There is nothing like the feeling you get when you go out in the first light to eagerly go through the moth trap and see what has come in during the hours of darkness. It's a great feeling of anticipation and excitement, and one that even seasoned mothers feel - at least for the first few nights of the season, or when mothing away from home.
This morning though I had mothing like that feeling. Almost as soon as it got dark last night the temperatures plummeted again and I was pretty sure the trap would be empty of everything except egg boxes. At least on that front I was not disappointed - I was absolutely spot on!
I can't believe how crap the early season has been - either way too cold or too wet to bother. By this time last year I'd recorded 19 species between the garden and a single visit to a decent VC55 wood. Just two moths of one species in the garden so far in 2010 (Agonopterix heracliana).
2 comments:
I feel your pain Mark
I've had just 4 Moths of 4 species to my Garden this year so far! it is an incredibly slow start to the season I agree.
I've had more luck in heavily wooded areas but this is quite abit of hassle and takes hours to set-up, then record/photograph and then pack away, and when it's cold it is not much fun!
Spring has sprung but it doesn't feel like it, -2c here tonight.
Yes lads its getting on me wick! I was set to get the trap out tonight when the forecast said 7 degrees down to 1 degree by dawn. As son as the sun dipped towards the horizon, -1 !
My garden list so far 1 Pale B Beauty, 3 December Moths and 1 Chestnut.
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