First Butterflies

As ridiculous as it seems, the three species of butterfly (Green Veined White, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock) I saw while working in a customer's garden, in Aberdare, were the first butterflies I've seen anywhere this year!

Bute Park

My second butterfly transect of the year in Bute Park produced my first adults of Cameraria ohridella on one Horse Chestnut tree. There were some butterflies too - Speckled Wood, Small White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell & Comma.

Kenfig.

                               Several Adela cuprella were "dancing" around a small
                               Willow just down the path from the centre this aft.

Baglan dunes

A male Emperor moth flying around this afternoon.

Gorseinon

Dusted off the trap and gave it its first outing of the year in the garden producing Hebrew Character 3, Brindled Beauty 2, Small Quaker 2, Early Grey 3, Herald 1, Brindled Pug 1, Common Quaker 1, Early Thorn 1, Clouded Drab 1, Agonopterix heracliana 1, Limnephilus affinis 5 & Common Wasp 1. Yes very dull!

Rhoose Point

Another Dark Sword-grass last night.  Is anyone else getting them?  And a Zelleria hepariella in the trap tonight.  At least it looks like a Zelleria, it's out of season according to the book!

And the final count includes 12 species with Streamer, Shoulder Stripe, Depressaria daucella and Caloptilia stigmatella.

Rhoose Point

A Dark Sword-grass in the trap this morning. 

Rhoose Point

Brindled Beauty in the trap this morning, which is a first for the garden record.  Also a single Agonopterix rotundella from a couple of nights ago.

Phyllonorycter esperella

This female Phyllonorycter esperella emerged recently from some mines I collected from fallen hornbeam leaves in the autumn, from Forestganol, North Cardiff.

Dave and I have found mines on hornbeam over the last few years in North Cardiff, but as there are no previous county records Dave wanted to see the moth too - so this will be the first confirmed VC41 record I think.

P esperella

 The moth has periodically been raising its abdomen as shown in the photo below - I presume this is a way of releasing pheromones to attract males.

P esperella - displaying?

Lisvane Res

Peacock [2], Small Tortoiseshell [2], Brimstone & Green-veined White all flying in the sunshine around the reservoir this pm.

GMS week 7, Llandaff North

Disappointing catch of just 3 moths last night, but with the temperature falling to 3.4C perhaps not surprising.

Early Grey 1
Nut-tree Tussock 1
Hebrew Character 1

These were my first GMS moths since week 2 (8th March)! Strangely this is one of my earliest records of Nut-tree tussock, but my latest ever 'first date' for Early Grey.

Nut-tree Tussock

Meanwhile in the front garden, a Mompha divisella flying in sunshine at 7am with the temperature just 4C.

George

National Museum of Wales

I apologise for a slightly off topic post, but in case you are not aware, the Museum is looking to 'restructure'. Although the details are not in the public domain the staff would be grateful if you could show your support by signing this petition. Please feel free to forward to anyone that you feel might be interested in preserving welsh heritage. https://www.assemblywales.org/gethome/e-petitions/epetition-list-of-signatories.htm?pet_id=874&showfrm=0#.UV1_8MVvKyA.email

A proper night!

A total of 266 moths of 24 species last night, including 4 Yellow Horned and 25 Oak Beauty, made up for the late spring.

Yellow Horned. 9th April 2013

Hopeful Signs

Yesterday morning there was an Oak Beauty resting on the outside reveal of my kitchen window and so with a daytime high of 10.50C I decided to run the trap overnight. The minimum overnight temperature, last night, was 3.10C, but I still had by far the best catch of the year so far, with 35 moths of 9 species.

Shoulder Stripe x 1
Mottled Grey x 2
Brindled Pug x 7
Small Quaker x 8
Common Quaker x 4
Clouded Drab x 5
Twin-spotted Quaker x 5
Hebrew Character x 2
Early Grey x 1

No Oak Beauties or Yellow Horned, which was a little disappointing, especially the latter, as I haven't recorded one since 2009 and time is running out for this year too.

Rhoose Point

Half a dozen or so Small Tortoiseshell's nectaring on dandelions in the garden yesterday, and a few photo's of last nights moth trap catch below:

Early Grey

Oak Beauty

March moth

Also a couple of Hebrew Characters.  Not as exciting as Orange Underwings perhaps, but nonetheless it's nice to be catching something!

Oranges at Coed-y-wenallt

Eight Orange Underwings in the spring sunshine at Coed-y-wenallt today. All were flying high apart from this one, which was flying at chest height and was easily netted.

Orange Underwing male

Closer inspection revealed that the hindwings had not fully expanded, which may explain the low flying. There don't seem to be any previous records of this species from Wenallt, but there's lots of excellent habitat for them, especially in the SE part of the hill...

Open birch woodland

Seven were seen in this area, with one other in taller closed-canopy woodland on the west-facing slope of the hill.

Meanwhile, back in the garden - my first Bee-fly of the year (19 days later than 2012).

George (Llandaff North)

Mottled grey.

                                  Mynydd bach, Maesteg, today.

Ocnerostoma friesei

This small grey moth emerged yesterday from a pupa I found between spun pine needles at Coed y Wenallt (ST1583) on 2nd March. This is a male O. friesei, the female being white rather than grey. Only the 8th county record I think.

Ocnerostoma friesei

Pupa between spun pine needles

Spring at last! 2nd April

Today's beautiful sunshine encouraged me to take a look around Kilvey Hill hoping to see Orange Underwing. I saw three, two of which I managed to catch and photograph, as well as a surprise Yellow Horned  flying past at knee level.

Yellow Horned. Kilvey Hill, Swansea 4pm

Orange Underwing. Kilvey Hill, Swansea 4pm

Gorse inon

A Small Tortoiseshell in the garden gives hope that spring may eventually arrive!