Visited the Suffolk Wildlife Captain’s Wood on 31st July. This is the first year I have been visiting the site and whilst the year is not the best for moths I have been able to chose when I visit at short notice. So after a slow start to the year I have been getting some better catches. The site is a very old woodland site. I am not so sure it qualifies as ancient though and is by no means natural with planted Beech, Oak, Sweet Chestnut, Scots Pine and coppiced Hazel along with the common Silver Birch. There is excessive deer grazing, an under-storey of bracken and some invasive Rhododendron. It has provided me with some interest. The Knot Grass is present there and the lovely Grass Emerald was also caught on 31st along with the Large Emerald that is common at the site. Vitula biviella was present along with Dioryctria simpliciella and sylvestrella on 31st and Cedestis subfasciella has been caught on several dates now. All from the pines. The 31st turned up Tischeria ekebladella, Roeslerstammia erxlebella and a first for me of Stenolechia gemmella. A good selection of Footmans included the Dotted Footman and a single male Four-spotted Footman.
On 5th August I visited my site at Abbey Farm, Snape. This is an RSPB site that used to be farmland and is gradually being transformed. The site is large but to date I have run my traps in a fairly small part of it. Partly owing to the fact I have mains power and have not yet taken my generator along. Despite this the catches have been interesting in include a mix of species from heath, woodland, farmland, wetlands and estuary. There is an area of old established alder at the site but the Kitten on the 5th was the Sallow Kitten. There was an abundance of Straw Dot and Reed Dagger. A True Lover’s Knot, Garden Tiger a Sycamore and several Copper Underwing. A Coronet, the Brown-veined Wainscot and Webb’s Wainscot. A first for me was a number of Orthotelia sparganella. A rather smart moth I thought especially when rosy tinged with prominent spotting. Also quite smart amongst the micros was an Epinotia ramella with contrasting white and dark halves of the forewing and an Epinotia nisella with a strong large patch of orange along the dorsum.