e-mail: moths@littlesnails.com
mob: 07769 652528
Location (All records unless otherwise stated): TQ 348 248. (V.C. 13)
Description: Well stocked garden in Lindfield, West Sussex. There are small shrubs, apple trees and herbaceous perennials. Small areas of the garden are allowed to grow wild but these are also planted with spring flowering bulbs. The garden also now has a pond, dug at the beginning of May ’08, and is rapidly becoming established though more vegetation is still needed. Behind the garden is a small river on the other side of which are allotments all of which are tended.
Close by though not in the garden are Ash, Oak, Alder, Birch, Maple, Hazel, Willow, Sallow, Hawthorn and Lime. The allotments are surrounded by hedges containing a variety of plants.
Nearby is a nature reserve with a wide variety of habitats but mostly mixed woodland and water meadow. Open farmland starts within about 200m from the garden.
Trap: Skinner Type with 40W Actinic light source.
Principle reference sources:
Waring & Townsend’s "Field Guide to the Moths of the Britain and Ireland".
Bernard Skinner’s "Moths of the British Isles".
Butterfly Conservation - Sussex Branch’s Moth Galleries
Ian Kimber’s UKmoths.org.uk
Invaluable Assistants: Phoebe (12) and Lucas (9).
Number of species:
This year: 8
This month: 4
Friday 05 February 2010
Pale Brindled Beauty - Phigalia pilosaria
Mainly overcast, occasional fairly heavy rain, 6°C, windy.
The weather seemed fairly promising last night but I think it may have just been too windy, I’m not complaining though as one of our two moths this morning was a Pale Brindled Beauty, another indication that spring’s not too far away. Probably the same Mottled Umber as we saw yesterday but still, the record for the latest sighting is being extended even further.
Geometridae
- 1 Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria D. & S.
- 1 Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria Cl.
Thursday 04 February 2010
Variable Smudge - Ypsolopha ustella
Mottled Umber - Erannis defoliaria
Overcast, heavy rain after midnight, 5°C, breezy.
Probably the same Chestnut but very definitely not the same Mottled Umber as the photo above testifies. A new species for the year too, a Variable Smudge, well, I’m fairly certain that’s what it is.
Yponomeutidae
- 1 Variable Smudge Ypsolopha ustella Cl.
Geometridae
- 1 Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria Cl.
Noctuidae
- 1 Chestnut Conistra vaccinii Linn.
Wednesday 03 February 2010
Mottled Umber - Erannis defoliaria
Overcast, light showers, 4°C, light breeze.
A change in the weather and despite the dampness it still seemed like getting the trap out for the first time this month was a good idea, the results were pretty meagre but, nevertheless, there were results. A rather pale Mottled Umber was good to see as it not only provided the chance for me to redeem myself as far as identification is concerned and as an excuse for another photo, more importantly though, it represents far and away our latest record of this species.
Geometridae
- 1 Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria Cl.
Noctuidae
- 1 Chestnut Conistra vaccinii Linn.
Monday 01 & Tuesday 02 February 2010
More cold, clear and very frosty nights, not a great start to the month - continuing where January left off.
