Parc Slip

It was forecast to be wet and mild last night so the trap was put out and it was worth doing.Over 130 moths of about 26 species with the highlights being 2nd (and 3rd) ever oak nycteoline (1st was in 2014), first pine beauty, streamer and Diurnea fagella since 2015, FFY of early thorn, brindled beauty, engrailed, early grey and brindled pug. A few that I'd like a bit of help with please (apologies for the state of the photos - I didn't have my good camera so had to make do with my phone..)

Mompha sp.

Orange Underwing in Swansea

The recent Butterfly Conservation office move has given me some welcome new options for a lunchtime stroll. Yesterday I had a wander down to the old Hafod-Morfa Copperworks by the River Tawe, and saw a single Orange Underwing fluttering around one of the many young birches which have colonised the site. Grid ref: SS661950.

Creigiau - 25 March

Put the GMS box out on Saturday night - a cold northerly wind but the minimum temperature wasn't too bad at 5,8C. The result was 36 moths of 11 species - 15 of those being Hebrew Character. Highlights were the first appearance of the year for Early Thorn (2), Early Tooth-striped (3) and Oak Nycteoline (1) and a second visit from Diurnea fagella.

Parc Slip

I put the trap out without too many expectations last night as it was both cold and windy. I just about had my biggest (if not most diverse) catch of the year so far with 31 moths of 8 species. Highlights were the first early tooth-striped of the year and a satellite, which is a new moth for the site so made it worthwhile getting up early in the freezing cold for...
The majority of the catch was hebrew characters, clouded drabs and common quakers.

Creigiau - GMS Saturday 18 March

The weather was pretty awful but the box went out, and surprisingly attracted 6 moths of 4 species. The foolhardy moths braving the wet, windy weather were - Common Quaker (2), Hebrew Character (1), March Moth (1) and Oak Beauty (2).

The March Moth had managed to find a spider and all that was left in the web was the two forewings, and one of the two Oak Beauty looked as though it had been having a rough time ...

Creigiau - Tuesday night

Conditions looked promising so out went the first mid-week box of the year. 8.2C minimum and mist rather than rain.

Ended up with 9 species (41 moths) in/around the box. Totally dominated by Common Quaker (17), but Oak Beauty (6)  made a first appearance of the year, as did Clouded Drab (4), Twin-spotted Quaker (1) and Double-striped Pug (1). The rest of the catch comprised Early Grey (5), Hebrew Character (5), Engrailed (1) and Small Quaker (1).

Oak Beauty

Clouded Drab

Double-striped Pug

Twin-spotted Quaker

Gowerton

I've had similar results to Barry whilst staying in my garden.
On Monday night, with 8.3 degrees min temp I had only 3 species, 6 moths.
Last night, Wednesday, with 8.1 min and some early morning drizzle
there were 14 species with 39 moths, including the first migrant of the year, Nomophila noctuella.

Nomophila noctuella

Bont

Last night produced pretty much identical conditions to the previous evening enabling a comparison of results between our garden and Sandra's aunt and uncle's place just outside Pontarddulais. In contrast to our urban garden, with annoying bright new cut-off street lights nearby, her relative's place not only has lovely dark skies, but is situated amongst some interesting habitats including woodland, valley mire, dry heath and colliery spoil, not to mention a dense forest on Rhododendron!
Although the differences aren't outrageously different, they do highlight the benefits of asking if relatives living in good sites fancy letting you run your trap every now and then...particularly if your home site is ordinary.
Gorseinon: 5 spp. 9 individuals
Cwmdulais: 17 spp. 36 individuals
The moth highlights at the latter site were Pine Beauty and Pale Pinion, but a male Minotaur Beetle stole the limelight - it's the first time I've ever encountered on in a moth trap before.

Gorseinon

I finally dusted off the trap for my first garden session of the year and was a little disappointed with the results given the mild, misty conditions. Despite only 5 species being recorded, Dark Sword-grass, Pale Pinion (13th garden record) and Grey Shoulder-knot (4th garden record) weren't too bad a return.

Llandaff - 11th March

A drizzly evening just over 9 degrees last night.

Singles of Pale Brindled Beauty, Oak Beauty, Common Quaker, March Moth and a couple of Early Grey's.
I also had an early Diamond-back Moth.

Llangynwyd last night.

                          Oak beauty

                          Red chestnut

                          Twin spotted quaker.
                          9 sp in all, a late Early moth, Chestnut, Clouded drab, double
                          striped pug and Brindled pug. Was expecting more on a foggy
                          still night of 10 deg.

Creigiau - 09 March

Don't know what happened Thursday night - 49 moths of 10 species! Over half  of this total was made up of Hebrew Character (14) and March Moth (13), Others were Common Quaker (6), Early Grey (6), Dotted Border (4), Brindled Beauty (2) and singles of Pale Brindled Beauty, Engrailed and Diurnea fagella (first appearance since March 2015). Also, one other that I'm not sure of  - could this be Dark Chestnut? New for me if it is.

Diurnea fagella

Engrailed

Brindled Beauty & Pale Brindled Beauty.

Llandaff - 9th March

I noticed a few bats over the garden last night so put the trap on till dawn.

Nice to see more than one mothin the trap. A catch with singles of  - Oak Beauty, Brindled Beauty, Early Grey, Caloptilia stigmatella and a duo of Hebrew Character.

Parc Slip

Much better catch last night - my best here since mid-September with 30 moths of 14 species. All new for 2017 were pale pinion (first since 2015), shoulder stripe, oak beauty, clouded drab, Acleris hastiana, Caloptilia stigmatella and these two which I presume are Depressaria daucella? Apologies for the blurry phone photos...

Parc Slip

Despite it being a wet night I finally caught a few moths at Parc Slip - in fact it was the biggest catch since the 4th November (though still only 12 moths of 5 species...).
Highlight for me was a smart yellow horned (first for a couple of years) and I also had my first march moth, common quaker and hebrew character of 2017. The other species was pale brindled beauty of which I had 5 standard and one melanic.

Mompha divisella - Creigiau

Plucked this off the garage window about 10 minutes ago. Mompha divisella, I think, about a week earlier than first seen last year.