Rutland Water Reedbed revisited - 30/08/2008

I joined Ron Follows, Adrian Russell and Derek Lee for another overnight trapping session centred on the reedbeds and again with some coverage at the North Arm Marsh. Conditions looked promising but it was slow-going at the sheet and by the time I retired to my pump-up bed in the back of car (mothing luxury now, a proper comfortable prostrate sleep rather than a miserable cramped slouch in the olg Peugeot!) it was started to turn misty. By morning a very damp heavy mist had decended. I ran 3 x 125W MV traps and the 80W actinic around the old reedbed, totalling 474 of 53sp. Not too bad considering the limited habitat covered. Overall though from the sheet, 15 x MV traps and 4 x actinic traps the catch was 1983 of 101sp. The main target, and highlight, was Twin-spotted Wainscot (14). Twin-spotted Wainscot - can be a reedbed pest but still a scarce moth in VC55 Brindled Green - nice when they are fresh Pinion-streaked Snout