I guess from the lack of news on captures on the blog that people must be suffering from the lack of moths syndrome that seems to be prevalent across the UK at the moment (going on various blogs I read online). It certainly seems to be happening here at IGC. Most nights have been too cold to tempt me to trap, but with some cloud cover and a temperature of 7 degrees at dusk on 3rd April I gave it a go. 2x 125w mv traps in my garden caught 8sp. Full count as follows: Common quaker 25, Hebrew character 3, Twin-spotted quaker 1, Small quaker 1, Pine beauty (FFY) 3, D.fagella 1, Engrailed (FFY) 1 and Chestnut 1. These are very poor numbers for me here, at a site where there are mature Oak trees close by. On a good night in the recent past I’ve had over 100 Common and over 200 Small quakers alone in one mv trap running in the same location.
I would be interested to know if others are finding the same. I expect garden totals to be low, but what is it like in the wider countryside?
If another warmish night happens in the next few days I’ll be trapping in the Oak woods on the site to see if that is any different.
Neil
I too am underwhelmed Neil. I have yet to record ten or more species in a night this year in my Ipswich garden. All Orthosia numbers have been very low with only single figures of Small Quaker and Clouded Drab. The best moth recently was a Pale Pinion on the 29th March, almost a year to the day since my first one here.
Paul
Same with me, it’s almost an embarrassment at the moment. On the April 2nd I ran 4 traps on one of my prime sites. The promised cloud did not turn up till gone midnight, long after I had packed up and the total catch was 2 March Moth, 1 Small Quaker & 1 Common Quaker. Yesterday evening was not much better on the nearby SWT site. The sky was clear when I set the traps up but there was cloud threatening from all four directions. I sat it out until 9.45 with still no movement from the clouds but by the time I had packed the last trap away at 10.15 the sky had filled with cloud. Very frustrating! Just 15 moths of 4 species had come to the lights.
As I write this the sky is clear. Do I risk it again tonight? Will the forecast cloud arrive this evening? It’s a bit of a lottery at the moment.
Brian
Am still holding out for my first session and haven’t even checked the traps over yet. Will hopefully use them in the coming week and report.
I gave it a try this evening (Sunday) in the local wood. It turned out to be a little better but no cloud appeared and temp. went down to 5 deg. All packed up by 10 pm and by then I had recorded about 40 moths of 9 species but nothing new for the year.
It may be better later in the week.
Brian
Nothing exciting here in my garden at Hollesley. 9 and 13 species on two nights recently. Looks marginally warmer in a couple of days that may take me farther afield and hopefully bring a few more moths out.
Same here in the west. It’s either been cold and clear, or just too darn windy to bother putting the trap out. Consequently, I’ve only run a few times this year, the last being 3 April when I managed 12 Hebrew C’s, 3 Small + 2 Common Quaker, 2 Shoulder Stripe and an Early Grey.