Although the forecast wasn't great, I knew that last night would probably be the last chance of getting out anywhere before working away next week. The forecast for tonight and the weekend looked no better and probably worse. So I set out to leave three traps running at Gisborne's Gorse in Charnwood Lodge. Even in unfavourable conditions, leaving traps in decent woodland habitat, sheltered from any strong breeze, should yield better results than a typical garden. Or not as the case turned out to be! After the poor garden catch I was not execting much, and this morning the traps took no longer to empty than it took to put them out in the first place.
Total Catch 20 of 11sp. (from 3 x 125W MV traps!!)
The only highlights really were two species that I probably won't ever see in my garden.
Grey Birch - great when fresh (unlike this worn individual)
Marbled Brown
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Gisborne's Gorse 14/05/2008
From the garden trap - 14/05/2008
Absolutely dire!
Total catch 11 of 8sp.
(125W MV 4 of 4sp., 80W actinic 7 of 4sp.)
Nothing new, no highlights.
From the garden trap - 13/05/2008
(125W MV 15 of 9sp., 80W actinic 18 of 12sp.)
First for year:
Scalloped Hazel - they don't normally hold their wings up, this jumpy bugger wouldn't settle.
ATB style
When I finally get the Vectra estate (now due end May) I'll have to see if the bike rack fits - I realy ought to take the bike out for a bit of birding around Rutland Water etc.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
From the garden trap - 12/05/2008
The cooler evening temp. and strong breeze certainly reduced the catch last night.
Total catch 29 of 15sp.
(125W MV 15 of 10sp., 80W actinic 14 of 8sp.)
First for year:
Elachista argentella 1
Highest counts:
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 6
Other highlights:
None!
Monday, 12 May 2008
From the garden trap - 11/05/2008
(125W MV 31 of 21sp., 80W actinic 26 of 14sp.)
First for year:
Bucculatrix nigricomella 1
Elachista rufocinerea 1
Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 1
Waved Umber (Menophra abruptaria) 1
Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata) 1
Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 1
Highest counts:
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 10
Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 9
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 5
Other highlights:
May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata) 1
An early Heart and Dart
Sunday, 11 May 2008
This week, I have mostly been listening to -
After the synth pop revival, I reloaded the i-Pod with a small but powerful selection of, well, stuff. Electronic based from across the last couple of decades, a bit off the wall and difficult to pigeon-hole into any particular genre. Contributors to this mix included Controlled Bleeding, Hula, Suicide, Alien Sex Fiend, Bjork, a bit of FSOL and also:
Portishead - really like the current single Machine Gun, because of rather than in spite of the lack of music!
Aphex Twin - the brasher slightly less ambient stuff. This video is fucking brilliant!
This track in particular is probably what prompted a mid-week re-load with 100% D&B, courtesy of the Drum & Bass Arena podcasts. Why not download a couple of tasters - play them loud.
Futurebound
DJ Basher
From the garden trap - 10/05/2008
A whopping 70 of 30sp., including 14 micro sp.
(125W MV 40 of 22sp, 80W actinic 30 of 15sp.)
First for year:
Coleophora albicosta 1
Syndemis musculana 1
Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 1
Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 1
Highest counts:
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 18
Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 8
Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 6
Other highlights:
Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1
May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata) 1
Should be some more good lists whilst this warm spell continues. I'll be working away in Jordan after next week so the chances of breaking 100 species in May will be limited.
Mottled Pug
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Narborough Bog - 09/05/2008
After a very early start and a long day working in Kent yesterday, I got home just before seven feeling in need of fresh air and recreation. I decided with only a couple of hours before dusk to drag the mothing gear out of the shed, service the gennie and get over to my nearest local reserve, Narborough Bog. However, as I was completely knackered I intended to just leave the gear overnight.
The gennie is a cheapo 2-stroke that I've had for 5 years or so now. For the money (c£70 at the time but they've gone for c£40 since) this gennie is second to none. It's loud, heavy and smelly when it starts but you can chain it up and leave it overnight without worrying about risk. It has been in the shed since National Moth Night 2007 (August) as I either couldn't be arsed to go out mothing or the weather was too crap in the intervening months. A quick spark plug clean (no oily shit I'm pleased to say) and an air filter check and time to fire up. Not quite first pull, but only 3 more and it was running - superb, another season in it yet.
I had already sorted the traps out with new bulbs and various vane repairs before storing for the winter, so I thought they would be okay. Everything piled into the boot and I was at Narborough bog in time to get the traps and gennie set-up.
The only target as such was Early Tooth-striped. This is a favourite of mine, but I knew it may be too late in the season as I normally trap here in mid April. Otherwise, I was just keen to prove the gear and see what turned up.
I chained the gennie up on the footbridge, with the traps positioned c100M into the damp woodland, c5M from the bridge and c50M along the track running past the allotments. No point in targeting the reedbed at this time of year. All of the traps had a white(ish) sheet underneath - helps to make finding moths around the trap easier in the morning.
Gennie security
Trap & sheet in the dark damp wood.
I fired up at 20:55, waited a few minutes and then left it to fate. At 06:00 this morning, I arrived back to find the gennie still running and all traps still on. Only annoyance was that some shambolic fuckwit had decided to trample on one of the sheets, move the trap and dispose of a cigarette into the box. What a cunt on casters. And also what a fucking lame attempt at vandalism - they could've hoyed the trap into the reedbed or at least unplugged everything. It was still running and still had moths in (although some were dead from passive smoking).
What the fuck?
Not the usual trap detritus.
I'd already let John know I would be trapping and he joined me just in time to start going through them. Not a bad catch in total, with 82 of 44sp. The absolute highlight was 2 Chocolate-tips - I think a site first record (which considering the amount of work done here is some feat). There was also a single Early Tooth-striped. Overall, the best moths were:
Phyllonorycter salictella viminiella 1
Elachista apicipunctella 1
Acleris hastiana 2
Red-green Carpet (Chloroclysta siterata) 1
May Highflyer (Hydriomena impluviata) 3
Early Tooth-striped (Trichopteryx carpinata) 1
White-pinion Spotted (Lomographa bimaculata) 2
Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 2
Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac) 1
Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) 3
Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 2
Chocolate-tip (Clostera curtula) 2
Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 1
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum) 1
Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala) 1
Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis) 4
A full list can be downloaded from here if you are registered on the VC55 Moths Yahoo Group.
As ever (except when blogger fucks up), all of the following photos are clickable for larger size viewing.
Chocolate-tip - these tend to flap themselves stupid once disturbed, and this on the egg-tray shot was the best I managed.
Early Tooth-striped
White-pinion Spotted
Small Phoenix
Pebble Prominent
Knot Grass
Red-green Carpet
From the garden trap - 09/05/2008
Similar numbers to yesterday, with the two traps performing almost identically.
Total catch 34 of 20sp.
(125W MV 17 of 13sp., 80W actinic 17 of 14sp.)
Tinea trinotella 1
Caloptilia syringella 1
Argyresthia trifasciata 3
Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1
White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
Semioscopis steinkellneriana 1
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 4
Twenty-plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) 2
Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) 3
Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 1
Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 2
Sandy Carpet (Perizoma flavofasciata) 1
Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 3
Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) 1
Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) 1
Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) 1
Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1
Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 2
Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 2
Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 1
Caloptilia syringella - I've already mentioned that I like this group, and this is probably my favourite of the commoner species. Go on - click for a large view.
Sandy Carpet
From the garden trap - 08/05/2008
Getting nearer to the garden mothing annual landmarks of 25 species / 10 micro species in a night.
Total catch 35 of 20sp.
(125W MV 13 of 11sp., 80W actinic 22 of 14sp.)
Eriocrania subpurpurella 1
Phyllonorycter blancardella 1
Phyllonorycter corylifoliella 1
White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 3
Agonopterix arenella 1
Scrobipalpa acuminatella 1
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 7
Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 1
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) 1
Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2
Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 4
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1
Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 3
Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 2
Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) 1
Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) 1
Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) 1
Small Magpie - a smart pyralid
Sixty / Freedom
As Israel marks sixty years as a nation, there are clearly mixed feelings and thoughts about what has been achieved. To me, it appears that the main achievements are:
- border expansion beyond those proposed/agreed in 1948 (agreed by everyone except the Arabian states affected that it!)
- war with all neighbours (any claims of 60 years of peace is absolute fucking bollocks)
- leading middle-eastern nation in the global arms race (yes, they are nuclear)
- did I mention the border expansion and occupation
- etc
I hope I'm wrong, but I am not betting money on a fully acceptable-to-all solution to the Israeli/Palestinian dispute in the next couple of decades. And seeing as the UK and the UN fucked the whole thing up in the first place I wouldn't look there for answers.
Meanwhile, over in Burma, we have a Military Junta prepared to let their own people suffer and die rather than accept help and aid from western nations/individuals. This is just so fucking unbelievable I don't know what to say.
Our politicians may not be liked (because they are all cunts) but it's when you get a glimpse of life (and death) in places like Burma that you realise how lucky we are. Unless you live in Tewkesbury etc. - plenty of government help in flood-affected areas I'm sure.
The stench of death!
It's a strange thing, but aside from very obvious road-kill corpses I come across very few dead animals and birds when out and about (relative to their abundance in life). This is especially true of the larger mammals. On arriving at Ketton yesterday morning though, a disturbingly familiar smell hit my nostrils. Death. Just like the rotting Blackbird I cleared out of our guttering a couple of years ago, only bigger. You know the smell.
Right at the entrance to the reserve, completely exposed, was a recently dead Muntjac (or at least I think it's a Muntjac). When I say recently dead, I'm guessing 2 - 3 days. With the recent heat, the smell of decomposition and the maggot ridden nasal passages were the only lively things about this deer.
The left hidleg was snapped just above the hoof with exposed bone, so I'm guessing that it must have been severly hampered to the point where it probably just laid down and starved to death.
Any dipterists or coleopterists out there would have a field day with this one!
Not very well.
Knackered leg.
Maggot heaven.
Friday, 9 May 2008
Ketton Quarry - 08/05/2008
An early morning appointment in Peterborough gave an opportunity for another visit to Ketton Quarry. By the time I got there it was already shaping up to be a very warm day and there was continuous bright sunshine. As a direct consequence there was far more butterfly activity than I've seen anywhere ekse this year. Common species on the wing were: Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Brimstone and Holly Blue. I also managed 2 of my 3 butterfly targets -
A good 25+ Green Hairstreaks noted, but bloody hard to get a shot of as they were so active.
Also c15 Grizzled Skippers, again very lively and mobile. Bastards! No Dingy Skippers though.
'Another micro-second and I'm off'
A very conservative 200+ Common Heaths - the name really fits at this site.
Otherwise moths were few and far between, with only a few Incurvaria masculella and Pyrausta purpuralis noted.
From the garden trap - 07/05/2008
A garden tick is always welcome, even when it's a tiny micro. Phyllonorycter corylifoliella appeared for the first time amongst an improved MV catch.
Total catch 28 of 18sp.
(125W MV 17 of 11sp., 80W actinic 11 of 10sp.)
Incurvaria masculella 1
Parornix anglicella 2
Phyllonorycter corylifoliella 1
White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
Semioscopis steinkellneriana 1
Agonopterix alstromeriana 1
Mompha subbistrigella 1
Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 6
Emmelina monodactyla 1
Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) 1
Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 3
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1
Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 3
Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) 1
Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) 1
Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 1
Incurvaria masculella - this is a female (male has feathered antennae)
Brimstone Moth
Brindled Beauty
Swallow Prominent
