Mid-November warm spell

Well a very short warm spell, centred around 15th when daytime was 15C and it was 12.5C at dawn at home. I took the opportunity on 15th to visit Captain’s Wood again with the hope of adding the December Moth and Mottled Umber to the site list. Only the first was recorded. Mottled Umbers seem to be in short supply this year. Only one at home so far. It was very wet setting up and I decided a second visit to top up wouldn’t get me to dawn so I sorted the traps around mid-night. Quite an amazing November night. So mild and calm and the supermoon trying to peep through the clouds with the tawny owl hooting amongst the trees. I was still excited by the presence of the Pale November Moth too. Having only seen it in Suffolk for the first time this year it was far and away the most abundant species on 15th. Managed to record Acleris notana at the site too to confirm the pair of species with A. ferrugana for the site. Yet to find it at home. My catch at home on 15th was not so good as the bulb in my rear garden trap passed away in the early hours allowing a mass escape. The new one is so much brighter!

Migrants still coming in. Average of 3 Udea ferrugalis at home on 14th, 15th and 16th as well as at Captain’s Wood. Silver Y, Plutella xylostella and Nomophila noctuella on 13th and P. xylostella and Gem on 16th. Then to add to the conversation a Crocidosema plebejana in good condition on 14th that was also probably an immigrant. It’s coincidence with other migrants on this date leads me to that conclusion whilst this is not so for specimens earlier in the year.

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