Moth-ing Round-up

Wednesday June 20

Following a very busy, tiring,  yet exhilerating, period of County moth-ing largely organised by Greg and the Butterfly Conservation local group.

June 12 Foxley Woods

Not a general open day so we had long, wet, grass with which to contend. Not all the traps had worked either, generously set at dusk and collected at dawn by M G.

New for me were : Brindled White-spot,  

Ochreous Pug,and a number of Micros. I have to make sure that I see the latter as they are usually potted for further research and not always available to the masses (me).

Female Ghost Moth

Lobster Moth, we get a few in the garden every year.

Small Yellow Wave

DN brought in a Red-tipped Clearwing he had lured in his Dereham garden. I saw a couple at Strumpshaw in 2016.

July 14 St Helen's, Santon Downham

A new venue for our group, in very windy conditions. Trios of fighter planes flying low overhead and trains passing frequently behind us.
More new moths for me, always pleasing. Reddish LIght Arches, Clouded Buff, Clouded Magpie and Tony brought in a Colon.
Probably some of the Micros were new too but I've yet to sort out the list. Strangely, I didn't take any photographs to-day. Group rules (Greg's) are that we must wait until the end and then join the queue waiting to inspect the pots. I couldn't be hassled. Understandable rule as some people take ages. I take less time photographing than some people use just looking and discussing on the way round.

June 17 Catfield Fen

Catfield Fen reserve is part of the Ant Broads and Marshes National Nature Reserve (NNR), which covers much of the floodplain of the middle Ant Valley. The NNR is one of the best and largest remaining areas of fen habitat in Western Europe. The area is a stronghold for the Swallowtail butterfly.

BC Norfolk Branch (BCNB) bought the reserve in 1992 and has managed it ever since.  From 2012 BCNB has collaborated with the RSPB regarding management, their employed warden, Mick D'A looking after the site and putting out the 7 moth traps for to-day's annual Open Day. The moth trap opening had a large audience to begin with, the less interested gradually drifting away for a boat ride along a dyke or walks to look for Dragonflies and Butterflies.The reserve is a typical fen mixture of open water, reed, sedge and carr woodland, too dangerous for unsupervised access. This one day is the only chance to visit.

One of my favourite days of the year, I was not disappointed.

Highlights for me were :

Oblique Carpet

Dentated Pug

Hawthorn Moth scythropia crateigella

Dark-barred Twinspot Carpet

Minor Shoulder-knot 

Apatomis turbidana

Scalloped Shell.

Never tire of seeing Plusia's and Beautiful Golden Y and the very local Reed Leopard

 and Reed Dagger.
Another much 'wanted' moth, the Blotched Emerald. Much lovelier than shown in this pic, hastily taken in a filthy pot.

June 19 Strumpshaw Fen RSPB

Disappointingly .......pouring down when we left home. From Stalham onwards it was dry. Relief. Later than our intention as the road was closed shortly before the turning to the reserve. That brought about a 10 minute semi circular diversion.

The trap opening didn't start until 10.00 a.m - I had 9.30 written on the calendar - and took place outside the visitor centre, as a large school party occupied the previous opening site.

As is uaual at the moment, numbers are down but the percentage of species is up. 80+ species from c 180 moths to-day - so Ben the warden told me.

Nothing new for me to-day but only my second European Corn Borer and a very worn Grass Rivulet from Ben's garden trap.

Watching the wildflower garden afterwards whilst the group went for a walk, I photographed a tiny male Swollen-thighed Beetle on a Clover flower. 

These tiny beetles, members of the water beetle family, are often seen on daisy-type flowers in our garden.

We missed a sighting of a White-barred Clearwing, which came to a Currant Clearwing lure by not walking...........It would have been a tick.