I have only run the lights for the past two nights (3rd and 4th) as I’ve been away on a trip to Scotland.
Quite a reasonable selection of moths are still flying at Bawdsey including Epiphyas postvittana, Acleris sparsana, Emmelina monodactyla and Crocidosema plebejana – some of the latter may well be immigrants.
Macros have included Red-green Carpet, November Moth, Large Yellow Underwing, Black Rustic, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Grey Shoulder-knot, Green-brindled Crescent, Merveille du Jour, Satellite, Chestnut, Dark Chestnut, Brick, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker, Beaded Chestnut, Angle Shades and Large Wainscot.
A few migrants have arrived with the 3rd being a particularly good night; despite all the rain. Diamond-back Moth, Rusty-dot Pearl, Rush Veneer and Silver Y have arrived in small numbers. A high count of fifteen Dark Sword-grass on 3rd was notable this late in the season as was a single Palpita vitrealis light-trapped the same night.
I’ve had no further December Moths – since the early one I caught on 21st October. I have yet to see Feathered Thorn this month but did catch them right at the end of October and suspect they are still around. Hoping the next few weeks will bring Mottled Umber, Scarce Umber, Winter Moth or Sprawler here and always the chance of Dotted Chestnut, Red-headed Chestnut or Red Sword-grass – all of which have appeared at Bawdsey in Novembers gone by.
Readers may also be interested to know that all the Dewick’s Plusia larvae have now pupated. The gravid female was trapped here on 4th October.