It was terribly exciting going through the Bawdsey traps this morning looking for a Ni Moth amongst the hordes of Silver Y. At least 364 Silver Y were trapped and probably many more remained hidden in the grass!
Did anyone else pick up on this influx?
This was evident during daylight hours. Have lots of Red Admirals too but yet to see a Painted Lady.
Up to 20 here by day and at dusk Friday and Saturday.
Only 2 in my trap, and very poor numbers of moths generally, only 33sp with nothing of real note. Large yellow underwing, Lesser yellow underwing and Square-spot rustic, normally abundant species at this time of year only present in single figures. There were certainly more Square-spot rustic at the Friday meeting at Knettishall heath, a site that I would say is very similar to the golf course. This trend of the grassland moths being in really poor numbers here has been going on all year, I think it must be the fact that the heavy rain and flooding we kept getting in the early summer at this site killed a lot of these moths as larvae/pupae. Be interesting to see if things like Lunar underwing are also low as that is another moth that feeds as a larva in the spring on grasses.
Neil
I had 4 in the traps on Sat eve. 1st. I also had a very late female Ghost Moth that immediatly laid eggs when I potted it. Also the first VC27 record of Cochylis molliculana (5) at Haddiscoe on the Norfolk bank of the River Waveney in the trap placed next to a large patch of bristly ox-tongue. So it’s now spread as far as Norfolk.
Brian
Plenty of Silver Y’s along the coast on Sunday. I’ve also heard of recent influxes of Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell along the coast too.
Interesting to hear about the influx of Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell too. I’ve certainly noticed an increase at Bawdsey Hall and have even taken two Small Tortoiseshells at light in recent weeks, which is pretty unusual.
I counted around 100 Silver Y on a large late flowering buddleia in a garden near Gorleston seafront midday on Tuesday 4th. There were many others on the hebe and stonecrop flowers.
Brian
Also saw 2 Painted Lady on buddleia when visiting the family in Ipswich on Monday 3rd. First I’ve seen since the big influx a couple of years ago.
Brian