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 Muslin Moth in May 2014!
Monday 27th
Temperatures increased slightly to 3.6°C, bringing with it a Chocolate Tip, a Hebrew Character, a Light-brown Apple Moth and four Muslins.
Sunday 26th
The overnight cold remains and the temperature went down to 0.5°C. It is also still very dry. The resulting catch was very poor with three Muslins and a Flame Shoulder.
Saturday 25th
It was the coldest night for quite some time at 1.3°C although the Car Park trap saw a slight increase to eight moths of four species. An LED in the Elms had 12 moths of eight, notably a Coronet.
Friday 24th
The wind dropped slightly and so the Car Park MV was set, however the three moths it caught showed this was a little optimistic. The LED traps in the Elms continue to be where the bulk of records came from, with 23 moths of 15 species which held Common Carpet, two Nut-tree Tussocks, and a late March Moth of note.
Thursday 23rd
As with yesterday, traps were only placed out of the wind in sheltered areas of The Elms and Waldershare Gully. Two LEDs in The Elms had 21 moths of 13 species with highlights of White-spotted Pug, a Chocolate-tip, and a Pale Mottled Willow. An Actinic in Waldershare Gully had nine moths of seven.
Wednesday 22nd
A strong north-easterly is playing havoc with the moth trapping so traps were only placed in The Elms. There were 12 moths of eight species including our first Spectacle and Shuttle-shaped Darts of the year.
Monday 20th
The clear nights have returned and numbers dropped accordingly to 13 moths of seven species around the Car Park where Chocolate-tip was the highlight. LEDs in the shelter of The Elms performed much better with 30 moths of 13 species. Two Golden-rod Pugs were scarce records for the Recording Area however are likely very overlooked.
Sunday 19th
Another bump in numbers to 22 moths of 14 species. Pale Prominent, Red Twin-spot Carpet, and Lunar Thorn were new additions for the year and Emperor Moth continued their good streak with another two females in the trap.
Saturday 18th
Similar again with 19 moths of 11 species. It was a good night for migrants with four Dark Sword-grass and a Silver Y. For the residents, Bright-line Brown-eye was new and there was another Pinion-spotted Pug.
Friday 17th
Ideal conditions again with good cloud cover and a light southerly. Numbers were low at 17 but diversity quite high at 12 species. Nut-tree Tussock, Elachista canapennella, and Cochylis atricapitana were new for the year and a lovely female Emperor Moth was present. Interestingly, no males decided to join her so she may already be carrying eggs.
Moth trapping with the RSPB on Worth Marshes produced the first moth records from the area for a very long time. 11 moths of seven species were caught with highlights of Brindled Beauty, two Streamers, and a V-pug.
Thursday 16th
Some cloud cover at last bumped numbers up to 17 moths of 11 species in the Car Park. Pearly Underwing, Ruby Tiger and Pale Mottled Willow were new-in, while in the Whitehouse there were three Brimstone Moths and a Pinion-spotted Pug.
An Adela cuprella was sweep-netted in the Oasis, the third record for the Bay although it is likely very overlooked.
Wednesday 15th
Initially it looked very promising with the first cloud cover for some time and a light southerly. Unfortunately, it was breezier than expected so only seven moths of six species were in the Car Park trap where Pebble Prominent was new. An actinic and two LEDs in the Oasis/Haven area performed similarly, adding Least Black Arches.
Tuesday 14th
Another clear night and without a strong southerly bringing the warm in, it got as cold as 0.3°C with frost covering much of the traps. Seven moths were in the Elms, six in the Car Park and two in Restharrow Dunes in an unsuccessful bid for some migrants. An Angle Shades and Pale Pinion were of note.
Monday 13th
A bit more settled with 21 moths of six species in the main trap. Powdered Quaker appears to be having a good year as another three were present and a Flame Shoulder and Muslin rounded out the sightings.
Sunday 12th
Numbers dwindled to five moths as overnight temperatures dropped - Two Powdered Quakers, a Common Quaker, a Hebrew Character and a Dark Sword-grass.
Saturday 11th
Strong winds again but this time blowing from the south, bringing us our first migrants. Around the Obs were 23 moths of nine species with four Diamondbacks, three Dark Sword-grasses, and Flame Shoulder new for the year. In the Little Elms was a Silver Y and two LEDs in the Elms had 31 moths of ten species including three Streamers, two Brindled Pugs, and a Red-green Carpet.
Friday 10th
The winds picked up drastically, fortunately 15 moths of six species found their way into the trap including two more Swallow Prominents and another Muslin.
Thursday 9th
There were distinct signs of change in the trap with familiar spring faces starting to emerge - Three Swallow Prominents, a Muslin, and Elachista rufocinera were new around the Obs.
Traps were quieter elsewhere, LEDS in Jubilee Field had 33 moths of five including a Nutmeg hiding among 27 Hebrew Characters and an Actinic in Little Elms offered a Digitivalva pulicariae of note.
A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was checking out the gardens in front of the Obs.
Wednesday 8th
Another clear night but temperatures remained above freezing at 3.7°C. There were 29 moths of seven species around the Obs, most notable of which was our earliest Cinnabar by five days. An Actinic in Waldershare Gully caught 26 moths of nine species including Tachystola acroxantha and another Streamer. In the Elms, two LEDs had 32 moths of 11 with Esperia sulphurella new for year, plus V-pug and a Dotted Chestnut.
Two Emperor Moths came to a lure in the Haven.
Monday 7th
A warmer night at 5°C bumped numbers a little to 20 moths of eight species. Two Angle Shades and a Ypsolopha mucronella were new additions for the year plus a second Tawny Pinion.
Monday 6th
The sky cleared and the wind dropped allowing the temperature down to 0°C and a frost formed.
There were 17 moths. Acleris cristana was the highlight as it is surprisingly irregular here. The others were seven Clouded Drabs, five Hebrew Characters, three Common Quakers and a Small Quaker.
Thursday 2nd
Despite reasonable temperatures and good cloud cover, numbers in the Obs trap dropped to 17 moths of six species. In Waldershare Gully, a quieter LED trap held three Hebrew Characters, two March Moths, a Pale Pinion and a Streamer.
Wednesday 1st
Overnight conditions were the best they had been for some time as the wind kept very low and cloud remained all night, keeping the temperatures at a reasonable 5.8°C. An LED and Actinic in the Elms caught 40 moths of six species with Herald and V-Pug of note. Around the Obs, the Car Park and Ringing Room MVs brought with them 24 moths of 12 species. Nutmeg was new for year plus another early record of Oak Nycteoline.