Bawdsey Hall is hosting an event and all interested recorders are invited. I would appreciate as much support as possible, especially as Bawdsey Hall and I personally have put a lot of effort into this night and recording throughout the year.
This year the theme is Clifden Nonpareil and migrant moths. A Clifden Nonpareil was taken at light here last night (16 September) but I can’t promise any on the night! However, Bawdsey is a good site for migrants and hopefully a good selection will be trapped.
The evening will start at 7pm with a tour of the grounds followed by deployment of moth traps. Please let me know how many traps you will be bringing?
If people let me know in advance then we can better plan for refreshments. In previous years last minute arrangements have meant this has been tricky to organise.
Only supporters of the event will be entitled to view future rare moths trapped at the Hall.
Many thanks.
Matthew – matthewjdeans@yahoo.co.uk Telephone 07912 859747
]]>Good numbers of the regular species put in an appearance; most especially Mottled Umber which was adundant and the not-so-common Scarce Umber. There were a number of late specimens of Dark Arches recorded during the month.
Early spring species such as Pale-brindled Beauty and Spring Usher were recorded late in the month – the latter not noted here for a few years.
Some recorders thought I was totally crazy operating traps this late in the year. I was hoping for a Red-headed or Black-spotted Chestnut, or a late Oak Rustic.
Migrants during December included 133 Diamond-back Moth, 3 Silver Y and 30 Dark Sword-grass. However, the icing on the cake was a fabulous Sword-grass taken on 28 December – a fitting finale to a brilliant mothing year!
This is the first Sword-grass recorded in Suffolk since one at Reydon, Southwold in September 2003 (which was believed to be the first record since Morley et al).
There were eleven additions to the Bawdsey macro-moth list this year including Lesser Treble-bar Aplocera efformata on 13 May, Scarce Merveille du Jour Moma alpium on 31 May, Cream Wave Scopula floslactata on 2 June, Spinach Eulithis mellinata on 29 June, Angle-striped Sallow Enargia paleacea on 3 July, Oak Processionary Thaumetopoea processionea on 24 July, Lace Border Scopula ornata on 25 July, September Thorn Ennomos erosaria on 17 August, Hoary Footman Eilema caniola on 13 September (to be confirmed), Oak Rustic Dryobota labecula on 7 November and the Sword-grass Xylena exsoleta on 28 December.
This brings the number of macro-moths recorded at Bawdsey up to an impressive 520 species. There are still some common species to target in 2019. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year and good mothing in 2019!
]]>I have been fortunate enough to obtain four examples over the past week at Bawdsey; which is about the same number I have seen over the past 15 years in the district!
Another was also noted at Wrentham (A. Wren).
There is still time, over the next few mild nights for more, so keep a look out!
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With much Holm Oak around the Bawdsey district, this moth is likely to become abundant and a regular feature here in late autumns to come.
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I trapped two examples at nearby Bawdsey Manor in 2006, with a further moth in 2007.
I have not seen this moth since 2007 in Suffolk and would be most interested to hear if anyone else has seen it?
]]>The highlight was the fifth Bawdsey record of the Beautiful Marbled – always a stunning moth to see.
We still have some availability to come along to Bawdsey Hall and enjoy Moth Night tonight (15th June) and tomorrow night (16th June).
]]>Never a species I would have predicted to be added to the site list. Water Carpet or Netted Pug possibly, but no, not this time!
Either a primary immigrant or an internal wanderer from one of the Kent sites who knows? This former Suffolk resident was last noted in the county 81 years ago in 1937.
Possibly it could spread back to Suffolk from Kent? Other species are on the march from Kent.
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Whether or not these are strays from the continent, or from an undiscovered local colony, who knows! A record from Lydd-on-sea, Dungeness over last weekend would suggest immigration, as the moth’s known haunts are many miles from south-east Kent.
Wakely and Emmet recorded two examples of the Concolorous at Thorpeness in June 1966 with subsequent records from the same locality in 1974. Twenty-first century records have come from Orfordness and Woodbridge.
I would be interested to hear if any other recorders have picked this species up recently.
A photograph of one example from Bawdsey – taken in 2017 – is below.
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