Wet to begin with, and windy for most of it, but it was a relatively mild night (7.30 C), so I wasn't too surprised to see a Pale Brindled Beauty sitting on the vanes of the trap, this morning. I also wouldn't have been surprised if that was the one and only moth for the night. Inside the trap, however, were a Dotted Border and a tattered Chestnut.
Three moths; what a treat, but unfortunately, the blustery wind made photographing them impossible, so no pretty pics, I'm afraid.
Similar weather and temperature in Creigiau too ..... but another empty box!
ReplyDeleteWhat light source does it use, Howard?
ReplyDeleteHi Mark
ReplyDeleteI have a 60w twin tube actinic Skinner Trap. I have mused on getting a Robinson trap but, for where I live, it would still have to be actinic.
No lack of drawing power then. My trap is a home built thing with a 15 watt, circular green actinic. It must be just down to luck then. Many are the nights I've gone out with my Skinner and run it for hours in seemingly perfect conditions and ended up with just a handful of moths or less, for my trouble. There's no accounting for it sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI didn't start trapping until March 2013, but, for the period up to end of February, in 2014 I logged 13 moths of 8 species, in 2015 it was 8 moths of 7 species and so far this year I have logged 2 moths of 2 species. Not a good year so far.
ReplyDeleteWell for me, it has been better than last February, when I had just just one Dotted Border and two Chestnuts. At least this year, I've managed five moths of four species, including a Pale Brindled Beauty. I didn't get one of those at all last year.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, February is a beguiling month, with spring just around the corner. It promises a lot, but usually disappoints.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes I've trapped at Coed-y-bedw in late Feb in the past and caught virtually no Orthosias, just geometrids and overwintering species.
ReplyDeleteSaw a Dotted Border in woodland near Caerphilly at the weekend.
I had some puzzling absentees from my moth lists last year, but Pale Brindled Beauty was the one I felt the most, as apart from 2008, it was the first time since I first recorded it, in 1999, that I hadn't had one. I didn't have a Yellow Horned either, so better luck this year, I hope.
Delete