Pale Brindled Beauty - first moths of the year

The slightly warmer temperature on Saturday, it was about 7 Centigrade at 8pm, encouraged me to try the moth trap and I caught one each of the Pale Brindled Beauty and the Chestnut.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Pale Brindled Beauty - first moth of the year

Finally got the 2014 moth list started with a Pale Brindled Beauty this evening. It has been reasonably warm today but with an almost clear sky the temperature has dropped quite quickly so this was slightly unexpected.

Pale Brindled Beauty

First Moths of the Year

Whilst the mild, damp weather is no help to bird watchers it does encourage the first moths of the year to take to the wing. 
Last night I caught 5 moths of two species, the Pale Brindled Beauty and 4 Red-green Carpet. The female Pale Brindled Beauty is flightless and therefore much harder to locate than the males which readily come to light.

Pale Brindled Beauty

Pale Brindled Beauty

With the evening temperature starting at 9 Centigrade I was hoping for a few moths but it dropped to around 3 Centigrade as the sky cleared, Still, first Pale Brindled Beauty of the year, this is a male the females are flightless with vestigial wings. Also 2 Chestnut and a very worn micro moth Totricodes alternella.

Pale Brindled Beauty

A quiet week

Pale Brindled Beauty f. monacharia

Overnight temperatures this week were generally a maximum of 5 to 6 Centigrade but down to minus 1 so not much happening;
16/1 1 Early Moth
22/1 1 Early Moth
23/1 1 Pale Brindled Beauty & 1 Early Moth
24/1 1 Early Moth & 1 Chestnut
Better so far tonight on the 25th with 4 Pale Brindled Beauty including 2 of the dark form monacharia which are the first dark individuals of the year.

Pale Brindled Beauty - first for the year

Another reasonable night with the minimum temperature again 9 Centigrade, but with quite a bit of rain.
Pale Brindled Beauty 4 - this is a good number for me
Satellite 1
Early Moth 1
Winter Moth 1
Mottled Umber 1

Pale Brindled Beauty