Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 14 September 2013

The night of 14 September was crystal clear, cloudless, dead calm and fine. As a consequence, temperatures dropped markedly overnight: from the low teens at dusk to 7.8°C when I first checked the trap at 05h30,  4.2°C when I turned it off at 06h10 and 3.9°C by 06h30.

Not surprisingly, the catch was much reduced and for the first time there were neither micros, nor wasps nor carrion beetles. Golden Plover were calling high overhead as I patrolled the trap in the pre-dawn.

Lunar Underwing was new for the trap, with two strkingly different colour forms.

Lunar Underwing Omphaloscelis lunosa: variations on a theme.

Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata: this strking colour form is the only one trapped so far.   

Sallow Xanthia icteritia: f. flavescens below  

Moths - all macros (9 spp.):-

Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet	1
Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	1
Colostygia pectinataria	Green Carpet	1
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	2
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	1
Agrochola litura	Brown-spot Pinion	1
Omphaloscelis lunosa	Lunar Underwing	2
Xanthia icteritia	Sallow	3
Autographa gamma	Silver Y	1

Rockland St. Peter: more Golden Plover flying south

Another flock of c. 250 Golden Plover flew SW, just after midday. Whistled imitations caused the birds to swirl around high overhead for a minute or two, before they headed southward once again.

Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 11 September 2013

Last night, 11 September, was forecast to be the only fine night for the next few days, so I decided to give the trap an airing. Between my setting it up at dusk (19h45) and my check on activity at 21h00, a light drizzle had wet the white groundsheet and peppered the perspex. But that was probably the only rain of a night which was cool (though a degree or two warmer than preceeding nights), darkly overcast and dead calm. The temperature on checking the trap at 05h15 was 12.5°C.

The catch was up on the previous one. I finally caught my first Nutmeg, and the other new one for the trap was the common Antler Moth.

The first Nutmeg Discestra trifolii.

Canary-shouldered Thorns always brighten up a dull morning - and they're good with people too...

The full macro list (21 spp.):-

Idaea seriata	Small Dusty Wave	2
Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet	1
Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	1
Colostygia pectinataria	Green Carpet	1
Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	1
Ennomos alniaria	Canary-shouldered Thorn	3
Agrotis segetum	Turnip Moth	2
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	5
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	1
Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	11
Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	1
Discestra trifolii	Nutmeg	1
Cerapteryx graminis	Antler Moth	1
Mythimna albipuncta	White-point	1
Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	2
Agrochola litura	Brown-spot Pinion	3
Amphipyra pyramidea	Copper Underwing	4
Gortyna flavago	Frosted Orange	1
Autographa gamma	Silver Y	1
Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	1
Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	2

Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 7 September 2013

A sudden drop in temperature and a second cold (<10°C), clear night with a light breeze led to a quiet night in the trap. Red Underwing was new, lurking in the top of the box.


Macros (16 spp.):-

Colostygia pectinataria	Green Carpet	1
Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	2
Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	1
Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	1
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	1
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	2
Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot	2
Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	1
Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	1
Mythimna albipuncta	White-point	2
Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	1
Atethmia centrago	Centre-barred Sallow	2
Hydraecia micacea	Rosy Rustic	1
Diachrysia chrysitis	Burnished Brass	2
Catocala nupta	Red Underwing	1
Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	1

Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 4 September 2013

The night of 4 September was fine and cloudless, yet warm (a min. of perhaps 16°C?), with a very light breeze that had dropped off by the pre-dawn.

Of the four nights I have run the new trap so far, this was the most diverse, with some 35 species of macro moth. A nice big Bulrush Wainscot was the first out, but this was the night of the carpets, with six species, including a lovely fresh Green Carpet, two ginger-coloured Common Marbled Carpets and a neat Purple Bar.

Bulrush Wainscot Nonagria typhae, one of the largest wainscots.

One of six carpet species, Purple Bar Cosmorhoe ocellata.

Macros (35 spp.):-

Timandra comae	Blood-vein	1
Idaea seriata	Small Dusty Wave	1
Xanthorhoe spadicearia	Red Twin-spot Carpet	1
Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet	2
Epirrhoe alternata	Common Carpet	1
Cosmorhoe ocellata	Purple Bar	1
Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	2
Colostygia pectinataria	Green Carpet	1
Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	13
Ennomos alniaria	Canary-shouldered Thorn	3
Ennomos fuscantaria	Dusky Thorn	3
Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	2
Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald	7
Agrotis segetum	Turnip Moth	2
Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	4
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	6
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	5
Noctua janthe	Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing	5
Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot	4
Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	16
Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	4
Lacanobia oleracea	Bright-line Brown-eye	1
Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	2
Agrochola litura	Brown-spot Pinion	1
Atethmia centrago	Centre-barred Sallow	4
Xanthia icteritia	Sallow	1
Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	2
Hydraecia micacea	Rosy Rustic	8
Gortyna flavago	Frosted Orange	2
Nonagria typhae	Bulrush Wainscot	1
Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	3
Diachrysia chrysitis	Burnished Brass	3
Abrostola tripartita	Spectacle	1
Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	1
Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	7

Norfolk moths: Rockland St. Peter garden, 2 September 2013

A fine night, with a breeze that dropped from moderate to light around dawn. Almost cloudless and relatively warm (min. 14°C?).

Pebble Prominent, while not a rarity, was nice to see. The trap contained quite a few Square-spot Rustic lookalikes, ranging from grey, to brown and rufous with worn individuals mixed in.

Moth of the night was Oblique Striped, a species whose stronghold in the UK is the Brecks and designated Nationally Scarce B (species that are nationally scarce and have been recorded in 31 – 100 ten kilometre squares in Great Britain).

Oblique Striped Phibalapteryx virgata (Nationally Scarce B)

Macros (29 spp.):-
 

Idaea seriata	Small Dusty Wave	1
Phibalapteryx virgata	Oblique Striped	1
Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell	1
Eupithecia centaureata	Lime-speck Pug	1
Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	11
Ennomos fuscantaria	Dusky Thorn	1
Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	1
Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald	2
Notodonta ziczac	Pebble Prominent	1
Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	2
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	7
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	2
Noctua janthe	Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing	3
Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot	1
Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	6
Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	7
Mamestra brassicae	Cabbage Moth	3
Tholera cespitis	Hedge Rustic	1
Tholera decimalis	Feathered Gothic	1
Mythimna albipuncta	White-point	2
Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	2
Atethmia centrago	Centre-barred Sallow	6
Amphipyra pyramidea	Copper Underwing	1
Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	2
Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic	1
Paradrina clavipalpis	Pale Mottled Willow	1
Diachrysia chrysitis	Burnished Brass	2
Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	3
Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	1

Norfolk Bat Survey concluded

I just retrieved the BTO's recording equipment from the final point I had signed up to survey for the Norfolk Bat Survey. I would have like to have covered a couple of extra grid squares, but have been unable to get permission to locate the equipment overnight. Nevertheless, in a little over a month I have managed to cover nine O. S. grid squares in the Rocklands area - that's 27 detector-nights, each at a different location no closer than 200 m to its closest neighbour. This should give a fair idea of the variety of bats we are lucky enough to share this area with. Looking forward to receiving the final results from the BTO...