May ups its game

...but only slightly.



Garden Carpet



Campion



After some great birding over the weekend, the weather appears to have made a turn for the better. Sunday night and the trap was out! With temperatures of 13 degrees for the daytime, and only dropping to 9 degrees throughout the night I thought that something wonderful would grace the trap.



Pale Mottled Willow



Shuttle-shaped Dart



Garden Carpet, Pale Mottled Willow, Campion and Twenty-plume Moth were all potted before departing for bed - and all new for the garden yearlist. I was excited to see what would be in the trap when I awoke!!

Sadly, the exitement was a little far-fetched and the only inhabitants of the trap were 2 x Shuttle-shaped Dart. But they too were new for the garden yearlist, and take pride of place among the 7 moths that came to please me. The other little fellow was Emmelina monodactyla.

This week is looking much warmer, albeit with clearer night skies, so hopefully the traps will definitely be out again soon (and much fuller too!)

Has it been so long?

This weather has really had a dramatic effect on my mothing. Probably not the moths, they've no doubt been getting on with it, but the rain and cool temperatures have kept my trap firmly locked in the shed. I gave it a few hours on the 21st when it was slightly drier (only a couple of light showers) and managed a year first Early Thorn and a Hebrew Character.

The 24th seemed fairly warm, so despite the threatening clouds I put the trap out, and glad I did too! There were a few little beasts falpping around at a few points up to 2300hrs, and I managed to pot up a Double-striped Pug and year first Brindled Pug. Some sort of Carpet sp. came and dropped into the trap at 2230 so I'd have to wait till morning to check that one. At this time of year it was most likely going to be a Garden and indeed on emptying the trap there it was sitting patiently on one of the egg boxes. There was also a supporting cast of another DS Pug, Hebrew Character and an Emmelina monodactyla. Certainly the best catch in a long time.

The planned trapping session at Carr Wood has been put off for a second time, but hopefully I'll get out to the wood one night next week, and then do a proper session in early May. There should be something worth the effort by then!!