Wednesday 22nd
Another fairly mild night with a minimum of 5.7°C and a dropping breeze. There were five moths. A resident Dark Chestnut, Red-green Carpet and Crocidosema plebjana plus migrant related Diamondback and Rusty-dot Pearl.
Tuesday 21st
It remains mild but nights when it is not wet and/or windy are few and far between. Last night was forecast to have the risk of just the odd shower so the trap was out. The weather ignored the forecast and there was drizzle for a long time but it did not drop below 5.5°C. There were six moths in the trap but, in a reversal of what often happens, only one was a macro - a Large Wainscot. The others were two Epiphyas postvitanas, and singles of Crocidosema plebejana and Agonopterix yeatiana plus, best of all a late migrant? Palpita vitrealis.
Wednesday 15th
No rain last night and the breeze reduced for a while. There was just one moth in the trap - a Large Wainscot. It might be mild but the wind and rain has clearly reduced late season moths, we were still catching a few migrants this time last year.
Saturday 11th
It was a gamble which did not pay off. The rain stopped last night and it was clear. Once the breeze dropped it was not a surprise that frost formed early morning as the temperature hovered just above 0 at 2.5°C. There were no moths, indeed the only living thing was one of those large, orange, ichneumon-type wasps.
Saturday 4th
Whilst the awful weather has prevented the trap from being put out we are still getting information from earlier specimens. The two standouts in the recent batch are firstly the first record of Borkhausenia minutella, and secondly the third record of Glyphipterix thrasonella. The Borkhauasenia had been thought to have become extinct in the UK until a few recent records from Thanet.