Monk’s Hole Tuesday evening

(This is Keith’s blog, he is having problems signing in at the moment)

Brian joined me for this night on the Somerleyton Estate at St Olaves. It was my first use of the moth traps in 2015 so unsurprisingly all species seen were new for the season for me. Conditions were broken cloud throughout and it was a pretty ideal night for the time of year. Warm to start and tailing off to just below 7c at the end of the session.
9 traps including a few home made actinics that Brian uses were spread out in the mixed woodland and one of my mv skinners out on the marsh by the Sallows and Willows.
I was hoping for 20 species at the beginning of the night and this was achieved. One or two traps did especially well including the one out on the marsh. Two hundred moths counted by Brian and they were still arriving in good numbers when we started to pack up around 10.30pm.
Species seen included the regular Orthosias in good number. Engrailed were out in force and made up 10% of the catch. Single Water Carpet seen and Early Tooth-striped equaled the Great Silver Water Beetle with six of each seen. This was a very high count for these Beetles and amazingly five were in my double 30w actinic placed high and in a clearing between the Stew Pond that is Monk’s Hole and the Marsh, and that for me was the highlight of the night. It was good to be mothing again!

Keith

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