Mossmorran, 21/07/2015

22:00-23:00 headtorch

Gold Spangle (1)
Common Wave (3)
Light Emerald (1)
Yellow Shell (3)
July Highflyer (1)
Snout (5)
Riband Wave (1)
Small Fan-footed Wave (1)
Clouded Border (3)
Shoulder-striped Wainscot (1)
Small Dotted Buff (2)
Gold Spot (1)
Shaded Broad-bar (3)
Garden Carpet (1)
Silver-ground Carpet (2)

One interesting thing about guerrilla mothing with a headtorch is that you observe behaviour rather than just a box full of moths. The Snouts were all over a patch of young birches, but if they had been in a trap I would have just known there were a lot of Snouts about. Clouded Border likes to hang out on low leaves, even during the day, but a couple were noted on Tufted Hair Grass flowers. The golden spotted species were flying low amongst the grasses. The Light Emerald was hiding between birch leaves, inactive, and I remember that this species became active much later on during a previous visit.

Interestingly far more species were picked up around the birches and the grasses than the willows. Shame I didn't get a pug now I've converted from loathing to loving them.

One for one - Hill of Beath Cabbage Moth, 21/07/2015

For the second time this year I have caught one moth in my garden and it has been a new hectad record. This time it's the turn of Cabbage Moth. When I got up at 4 to empty the trap it was very, very cold.

By contrast I spent one hour with a headtorch at Mossmorran and recorded 15 species of macro - see later post

Day nectaring MBM at Cullaloe, 21/07/2015

This is the second time I've had nectaring Middle-barred Minor this year. The previous one was at Mossmorran on Ground Elder. This time Cullaloe on Hogweed

Double Square-spot versus Triple-spotted Clay

Not my post at all so I won't take any credit for it except for showing where to look:

http://trappingsofsuccess.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/double-square-spot-vs-triple-spotted.html

Hopefully I remember where this is when that moment comes!

Here's my own from the other night that I called Double Square spot. Phew!

Hill of Beath, 10th July - Currant Pug

Spectacle (1)
Dark Arches (2)
Marbled Beauty (1)
Ghost Moth (1f)
Snout (1)
Currant Pug (1)
Grey Dagger (1)
Double-square Spot (1)
Map-winged Swift (1)
Flame Shoulder (1)
Heart & Dart (2)
Small Angle Shades (3)

Current Pug - new hectad record

Finally

ONe of the most bizarre omissions from my home hectad - Latticed Heath. This is recorded, not surprisingly, from almost all of the hectads around mine but not mine, despite loads of suitable habitat. Now finally that gap is plugged

Also at Mossmorran this lovely 6-spot Burnet enjoying a Marsh Thistle

Psi power

Another nice office wall tick this lunchtime as this Grey Dagger was spotted inside beside a window. Not particularly well camouflaged against sandstone. It Latin name Acronicta psi nicely describes the "dagger" shapes on the wings (Psibeing the Greek letter of this shape)