The excitement that was a record breaking night at Chalk Lane, and then coming home to find a specimen of Elegia similella in the garden trap feels more like a fading memory than an event that happened just six weeks ago. Since then, the one constant has been a general lack of moths, both in terms of species and numbers – a situation that is sadly being played out all to often elsewhere. That said, persistence pays and I have managed to add a few species to the garden list, perhaps the most interesting of which have been Aproaerema anthyllidella (20 July), Parectopa ononindis (24 July) and Apodia bifractella (2 Aug). Not new but still rare here have been second records of Stathmopoda padella (21 July), Aspilapteryx tringipennella (22 July) and Ypsolopha dentella (23 Aug), my third garden record of Tree-lichen Beauty (13 Aug) and fourth garden records of Black Arches (11 Aug) and Epinotia nisella (24 Aug). The warm weather these past few nights has also delivered two Rush Veneers, and single Rusty-dot Pearl and Latticed Heath. Not quite the migrant moth haul I was hoping for but one can only dream.
On the non-moth front, I had quite a few Bradycellus verbasci the night after Raymond and it has also been nice to hear and see small parties of House Martins passing overhead throughout much of this week. That, and the fact that the Swifts have gone and the nights are starting to draw in is as sure a sign as any that the summer is over.
I had my first garden Tree-lichen also on 13/08. Cheers, Steve
Hello Steve. Congrats on your garden first. I think TLB is becoming well established now along some parts of coastal Suffolk and inland as far as Neil’ site at the golf course but it is still a rare moth over here in the west of the county.