Birds, Leps, Observations & Generalities - the images and ramblings of Mark Skevington. Sometimes.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

621

Ran the garden Synergetic last night, not quite from dusk as it was still a bit damp but I lit up at around 7pm. Nothing around the trap before I went to bed early with more malt medicine (still feeling shite) and so I had low expectations for the catch this morning. I was right in one respect - just four moths of two species. However, one of the species was this ....

Tortricodes alternella - Garden Tick - now 621 species

I was very pleased with this, as it was one I really didn't expect with no decent woodland nearby. I also mistakenly thought this was an Oak feeder, but seems it is polyphageous on most deciduous trees. Not too many early season specialities missing from the garden list now, Spring Usher and Oak Beauty being the most likely to turn up eventually.

In fact the joy was three-fold ....

Can't remember the last time when a species added itself to the list so emphatically!

Those among you with full powers of deduction and mathematical skill will have worked out that there was just one other moth .. this one ..

Emmelina monodactyla

Also out last night were the first Frogs to wander through the garden on their way to neighbouring ponds ...


And today when I had to nip out briefly, I went via the lane and sure enough there was a small round blob on the usual tree ...

You looking at me?

2 comments:

Stewart said...

We are getting alternella too Mark. I have had 8 now this month after none previously. I wonder why?

Skev said...

Don't know about up there, but certainly here in VC55 it's a common early-season species in the right habitat - which is probably why it's taken 13 years to appear here in the garden. I am sure that the embankment next to the garden is starting to mature sufficiently for quite a few species that were previously unlikely to get a foothold.