic Shoulder-knot

Dock Bug

Nights are still cold but in the last week Pale Mottled Willow, Waved Umber, & Muslin Moth have been new for the year. This morning an early Coxcomb Prominent was only my 2nd ever record.

Coxcomb Prominent

 Waved Umber

A couple of milder nights over the weekend meant a few more moths in the trap than of late. New for the year were: my 2nd ever Lunat Marbled Brown, Early Tooth-striped, Least Black Arches, White-spotted Pug, and Brimstone Moth; while a tiny micro which I think is Phyllonorycter esperella is new for the garden.

Least Black Arches

Lunar Marbled Brown

Phyllonorycter esperella

Since my last post we've had a lot of dry weather but with cold nights and low numbers in the trap. However, the micro Caloptilia semifascia was new for the garden list. Acleris cristana was my 4th garden record and The Streamer is always a nice one to get in the trap. Year list now 20.

 Caloptilia semifascia

 Acleris cristana

The Streamer