Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Highland Moths...The Moths of Allt Beithe.

This is the weeks list of moths from 4 overnight trapping sessions with a 125mv Robinson. Some other day time sightings too. Many moths are day flyers up here as there is only 3 hours of darkness!

1638 Fox Moth 1 female
1657 Common Lutestring 1
1713 Riband Wave 1
1722 Flame Carpet 5
1724 Red Twin Spotted Carpet 3 new to me.
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 8
1744 Grey Mountain Moth 1 new Striped Twin Spot Carpet. Still new though.
1752 Purple Bar 1 new.
1759 Small Phoenix 12
1761 Autumn Green Carpet 1 new
1768 Grey Pine Carpet 4 very small looked like Chestnut coloured Carpet?
1776 Green Carpet 3
1828 Satyr Pug 1 new
1834 Common Pug 1
1837 Grey Pug 1
1887 Clouded Border 9 trapped but very common during the day.new.
1893 Tawny Barred Angle 2 new.
1903 Barred Umber 1 new. A scarce species apparently.
1918 Lunar Thorn 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel 10
1954 Bordered White common in pine woods.
1955 Common White Wave 3
1969 Grey Scalloped Bar 2 new.
1981 Polpar Hawkmoth 6
1994 Buff Tip 1
2006 Lesser Swallow Prominent 2
2040 Four Dotted Footman 5 on one night. new.
2059 Clouded Buff 9 caught on all four nights. Tremendous. new.
2060 White Ermine 8
2102 Flame Shoulder 8 on one night.
2118 True Lovers Knot 3
2147 Shears 10
2158 Pale shouldered Brocade 3
2163 Broom Moth 1 new.
2286 Light Knot Grass 4 new.
2289 Knot Grass 1
2302 Brown Rustic 8 all of the blackish melanistic variety.
2326 Clouded Bordered Brindle 4 both light and dark forms noted.
2412 Silver Hook 1 new.
2441 Silver Y 1
2470 Small Purple Barred 1 new.

Some of the best new to me are below...











 





Above - Fox Moth and Common Lutestring.
 
 
 
Above - Purple Bar and Grey Mountain Moth Striped Twin Spot Carpet
 
 

Above - Autumn Green Carpet and Satyr Pug.


 
 
 









Above - Barred Umber and Grey Scalloped Bar.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Above - Four dotted Footman and Clouded Buff
 
 
 
 
Above - Light Knot Grass and Silver Hook.

Thanks to Roy Leverton who helped me with some Pugs and Micros.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Ardnamurchan.

Some holiday snaps from our trip away last week. Not many wildlife pics for one reason or another. We did see Golden Eagle over our house mobbed by two Ravens and a Buzzard, a White tailed Eagle over the Ardnamurchan point, Pine Marten ate jam and bread in our garden on two evenings but it was too dark for photos, the usual Red throated Divers, Mergansers etc in the bays, plus many butterflies and moths. Moth photos will follow later...Click for a full size picture...


 Corran Ferry over to Sunart

Our house, Allt Beithe. Nestled in the grounds and surrounded by wild blanket bog. Fantastic. Stick to t' roads...

Mallaig Harbour.

Jane and Bunty, Arisaig.


Poor weather in Scotland.

'I'm not going in again, there's Jelly Fish'

Ardnamurchan Point.


The view to Mull...

Kilchoan Harbour.

The ferry across to Mull...

Obama needs to try this out...

Tobermory, Mull.

Four spotted Chaser in the garden...

Gold Ringed Dragon nearby...



The rare Chequered Skipper, found no where else in the UK.

The sunset from our garden over the isles of Eigg and Rum viewing north over Kentra Bay.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Big Catch...

Hello all,


No posts last week as I have been away on holiday to the Ardnamurchan peninsula, SW Highlands. I did a bit of mothing but I'll post what I had later...

I see there have been some big catches while I have been away, so I couldnt wait to get the trap on in the garden last night. I had a record catch with enough carpets to do the hall, stairs and landing!

0017 Common Swift 4
0246 Tinea semifulvetta 1 new
000? Ancylis badiana 1
0464 Diamond Backed Moth 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 5
1376 Small Magpie 7
1428 Bee Moth 1 new
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 35
1728 Garden Carpet 2
1738 Common Carpet 3
1769 Spruce Carpet 1 nfy
1776 Green Carpet 9 nfy
1764 Common Marbled Carpet 1 nfy
1802 Rivulet 2
1817 Foxglove Pug 1
1834 Common Pug 7
1837 Grey Pug 1 new
1902 Brown Silver-line 3
1906 Brimstone 9
1918 Lunar Thorn 3
1981 Poplar Hawkmoth 2
2060 White Ermine 14
2061 Buff Ermine 4
2089 Heart and Dart 4
2102 Flame Shoulder 1
2123 Small Square Spot 15
2147 Shears 1
2158 Pale shouldered Brocade 3
2160 Bright Line, Brown Eye 1
2166 Campion 1 new
2173 Lychnis 1
2199 Common Wainscot 1 nfy
2289 Knot Grass 1 new
2302 Brown Rustic 2
2326 Clouded Borered Brindle 3
2334 Rustic shoulder Knot 19
2337x Marbled Minor agg 2 new
2387 Mottled Rustic 3 new
2441 Silver Y 1 nfy
2450 Spectacle 2

Unidentified due to wear 2
























From the top left - Tinea semifulvetta, Bee Moth, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Campion, Common Wainscot, Knot Grass and Mottled Rustic.


Total 182 moths of 40 species a record on both counts!

Friday, June 04, 2010

Last Night...


Cooler than last night resulting in less moths...


Beautiful Golden Y. Isnt it just.

0017 Common Swift 1
0648 White shouldered House Moth 1
0966 Cochylis atricapitana 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 2
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 5
1728 Garden Carpet 1
1834 Common Pug 1
1902 Brown Silver-line 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel 1
1981 Poplar Hawkmoth 2
2011 Pale Prominent 2
2060 White Ermine 1
2063 Muslin Moth 1
2089 Heart and Dart 1
2123 Small Square Spot 7
2158 Pale shouldered Brocade 1
2188 Clouded Drab 1
2190 Hebrew Character 1
2242 Beautiful Golden Y 1 new
2302 Brown Rustic 1
2334 Rustic Shoulder Knot 4

Total 37 moths of 21 species.



Celypha lacunana

2nd June 2010

The warm evening certainly improved already good catches -


Diamond Back

Elachista argentella


Peppered Moth

Small Angle Shades

0017 Common Swift 2
0464 Diamond Back Moth 1 new
0610 Elachista argentella 1 new
0648 White shouldered House Moth 1
0966 Cochylis atricapitana 1
0986 Syndemis musculana 1
1376 Small Magpie 1
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 8
1728 Garden Carpet 1
1738 Common Carpet 3
1759 Small Phoenix 2
1802 Rivulet 3
1834 Common Pug 5
1906 Brimstone 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel 2
1931 Peppered Moth 1 new
1981 Poplar Hawkmoth 3
1994 Buff Tip 1
2060 White Ermine 1
2063 Muslin Moth 1
2089 Heart and Dart 2
2092 Shuttle shaped Dart 1
2123 Small Square Spot 20
2158 Pale shouldered Brocade 2
2190 Hebrew Character 1
2236 Pale Pinion 1 my second in the garden.
2305 Small Angle Shades 1 new
2326 Clouded Bordered Brindle 1
2334 Rustic shoulder Knot 9
2450 Spectacle 1


Total 80 moths of 31 species

31st May 2010

Sorry for the delay in posting, too busy sorting moths!

0017 Common Swift 1 NFY
0966 Cochylis atricapitana 1 new
1722 Flame Carpet 3
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 2
1728 Common Carpet 1
1802 Rivulet 2
1834 Common Pug 5
1902 Brown Silver-line 2
1906 Brimstone 2
1918 Lunar Thorn 2
1920 Scalloped Hazel 1
1981 Poplar Hawkmoth 1
2008 Coxcomb Prominent 1
2011 Pale Prominent 1
2060 White Ermine 5
2063 Muslin Moth 1
2078 Least Black Arches 1
2089 Heart and Dart 1
2092 Shuttle shaped Dart 2
2160 Bright Line Brown Eye 1
2123 Small Square Spot 17
2171 Marbled Coronet 1 my second.
2334 Rustic Shoulder Knot 4
2450 Spectacle 3

Total 61 moths of 24 species.



 












Above - Left Common Swift, right Cochylis atricapitana

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Aliens have landed...




Which end is up? Pale Prominent.

Drizzling but 9 degrees brought another nice catch last night, including 3 new ones.


1722 Flame Carpet 2
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 1
1728 Garden Carpet 3
1738 Common Carpet 1
1750 Water Carpet 1
1802 Rivulet 2
1834 Common Pug 2
1835 White spotted Pug 1 new for the year.
1902 Brown Silver-line 2
1906 Brimstone 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel 1
1981 Poplar Hawkmoth 1
2011 Pale Prominent 2 new for me and a years highlight so far. Fantastic, funny looking creatures, I'm sure they are from another planet!
2060 White Ermine 1
2061 Buff Ermine 1
2078 Least Black Arches 1
2089 Heart and Dart 1 new.
2123 Small Square Spot 27
2334 Rustic shoulder Knot 2
2450 Spectacle 1

54 moths of 20 species. My first night since March without a Hebrew Character! It seems that Small Square Spot has taken its place...

White spotted Pug.


Heart and Dart.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Some new ones...

































Above - Clockwise from top left - Coxcomb Prominent, Shears, Buff Ermine and Silver Ground Carpet.

After a dismal week I was pleased with last nights GMS catch that included 4 new species for my garden.


0672 Parsnip Moth 1
1727 Silver Ground Carpet 1 new
1728 Garden Carpet 2
1750 Water Carpet 1
1802 Rivulet 1
1834 Common Pug 1
1852 Brindled Pug 1
1920 Scalloped Hazel 1
2008 Coxcomb Prominent 1 new
2060 White Ermine 2
2061 Buff Ermine 1 new
2063 Muslin Moth 2
2092 Shuttle shaped Dart 1
2123 Small Square Spot 17
2147 Shears 1 new
2158 Pale shouldered Brocade 2
2190 Hebrew Character 1 still hanging on there.
2334 Rustic Shoulder Knot 2


Total 39 moths of 18 species