Of Portland and Pugs etc...

Since discovering the Garganey at West Bay last weekend, recent outings there have resulted in literally nothing worth writing down. Also I am struggling a bit with the sheer number of people here in the summer. Possibly a more rewarding endeavour than noting the birds I see might be keeping a list of dog breeds or tattoos. Already I can feel my resolve crumbling.

A welcome break from routine was provided by eldest son Rob, who is currently working just the other side of Weymouth. We met up on Tuesday afternoon and had a walk around Radipole Lake and Portland Bill...

One of two Cattle Egrets at Radipole.

A scraggy, ringed Little Owl in the observatory quarry. Little Owl used to be resident in the Axe Valley near Seaton, but (as far as I know) not any more. The species is a rare sight for me these days.

Soaking up the afternoon sun.

While on Portland we popped in to the bird observatory. It was almost deserted, but there were a few potted moths on the lounge table. I could not resist...

I'm not a moth lister, but yes, a lifer. Obviously.

It is more than 25 years since I last stayed at a bird observatory. That was Dungeness, on maybe four or five memorable occasions in the mid-1990s, mostly with the boys. And it was a hoot. For a long time I've been promising myself a stay at Portland, but haven't made it happen. So I collared Martin Cade, the obs warden, and booked a couple of nights in September. I think it may well be just the birding fillip I need, and perhaps the start of something a bit more regular.

I do wonder if my enthusiasm for birding right now has been somewhat undermined by the three-ring circus that is mothing, where there is always something to look at, something new and exciting, even on a poor night...

Tuesday night, 22nd August

122 moths of 49 species; two new for year and for garden.

A major highlight was the capture of a very worn pug on the cabin wall. Despite a severe lack of scales I knew instantly what it was, and that I hadn't seen one before, even if I couldn't recall the actual name...

Seriously faded, but those orange patches can mean only one thing: it's a Tawny Speckled Pug. Listed as 'common', but few of the thinly-scattered dots on the Dorset Living Record map represent more than one record (with just two in the Bridport area) so I reckon this is a pretty decent catch.

There are apparently something like 49 species of pug on the UK list. Tawny Speckled Pug brings the garden tally to 22 species. I've no idea how that compares to most gardens, but I am pretty impressed that we've recorded getting on for half the UK total.

Despite appearances, this is not the same Portland Ribbon Wave that we trapped on Saturday.

A Poplar Grey in lovely condition. Our eighth of 2023, but the first since July 6th.

Blair's Mocha #22

A few weeks back I purchased a little trap to use with pheremone lures. At the same time I bought a Ni Moth lure from Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies. Ni Moth is a scarce migrant which I am unlikely to catch, but the lure also attracts Dewick's Plusia, a more realistic target. So far it has accounted for nothing more than the occasional Silver Y. Still, you've got to be in it to win it, so the lure went out again on Tuesday night.

Except it didn't.

By sheer accident I used the pheremone lure that came with the trap, which is intended to attract the Plum Fruit Moth Grapholita funebrana. And in the morning, surprise, surprise: three Grapholita funebrana...

New for the garden.

I'm not sure exactly how safe my identification is here. According to the Dorset Moths website, G. funebrana requires gen. det. (dissection) to confirm ID. But the confusion species, G. tenebrosana (which is also attracted by the pheremone lure) has pale palps. We caught two in early June, and I posted a photo at the time...

Netted from our wildlife hedge on June 8th. Noticeably pale, off-white palps.

Anyway, unless there's another confusion species that I've missed, I am pretty happy to add G. funebrana to the garden list.

Wednesday night, 23rd August

107 moths of 39 species; two new for year, one new for garden.

Last night was a bit of a damp squib. I was expecting an overcast, warm night, but initially it was clear, and the temperature dropped rapidly. Still, I noticed a small micro-moth on the trap vanes, and managed to pot it. Then another, also potted. Then another, and another...

By the time I went indoors I had seven pots containing what looked like the same species, definitely a new one for the garden. And in the morning I found another five in the trap, and potted four. How weird is that? A moth that has never before appeared in the garden decides suddenly to turn up mob-handed! And here it is...

With a wing length of just 5.5mm, Ancylis comptana is a challenge for the camera. It is listed as 'local' and there is one Bridport area dot on the Living Record map, representing four records.

So, what was that all about? A curious and unexpected arrival which turned a so-so night into a very memorable one. This is exactly the sort of thing that has made mothing so beguiling...

And here they all are, in a postcard wot I made to commemorate the event.

It wasn't just Ancylis comptana though. Also potted...

First Marbled Beauty of 2023. We caught two last year (or the same one twice) and I get the impression that in Dorset this is a one-or-two-records-a-year kind of moth.

Currant Pug x2

I've been a bit worried about my Currant/Wormwood Pug ID skills lately. There have been several in recent traps, and without exception I have identified them as Currant Pugs. Yet I know that Currant Pug is the less-common species. Had I lost my eye?

Apparently not. Checking the two species' flight times reveals that for Wormwood Pug the national norm is a single brood in June and July, which tallies well with our nine records (13 individuals) between June 23rd and July 18th. Currant Pug also has an early-summer brood, during which we trapped three between June 9th and 18th. However, it also has a second brood in August. Which explains not only the six records (seven individuals) since the 8th, but also why I've identified them all as Currant Pugs. Because that's what they are. Phew!

Mind you, I am still surprised at how well we seem to do for this species (and several others!) in a local context. On the Living Record map there are...er...currently (sorry) five Bridport area dots for Currant Pug. One is ours, representing seven records (all from 2022) and the other four represent a grand total of seven records between them. And at least one or two of those dots belong to very busy and active moth traps. If I were to include 2023 data, our dot would now represent 16 records. What is so special about our location? I would love to know.