Friday 30 September 2011

We are the knights who say.....








Ni!!!








(if you don't know Monty Python then you won't get the reference)

Wednesday 28th/Thursday 29th September - with very warm weather over the past couple of days and a nice warm wind coming up from the South I couldn't resist the opportunity to try and get something unusual in the trap at Cors Dyfi.
And I did!

The Ni moth is a rare migrant, apparently only around 50 records a year, and on first seeing this I knew it was unusual but just wasn't sure what species it was. When Peter confirmed this as the Ni I couldn't do anything except laugh but then took things a little more seriously (well, tried to) and realised what an excellent find this was for the county. Several photographs were soon on their way to Peter for inclusion on the website.

Other interesting species that night included Large Wainscott and Marveille du Jour, plus several young newts attracted by the number of small insects!

This was also the first time I'd tried "Sugaring" and spent the morning brewing up a concoction of red wine, sugar and honey, the whole house smelled like a brewery for hours afterwards and whilst the soaked cloth strips I put out did attract a small number of moths on the night, they seemed to attract more spiders which spent the rest of the night acting as though they only had 4 legs!

It proved to be an excellent night for other wildlife too with a new mammal species confirmed on site - Badger.

With the weather forecast still set for an Indian summer I will be returning on site within the next few days with my fingers crossed.

MariaW, Cors Dyfi "Furballs" Officer, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

Thursday 29 September 2011

Last night's haul

Well last night was rather productive I thought:

Merveille Du Jour
10
Large Yellow Underwing
27
Brimstone
5
Canary Shouldered Thorn
5
Setaceous Hebrew Character
19
Brown-spot Pinion
17
Rosy Rustic
5
Square Spot Rustic
5
Beaded Chestnut
43
Brindled Green
14
Lunar Underwing
20
Silver Y
4
Green Carpet
2
Common Wainscot
1
Figure of Eight
4
Blair's Shoulder Knot
1
Autumnal Rustic
3
Sallow
3
Dark Sword Grass [NFY]
1
Satellite
1
Black Rustic
3
Barred Sallow
6
Yellow-line Quaker [NFY]
1
Frosted Orange
2
Lesser Yellow Underwing
1
Dusky Lemon Sallow [NFY]
1
Red-green Carpet
1
Flounced Chestnut [NFM]
2




Eudonia angustea 1

Epinotia tenerana [NFM]
1

Celypha lacunana 1

Argyresthia goedartella 2

Acleris variegana 2

A couple of migrants there also, hope to get some more over the coming nights and of course at the upcoming event next week at Lake Vyrnwy.

The two new ones for me have just pushed to a nice landmark 500 lepidopterous species in the garden, which breaks into 328 macro, 144 micro and 28 butterflies.

Douglas.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Migrant moths heading our way!

With the wind in the south-east and temperatures rising, this coming week offers a very good opportunity for recording those migrant species. So fire those traps up and be prepared for species such as the Vestal, Dark Sword-grass, Pearly Underwing, Rush Veneer, Gem, Rusty-dot Pearl, Silver Y or even a Convolvulus Hawk-moth, any of which, as well as good numbers of our resident species could be drawn to our lights, good luck and please let me know if any scarce migrant turns up.

Peter.

Sunday 18 September 2011

Quiet nights

Last night (16th) had a min temp of 12.5, I caught the following:

Flounced Rustic - 1
Frosted Orange - 2
SHC - 17
Rosy Rustic - 5
Brimstone - 2
Large YU - 21
Canary-shouldered Thorn - 2
Beaded Chestnut - 2 (NFY)
Sallow - 2
Silver Y - 1
Square-spot Rustic - 3
Brown-spot Pinion - 2
Copper Underwing agg. - 2
Centre-barred Sallow - 1
Green Carpet - 1
Snout - 1





And the highlight of the night was MASSIVE Large Wainscot - NFM. A declining species which is also rather uncommon here in Montgomeryshire.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

The Bridge Cottage (Middletown) Event

At Bridge Cottage, Middletown last Saturday evening, we recorded 38 species.

The full report/species list is now on the website and can be found (along with the other 2011 event reports) here.

Thanks once again to Clare for the marvellous hospitality (the chocolate brownies particularly noteworthy). And, Sue, keep bringing your cake - it's fantastic!!

Thursday 8 September 2011

MMG Mothing event at Bridge Cottage, Saturday 10th September

Dear All

A reminder that there is an MMG (Montgomeryshire Moth Group) event at Bridge Cottage: hosted by the Boyes Family on Saturday 10th September.

Map reference: SJ305121

Details: An evening trapping in the garden and surrounding fields, hopefully this mild weather we’re having might push one or two early migrants in the direction of our traps.

Meet: 7:00 pm.

Directions: From Welshpool on the A458 take the first right in Middletown. Follow the road up a hill and round a right bend. The road will then start going downhill. Half way down this hill there is a left turn down a dead end road, marked with a farmer's gateway and a sign, warning of the low bridge. Then follow this road down for a few hundred metres you'll then go under a railway bridge and you're there!

Address: Bridge Cottage, Middletown, Welshpool, Powys - SY21 8DG.


Peter.

Thursday 1 September 2011

2 new for me

Last night I got 2 NFMs, a macro and a micro.


Devon Carpet and Argyresthia pruniella.