Thursday 30 June 2011

Last night's catch

Whilst on Beeley Moor last night I picked up this striking example of the very varable July Highflyer. The trap at home produced Grey Arches and Single Dotted Wave otherwise numbers were low with current temperatures.
July Highflyer



Grey Arches

Grey Arches

Single Dotted Wave

Single Dotted Wave

Three new additions to the year list

Added Plain Golden Y, Scalloped Oak and the Pyralid Udea prunalis on Tuesday night at home. All are regular visitors but good to add to the year list.
Scalloped Oak

Plain Golden Y

Plain Golden Y

Udea prunalis

Udea prunalis

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Via Gellia 25/06 - Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

Two micro's from the Via Gellia last week; Agapeta hamana and Pseudargyrotoza conwagana.
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana

Via Gellia 25/06 - Agapeta hamana

Agapeta hamana

Flash Lane - Beautiful Snout

Got set up on Flash Lane with Brian Statham just as the rain started around 9:30pm and had to move to a more sheltered spot before abandoning at 10:30. However, the low number of moths was more than compensated by the inclusion of both Beautiful Snout 2 and Welsh Wave. The Beautiful Snout was first recorded in Derbyshire on the S. Yorks border in 2000 but is now firmly established around Beeley Moor.

Beautiful Snout

Welsh Wave

Welsh Wave f. bradyi

Monday 27 June 2011

More from Ken Smith, Hummingbird Hawk-moth photographed in upper Hackney on the outskirts of Matlock yesterday.


Hummingbird Hawk-moth

Dark Spectacle

Relatively common in parts of Derbyshire the Dark Spectacle is a rarity in the Peak District and this is my first for the garden. Also had the first Small Elephant Hawk-moth of the year in the garden trap.
Dark Spectacle

Beeley Moor - Small Argent & Sable

Spent the evening on Beeley Moor with Brian Statham, the wind had dropped significantly and it was still very warm (22 Centigrade). Surprisingly most of the activity was away from the traps with the Billberry bushes and Cow Parsley hosting a variety of active macro's and micro's between 10pm and about 11:30pm when things quietened down. Added Northern Spinach which was one of the commonest moth with about 30 seen and Small Argent and Sable around a dozen seen. Brian also had Red-necked Footman which was unexpected. The trap held 30 or 40 Middle-barred Minor, several July Highflyer and Dusky Brocade.
Small Argent and Sable

Northern Spinach

Northern Spinach

Sunday 26 June 2011

Beautiful Yellow Underwing

Found this Beautiful Yellow Underwing feeding amongst the Bilberry bushes on Beeley this afternoon.
Beautiful Yellow Underwing

Satin Beauty new for the garden

A good night at home last night with Satin Beauty new for the garden, it's not uncommon in the forests bordering the moor so not unexpected, plus Large Emerald, Light Arches and Currant Pug new for the year.
Satin Beauty

Large Emerald

Large Emerald

Light Arches

Light Arches

Currant Pug

The distinct white spots on both the fore and rear wings and the size and shape of the black mark in the centre of the wing separate Current Pug from Wormwood/Ling Pugs.
Currant Pug

Via Gellia - Barred Carpet

At last decent weather and a successful trip to the Via Gellia which produced Barred Carpet a national rarity, designated Na, it looks like this is the back end of their flight period as I only caught one and it was very dark which appears to occur with wear. Also Red-necked Footman, a Derbyshire rarity plus Small White Wave and Barred Yellow for the year. I've added another photo of Triple-spotted Clay, I caught three last night but still confuse them with Double Square-spot. Still to sort the micro's but Udea olivalis was by far the commonest moth with perhaps 50, also several Pandemis cinnamomeana. Clouded Magpie was the commonest macro with 30+.
Barred Carpet

Barred Yellow

Barred Yellow

Red-necked Footman


Red-necked Footman

small White Wave

Small White Wave

Triple-spotted Clay

Triple-spotted Clay

Black Stork Darley Dale 24th June

Seen and photographed by Ken Smith around 2pm on Friday as it came over Darley Dale and Two Dales before heading off towards Winster. Looks like it flew over my house, where is it now?

Black Stork

More Long-eared Owl

A couple of shots of yesterday's Long-eared Owl from Ken Smith for comparison with mine! I think Ken must have been a little closer or at a better angle - nice shots!

Saturday 25 June 2011

Long-eared Owl again on Beeley

Another individual Long-eared Owl hunting on Beeley this morning.
Long-eared Owl

Another Large Twin-spot Carpet

Still suffering from heavy rain, highlight from last night was another Large Twin-spot Carpet, third for the year.
Large Twin-spot Carpet

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Varied Coronet

This Varied Coronet was the highlight of another wet night.Along with Green Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Mottled Beauty 3, Brimstone, Peppered Moth, Dark Arches 4, Heart and Dart 37, Flame 3, White Ermine, Ingrailed Clay, Double Square-spot, Large Yellow Underwing and Common Footman 4.
Varied Coronet

Long-eared Owl - Beeley Moor

Watched this Long-eared Owl hunting on Beeley Moor for half an hour this evening, before it kindly sat on this post, but the light had unfortunately deteriorated by then.




Long-eared Owl

Good catch despite heavy rain

It rained most of the night spoiling my trip to the Via Gellia but leaving the trap on at home produced a decent catch adding Pandemis cinnamomeana both male, with the white forehead, and an accompanying much larger female also Phycitodes binaevella which is new for me. 
Male

Pandemis cinnamomeana - female

Phycitodes binaevella

Phycitodes binaevella

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Via Gellia - Common Lutestring

Conditions looked almost perfect last night as I set of for the Via Gellia, warm temperature, overcast but unfortunately it started to rain and didn't stop. I did manage a Common Lutestring along with Map-winged Swift10+ , Clouded Silver 4, Clouded Magpie, July Highflyer, Pale Prominent and Ingrailed Clay 4 before rain stopped play around 10:30pm.
Common Lutestring

Monday 20 June 2011

Phlyctaenia perlucidalis

Taken at home last night, a reasonably fresh example of Phlyctaenia perlucidalis. This is a Pyralid which is expanding its range from the Norfolk fens and the SE with recent records in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire so I would expect that there have been records in southern Derbyshire but a record for the Peak District seems more unlikely. It appears to be a moth of the fens so I can only assume this individual is on its way somewhere else!
Just heard from Simon Roddis that he caught perlucidalis a couple of years ago in Darley Dale and Brian Statham has also taken it in Clough Wood so it appears to be scarce rather than rare.
Phlyctaenia perlucidalis

Sunday 19 June 2011

Willow Warbler

Photographed this adult Willow Warbler today feeding fledged young, on the East coast the grey colouration plumage would have you thinking of Eastern races.
Willow Warbler

Fragrant Orchid - Bonsall Moor


Fragrant Orchid
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