Let Me Down

So as some may have picked up from posts on Twitter and Facebook, or my comment on the last post, my planned surgery did not happen. Which was bloody frustrating to say the least, and left me feeling a bit bewildered after having got myself psyched up and ready. I'd spent a couple of hours in the surgery pre-prep area being checked, interrogated and having had a chat with the surgeon - during which he helpfully told me that my pre-op scans had shown that the x3 growths had indeed grown a bit more during the c4wks since the last scans. The op is very high risk, mainly due to excess bleeding, sepsis, possible damage caused by the surgery etc, so they absolutely know I will be in ICU for a couple of days. The op is also a long procedure, at least 8hrs. So to go ahead, the team of surgeons/consultants involved (there are four completing various parts of the surgery within their area of specialism) all need to be available, the theatre needs to be triple-booked for the longer time, and there needs to be a confirmed ICU bed available. They can plan the surgeons and theatre, ICU is completely down to chance and given that the hospital has the only A&E department in Leics. then it is always likely to be busy. So I was left thinking the worst - what if the next date is another six or seven week wait, will that be too late to have the best chance of success ....

Once I'd had something to eat and drink, and pottered in the garden sunshine, I pulled myself together enough to nip out for a brief walk at Croft Hill. Whilst out I remembered that I had a ticket to see Gary Numan that I'd obviously expected to miss and had not been able to pass on. So when I got home I decided to sort myself out, get the moth trap set and bugger off for a beer and some noise. A great gig, and complete contrast to the more sedate and intricate Divine Comedy gig I'd been to the previous weekend.

Anyway, I got a call from the hospital yesterday and have a new date - 15th June. Not as soon as I'd like but at least not as far off as I feared. I'm back to how I was before this debacle and just focussing on the now, including getting back to work after a week out.

The moth trap on Thursday night was fairly busy, but best of the bunch was a not particularly spectacular looking pug ....

Angle-barred Pug (f. fraxinata = Ash Pug)

I nearly overlooked this in the early morning light, but noticed the straight costa, narrow long-winged look and that the weak markings were a bit too uniform to be due to wear. Of course in decent light and with a fully awake mind it's obvious what it is - though I wonder if I've overlooked it in the past. A first for the garden and the first I've seen in VC55, having only seen it previously in Devon.

A few others from the trap ...

Oak Hook-tip

Lime Hawk-moth

Flame Carpet

I pointed the camera at a couple of bits up at Croft Hill too. Back on 12th May whilst unsuccessfully dangling lures I found a handful of first instar larvae on small Aspen saplings. I was sure they were Puss Moth, but had no camera and wasn't going to take a couple to rear knowing I'd be away for a while. So I had another look and very quickly found another handful on the same area of Aspen saplings (there are loads), now in what I think is early third instar. This seems very early, but would mean the eggs were laid in late April and over the last five years at least we've been seeing Puss Moth adults to light from c20th April, so a clear shift in phenology.

There were plenty of Cantharids knocking about too, though only Cantharis rustica got snapped ....

The garden trap last night was not so busy, but the diversity is still picking up.

Rustic Shoulder-knot - a particularly dark individual

Brown Rustic

Poplar Grey

Given the move in surgery date, I'll also be able to go and see The Wonder Stuff in June - but I'll still be missing the Isle of Wight Festival.

From the garden trap, 23/05/2010

A pretty good night in the garden traps, with the warm and humid conditions bringing a total of 122 of 37sp. (125W MV 61 of 25, 80W actinic 61 of 26) including 12 firsts for the year in the garden. I was pleased to see the actinic catch up, but I can't be sure on one nights showing if this was down to excellent conditions or a genuine iprovement through changing the tubes.

0247 Tinea trinotella 8
0288 Caloptilia stigmatella 1
0357 Phyllonorycter stettinensis 1
0363 Phyllonorycter platanoidella 1 [first for year]
0409a Argyresthia trifasciata 21
0449 Ash Bud Moth (Prays fraxinella) 1 [first for year]
0544 Coleophora albicosta 5
0610 Elachista argentella 1 [first for year]
0647 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 2
0822 Scrobipalpa acuminatella 2
0986 Syndemis musculana 7
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 8
1076 Celypha lacunana 1 [first for year]
1126 Ancylis badiana 1 [first for year]
1174 Epiblema cynosbatella 1 [first for year]
1261 Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) 1 [first for year]
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 3
1646 Oak Hook-tip (Watsonalla binaria) 1 [first for year]
1651 Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) 1
1738 Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) 1 [first for year]
1776 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 9
1819 Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata) 6
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 10
1844 Ochreous Pug (Eupithecia indigata) 1 [first for year]
1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) 1
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 6
1920 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 1
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 4
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum) 1 [first for year]
2063 Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) 2
2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 5
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 2
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1 [first for year]
2188 Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) 1
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) 2

Oak Hook-tip

Common Carpet

Green Carpet

And here's the Cabbage Moth I found yesterday afternoon:

Cabbage Moth

The traps I left at Narborough Bog did very well - I'll have to leave you in suspense whist I sort the list and photos out though. The garden traps are our again tonight, though it is distinctly cooler than previous nights with a bit of breeze.