I've surprised myself by firing up the moth trap already. Though I have little sense that last year's obsession might be taking hold again, the current spell of mild weather has nevertheless inspired me. And straight away we're in 'new for garden' territory. Assuming I have the ID correct, Acleris umbrana (Nationally Scarce A) was the highlight of last night's catch. If you can call three moths a 'catch'.
Acleris umbrana may be nationally scarce (the UK Moths website labels it 'a rare and local species in Britain') but it is evidently quite regular in parts of Dorset, with 40+ records in the Bridport area alone, according to the Living Record map.
Friday night delivered a small selection of regular species. The common theme appears to be 'brown'...
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| A fresh Chestnut. |
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| Common Quaker is described as a moth of March and April, so this one is a bit early. |
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| Hebrew Character - another March/April moth, on paper anyway. |
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| Double-striped Pug - the first of many, no doubt. The commonest pug I get, by far. |
The trap is out again tonight. Unfortunately the garden table on which I used to stand it was smashed to bits by one of the late-autumn storms, so the trap is now on the ground. Whether that will make any difference to its efficacy remains to be seen.
Gav, I have visions of a special stand for the moth trap. Totally secured from falling over. And, placed on the top of your bungalow acting as a beacon for miles around.
ReplyDeleteIf your neighbours complain, tell them it's in honour of a relative who was a Lighthouse keeper.
A little bit of height does add to my confidence that the trap is visible, but quite likely makes no real difference at all!
DeleteBrown seems a very sensible colour for this time of the year. I have found lesser celandine which means that Spring is here in my book. Not sure if it has much momentum yet but fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteSaw a bumblebee the other day, and various birds are singing already. But I'm sure the winter still has some bite in it yet. Unfortunately.
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