Last night ADMc and myself had a trip up to the Long Nanny tern colony in Beadnell Bay about 6 miles north of home. Its the first summer visit I've had here since the Lesser Grey Shrike 2 years ago. Its a pity really, being so close, as the terns are a great spectacle. There are 900 pairs of Arctics and 30 pairs of Little Terns mixed with a few Ringed Plovers. On the beach were 4 Sandwich Terns and we were treated to a tremendous close flyby by a pair of Roseate Terns prospecting the dunes.
In the evening sun we had a pleasant hour or so scanning around the shore.
At home some news - remember that Emperor Moth I caught and its eggs? Well one has hatched into a tiny caterpillar! My plan is to rear them on, hopefully, to adults next spring. I've never attempted anything like it before so watch this space...
In the trap on Wednesday night were -
Above - Double Square Spot and Garden Tiger
Silver Ground Carpet 31
Brimstone 1Green Carpet 8
Common Pug 2
Small Magpie 2
Rustic Shoulder Knot 3
Bright Line Brown Eye 4
Pale shouldered Brocade 3
Heart and Dart 3
Buff Ermine 4
Clouded Border 2 new
Small Square Spot 3
Spectacle 1
White Ermine 5
Marbled Coronet 1
Celypha lacunana 2
Double Square Spot 1 new
Swallow Prominent 1
Mottled Rustic 2
Brown Rustic 1
Garden Tiger 1 new, the first I've seen for years.
Poplar Hawkmoth 1
Rivulet 1
Total 83 moths of 23 species
Clouded Border
6 comments:
Garden Tigers are a bit special
Stewart - I spent many of my formative years in The Pool (Liver not Hartle) rearing moths. Garden Tigers were my favoured. I found the caterpillars easy in terms of food and cleanliness. The hard bit was the pupal stage, creating the right environment (do they hang from foliage or burrow into earth?), what temperature and how moist? It's far from easy but I guess you'll have no end of expert advice, so for what it's worth, good luck! Never seen an Emperor before in the flesh, so you're very lucky.
Nigel - Arent they. We used to see them quite often during the day, but not for years...
Gordon - Thats a suprise, I wouldnt have put you down as an entomologist. Emperor was one of my years targets and I had big plans of roaming the moors searching dilligently for a female. Until one turned up in the garden!
Seeing that Garden Tiger has made me very envious, Stewart. I want one!!!!!
Good look with the Emperor rearing.
The garden tiger is stunning. What size is it?
Hi Wilma, the Tiger is a large moth with a wingspan of about 2 inches.
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