Whilst meeting up before heading down to the marshes, a cool breeze was blowing, and with the sky clearing out things didn’t look too promising.
Conditions were similar at the trapping site, so lights were put out in the woodland and on the sheltered side of one of the meadows. This evening, 10 traps (2 actinics) were out in the hope that a good number of lights would draw in at least a few moths on this cold, clear night. A number of Elachista argentella were seen at dusk flying over the wet meadow. Things were slow around the sheet, and we were soon up and about walking around the traps to keep warm! Again, the same pattern of only a few moths coming in to each trap occurred, as expected really! Highlights included: Clouded-bordered brindle, Great prominent, Pale tussock, Bactra lancealana, May highflyer, Chocolate tip and Oak-tree pug. We also caught a few hangers-on from the spring season: Chestnut, Red-green carpet and Hebrew character. Best moth of the night was found whilst clearing up the wet meadow traps, an Ancylis badiana, a moth with only a few recent records. My list finished on 33sp. Even trying some beating of trees near the end of the session failed to really add much with just a single unidentified larva found!
Neil