Having been away from home for a week I returned to warm unbroken sunshine, for two days anyhow, moonlit nights after midnight though. The two nights that followed improved as the cloud built. 17th to 20th May. My return found the Treble Lines had knocked the Shuttle-shaped Dart off the top spot. Species well into the early summer with Setaceous Hebrew Character, Scoparia ambigualis and Crambus lathoniellus around. Then surprised to take a Common Quaker in good condition on 18th and a worn Pine Beauty on 19th. My routine Ox-eye Daisy feeders Dicrorampha acuminatana and Bucculatrix nigricomella are on the wing and I took a third spring nepticulid, Stigmella roborella at the compact actinic trap. I am however not pleased to see the occasional Large Yellow Underwing but am hopeful they will not overcrowd the compact actinic which seems to catch very few noctuids. Five pleasing additions to my site list were from the 19th and 20th:- Lobster Moth, with just a hint of pink the Rosy Wave, the very pretty Pseudargyrotoza conwagana and two beech feeders, a Clay Triple-lines and a Parornix fagivora (dissected). Species counts 61,63,77 and 107.
I also took two brief daytime excursions. Firstly to Bromeswell Green where I had seen Marsh Marigold flowering and hoped to pick up Micropterix calthella. Having just left the song in my back garden I was greeted by another Nightingale as I stepped from my car at the site. The Marigold had finished flowering but I found my quarry along with Glyphipterix simpliciella on buttercup flowers. Also took Silver Ground Carpet there but failed to net two other micros.
The other excursion was to the Rendlesham Forest where an area of bracken had been completely eaten back last year reportedly by sawfly larvae. I found no sawfly but rather a number of Brown Silver-line. Perhaps it is Lepidoptera that were responsible. Also took a Mother Shipton and found two micros in abundance; Cydia ulicitana flying amongst the Gorse and Glyphipterix fuscoviridella amongst the Field Wood-rush.