Goodbye Andy, Goodbye Alan

As I am sure long-time visitors to this blog will be aware, for over 40 years I've been listening to and thoroughly enjoying the works of Depeche Mode. During that that time, their line up has been more stable than any other band of similar longevity that I can think of. Vince Clarke left very early on, Alan Wilder replaced him for 13 years and from then on the band has been the three ever-present core of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher. They've had a consistent touring members Christian Eigner on drums since 1997 and Peter Gordeno on keyboards since 1998. Today, far too young, Andy Fletcher (60) died. Andy was pivotal to the success of the band: not as a songwriter, not as the voice or the face of the band, but he certainly was the glue and the heart of the band keeping things together through inevitable rough patches. Whilst I sincerely hope that this is not the end for Depeche Mode, it will be in many respects.

It was even longer ago that I heard and liked Yes, albeit thanks to my Dad playing them incessantly. I've not listened to them regularly over that time or kept pace with everything they've released, and their line up is far from stable or consistent. But one of their most persistent members was drummer Alan White - ever-present from 1972. Alan (72) also died today.

Here's a few suitably sombre looking moths from the garden last night ....

Clouded Brindle

Flame Shoulder

Vine's Rustic

Marbled Minor sl

Tawny Marbled Minor sl

Caught in a Trap

Been gradually catching up on records that have been sat on pages of my notebook since mid-May. I've been able to update my PSL, adding c18 species and I still have a couple pending confirmation. I need to update my garden lists, and of course my square list. I fully expect to be back up to date and ready before we hopefully see another upturn in conditions.

In the meantime, here's some mothy stuff from the garden:

First up, a couple of luring successes. I've hung clearwing lures up in the garden before, but only for an hour or so whilst I loitered watching out in vain. Having now got a proper lure trap, I've tried a couple of lures left out in the day. Nothing to MYO (targeting Red-belted) and nothing to FOR (targeting Red-tipped). But the TIP lure left out whilst I was at work on 15th June came up with a solitary Currant Clearwing - the first clearwing on the garden list:

I also hung out the SKI lure on 13/06/2021 in the hope that I'd get Grapholita lobarzewskii on the garden year list (the first for VC55 was from my garden in 2018 but was completely knackered and unidentifiable on externals). Nothing to the lure all day, then just 15 minutes or so before it was getting dark and suddenly there were four in the trap. Really good to see a recognisable one!

One that I will have to await confirmation, but I am pretty confident about is this non-descript looking Gelechiid that came to the garden light trap on 13/06/2021:

It is pretty worn and plain looking, but those basal spots and the small distinct discal spot - along with general shape and what is left of colouration - look absolutely spot on for Platyedra subcinerea. This species overwinters as an adult and flies again in the late spring, so you'd expect one to be pretty shabby by now. Moreover, it should be a lot further south and is perhaps declining - so needless to say that if confirmed it will be new for me, the garden and VC55.

Otherwise the garden trap has been starting to tick over with a good few NFY species in the last week or so. Here's a selection of Noctuids, and a couple of others lazily snapped at the trap:

Clouded-bordered Brindle ab combusta

Broad-barred White

Ingrailed Clay

Heart and Club

Clouded Brindle

Common Swift

Water Veneer

Bucculatrix albedinella

Hot - Damn!

Nice and warm last night bringing a fair bit to the garden traps, albeit nothing exceptional apart from the 2nd Box Tree Moth for the garden, me and VC55. Someone somewhere near here is going to be losing their hedge shortly!

Today has been roasting hot. I nipped out with the clearwing lures but was scuppered when the first site I visited for Red-belted had been bulldozed. No joy at the second for Currant, and I gave up then as it was just too hot to think.

The ultimate irony is that the warm nights and hot days generally mean the moth traps are getting busier, but the hot days also mean that moth photography is nigh on impossible. Nothing sits still without having been in the fridge, and everything that's been in the fridge immediately tries to warm up and does so with amazing speed and efficiency. I potted up a number of species, knowing that maybe half of them would be lost before I got a shot. So here's a small selection.

Clouded Brindle

Lime-speck Pug

Elephant Hawk-moth

There was also another visitor to the traps last night - looking a bit emaciated, and I'm hoping it's not planning on fattening up on moths .....

Common Frog

From the garden trap - 15/07/2008

The garden macro list has continued to grow albeit at a slow pace with relatively few additions over the last couple of years. This year's first new macro was unexpected and not exactly the most inspiring individual!


A knackered Clouded Brindle - first for the garden

Total catch 186 of 72sp.
(125W MV 99 of 55sp., 80W actinic 87 of 39sp.)

First for garden:
Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion) 1
First for year in garden:
Argyresthia goedartella 1
Blastobasis adustella 1
Batrachedra praeangusta 1
Acleris holmiana 1
Lobesia abscisana 1
Gold Triangle (Hypsopygia costalis) 1
White Plume Moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) 1
Lilac Beauty (Apeira syringaria) 1
Scarce Footman (Eilema complana) 1
Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 1
Highest counts:
Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 25
Riband Wave (Idaea aversata) 10
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 10
Eucosma cana 9


Lackey - the larvae of this species can be pretty destructive when feeding en masse in a communal web. I do like the adults though, must try more flash photography like this.


Lilac Beauty - one of the best looking moths. Except when they are completely fucked like this one!

Pickworth Great Wood - Images

A few shots from the Pickworth Great Wood session on 7th June - all photographed during the trap emptying session the following morning. All should be clickable for a larger size.


Poplar Lutestring


Pale Oak Beauty


Brindled White-spot


Iron Prominent


Light Brocade


Alder Moth / Buff-tip


Clouded Brindle / Beautiful Golden Y


The Coronet


Grey Arches