Moths: September
Thursday 17th A slight increase to 207 moths of 37 species. A good night for migrants, two Convolvulus Hawk-moths were immediately apparent in the trap along with 12 Rush Veneers, five Small Mottled Willow, two Silver Y and singles of Rusty Dot Pearl, Turnip, Pearly Underwing and Vestal. September Thorn and Pinion-streaked Snout were the best of the residents. Wednesday…
Moths: August
Monday 31st Despite some thundery showers which resulted in the trap being moved to a sheltered position there was a very good catch of 195 moths of 51 species. The best moth clung to the side of the Observatory – our first record of Lace Border. This might have wandered just a short distance from the Downs but other moths linked…
Moths: July
Friday 31st Trapping continued in my absence but I am told it was fairly quiet. This is not a surprise as the moon is very bright. Last night the temperature did not drop below 17.4°C but the catch was still limited to 223 moths of 78 species- as light improvement on the previous night. Small Mottled Willow maintained its top…
Moths: May
Wednesday 13th Not as cold as last night with a balmy ( barmy) minimum of 4°C. The car park caught most moths with 34 of 22 species. This included a Dark Swordgrass and two Silver Ys. A trap in the Haven had a Diamondback and new, for the year, a May Highflyer. Having seen some of the completly depleted hedgerows…
Moths: April
Tuesday 28th It was a rare cloudy night and while the wind had picked up, the trap saw a bump in numbers to 18 moths of 13 species. Buff-tip and Clouded Border were new for the year, however most excitement came in the form of a gynandromorphic Shuttle-shaped Dart. Only the second time in recent memory of this amazing circumstance following a…
Moths: March
Sunday 29th It was a clear and very cold night but three traps were set – The car park MV, an actinic in Middle Field and a DIY UVLED not far from the actinic for trials. Interestingly the UVLED performed best, attracting four Hebrew Characters, two Clouded Drabs and a Common Quaker. The car park and actinic had six of…
Moths: February
Thank you to everyone who contributed moth records to us in 2025. It was an excellent year. Now is a quieter time for Moth sightings but a handful have occurred (see below). In the mean time, why not plan ahead to come visit us in the summer and see some moths for yourselves? Over 1,300 species have been recorded here, many…
Moths: January
Thank you to everyone who contributed moth records to us in 2025. It was an excellent year. Now is a quieter time for Moth sightings but a handful have occurred (see below). In the mean time, why not plan ahead to come visit us in the summer and see some moths for yourselves? Over 1,300 species have been recorded here, many…
Moths: December
Thank you to everyone who contributed moth records to us in 2025. It’s been an excellent year. Now is a quieter time for Moth sightings but they will start to appear soon in the New Year. In the mean time, why not plan ahead to come visit us in the summer and see some moths for yourselves? Over 1,300 species have…
Moths: November
Friday 28th While extremely windy, the forecast predicted overnight temperatures to be as high as 12°C so traps were placed in the shelter of the Ringing Room and The Elms. Amazingly, there were moths! The Elm’s trap had our first Winter Moth of the year, a November Moth, a Mottled Umber and a Rusty Dot Pearl. Another Rusty Dot Pearl,…