I too have dusted off the traps and been running them in the very unusual warm conditions, think it may be the first time ever I’ve put them out this late in the year.
Not a single migrant moth here on any of the nights I have trapped, but I’m not that surprised as I am inland from the coast (and a long way from the south coast where most of the action is going on). Generally trapping in the garden has brought in low numbers of moths, but with a bit of interest with a late Yellow-line quaker on the 16th along with a Dark chestnut (scarce here). Even more interesting was the surprise find of a Pebble prominent on the outside of the trap on the 17th – migrant or resident tricked into coming out early in the warm conditions? (I favour the latter myself).
Lights operated around the work sheds in woodland have produced some good catches of moths. On the 16th, a single 125w mv caught 20 Spring usher (my earliest ever sighting), 8 Winter, 9 Mottled umber, 2 Pale brindled beauty (again my earliest ever – both worn, so had already been out a while) and singles of Yellow-line quaker, E.postvittana and Y.ustella. On the 18th, a 125w mv plus twin 30w actinic caught 2 Winter (both at the mv, only moths taken at that trap), 6 Spring usher and a good count of 40 Mottled umber (all at the actinic). A lot of different colour forms of the umbers noted (see photo). Trapping on the 19th produced very little, the strength of the wind becoming a factor now on the numbers caught I think. Will continue to trap on nights that are less windy if the mild conditions continue. I hope the Spring ushers and Pale brindled beauties last into next year to start off my 2016 list!
Good luck if you trap over the festive season!
Neil
Very nice photos Neil. I’m not very far from IGC but the lack of any adjacent woodland to me has a massive impact on potential mid-winter moth numbers, even during mild weather. No Mottled Umber or Spring Usher in my garden in the last week, just E. postvittana, A. acanthadactyla, Dark Chestnut, Winter Moth and Common Quaker (the last being my first ever in December).
Paul
Seem to be a lot of Dark Chestnuts around this year. Windy and slightly cooler for a while but potential again in the week before New Year.