Saturday, August 22, 2009

Schoolboy Error...



The trap was out at 9pm and ran well until half past midnight. As it was bouncing with moths I thought there would be more than enought to be going on with so I bunged up the entrance with old towels, turned off the light and went to bed, thinking of the search through the underwings in the morning.

Up and out for eight, I removed the cloths with some sense of excitement. Imagine my face when I lifted the egg trays out one by one to find zero moths, none, nowt zilch, bugger all. They had only 'gone under the wire'. The lot had escaped!There was more in the phone box...

Well all except half a dozen assorted Underwings.

So, I have fitted the trap base now and will be sealing the trap off when I'm finishing up. I'll take out some specimens as and when I see them to hold in pots for examination in the morning. That way I should at least have something to photograph...




One that stayed back to cover the tracks of the escape committee. A Common Marbled Carpet.

This morning as it was sunny I took a walk around the coast path and was suprised at the number of butterflies on the wing. I had 147 Painted Lady, 37 Wall, 13 Peacock and 1 Small Copper plus abundant Large Whites.



No birds though....



Above - The Village....note tiny bulrush patch next to gunnera plant, between foreground willows, for Bulrush Wainscot...




Above - Peacock butterfly...

4 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Peacock butterfly! You could have got a bit closer Stewart!

Emma Anderson said...

Sounds like the sought of mistake I would have made, Stewart. I love the Peacock picture!

Stewart said...

Its not really for the Peacock, I liked it with the stone cat!

Anonymous said...

Oh, what a bummer that was, Stewart. I bet you were kicking yourself up & down the garden with that outcome.
37 Walls. I`ve only seen one, all year.