Thursday, July 30, 2009

All quiet...

Not much doing here at the minute. Even the common local birds seem to have become elusive. Apart from the juv Great spotted Woodpecker still at the feeders, 2 Grey Wagtails in the village and a flock of about a hundred Swallows near the farm a single Yellow Wagtail in with the cows was the only thing of note.



above - Marbled Beauty.

The past couple of nights I have been out with the torch checking our buddleias for moths. There has been a few, including good numbers of Mother of Pearl, several Smoky Wainscot, Snout, Large Yellow Underwing, a single Common Footman and Marbled Beauty. Give it a try in your garden but be sparing with the torch light because the moths move off after few minutes of their flowers being illuminated...



Above - Mother of Pearl. Look at the iridescence on the wing, just like mother of pearl!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It`s quiet everywhere, Stewart.
You`re right about the Mother of Pearls, stunning species & hard to believe they`re a micro.

Warren Baker said...

Right then - i'll give it go!

Blyth Birder said...

Been doing likewise, checking the Buddlejas and Honeysuckles for moths. They seem to like Dahlias and Cotoneasters as well.

Loads of Marbled Beauties, what looked like a Swallow-tailed Moth flyover that never landed and had a few Large Yellow Underwings.

I've left the side liight on a few times as well and had the odd moth on house wall in the morning.

Bats a plenty flying around the houses as well, which is nice.

Skev said...

Stewart, All,

With the apparent increase in moth interest up there, you might want to have a go at sugaring in your gardens or local woodland. Late summer / early autumn can be a good time to try it. Have a look here for what you need etc:
http://www.angleps.com/Sugaring.pdf

About 10 years ago before I started light trapping in the garden and elsewhere, I spent a few hours on warm summer nights loitering around an external light above our garage door with a pot - on a good night it was amazing how many moths appeared for a few minutes and then flew off so potting them quickly allowed time to ID them.

Stewart said...

Ta for the tips Skev, I have pondered sugaring and have read a bit about it. I thought it best in spring, but might just have a go this week.

Stewart said...

Aye Dean, its a big micro and a canny bit bigger that a lot of macro's ?!?

oldcrow61 said...

Wow, that Mother of Pearl is gorgeous.

Tricia Ryder said...

Yep - it's really quiet but you always seem to manage finding something Stewart.

Now that Mother of Pearl Moth is a real beauty. I shall have to look at moths a great deal more!