Oak Beauty - warmer weather at last

Yesterday's warmer weather produced a few more moths on the wing last night including 2 Oak Beauty and Common Quaker which were new for the year. Neither are rare but I only catch the Oak Beauty in one's and two's during the early Spring.

Oak Beauty

Oak Beauty

The aptly named Oak Beauty is one of the largest and most attractive of the early Spring moths. Also several Common Quaker, Clouded Drab, Twin-spotted Quaker and Hebrew Character with singles of Satellite, Small Quaker, Chestnut and the Brindled Pug below so a bumper catch by recent standards.

Oak beauty - male

Clough Wood - moths

Reasonable night at Clough last night with the temperature hovering around 11 Centigrade;
Chestnut 15
Pale-brindled Beauty 12
Dotted Border 8
Oak Beauty 1
Brindled Pug 1
March Moth 4
Satellite 4
Tortricodes alternella 50+

Oak Beauty

A very dark Oak Beauty

I catch quite a few Oak Beauties but the one caught this evening was a particularly dark individual.

Oak Beauty

Oak Beauty

First Oak Beauty of 2011, a male.

Oak Beauty