Puss Moth

 

Puss Moth

 

I tried the moth trap in a new spot last night and was inundated with moths. Pick of the bunch was this fabulous Puss Moth. I can't believe it has taken me this long to see one, though I did find the extraordinary caterpillar when I did some work experience at Dawlish Warren as a kid, back in the 1980s. Other species trapped included Brimstone, Ruddy Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Clouded Silver, Common Wave, Blood-vein, Willow Beauty, Dwarf Cream Wave, Double-striped Pug, Grey Pug, Green Pug, Lime-speck Pug, Straw Dot, Uncertain, Vine's Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Lychnis, Heart and Dart, Heart and Club, Buff Ermine, Treble Lines, Spectacle/Dark Spectacle, Bright-line Brown-eye, Dark Arches, Light Arches, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Minor Agg, Small Magpie and Clay. Immigrants were represented by a single Silver Y and a worn Dark Sword-grass.

Yesterday, off Mudbank, there were 8 Sandwich Terns and the Slavonian Grebe.

 

I found this Mullein caterpillar close to the trap. I've never seen the adult of this species but I feel my chances of doing so have increased somewhat!

Blood-vein

Common Wave

Silver Y

Spectacle or Dark Spectacle?

Green Pug

Heart and Club

Clay

Micro sp

Mottled Rustic

Vine's Rustic and Uncertain

A very worn Dark Sword-grass

Dwarf Cream Wave

Crossbills

A flock of at least 18 Crossbills on Bicton Common whilst walking the dog this afternoon. Noisy, mobile and really difficult to photograph. Small numbers of Siskin too.

Fifteen Sandwich Terns and 3 Whimbrel off Mudbank yesterday evening.

Green Silver-lines

Green Silver-lines

Common Swift

Clouded Silver

Green Oak Tortrix

Green Oak Tortrix

 

Fifteen Sandwich Terns and 4 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults and 2 first-summers) off Mudbank at lunchtime. Otherwise deadly quiet!

This Week's Moths

 

 

Diamond-back Moth

 

Tens of thousands of Diamond-backs were 'kicked up' from long grass and weedy areas around the bases of hedges on Orcombe earlier in the week. This afternoon there were still plenty around but numbers had clearly dropped.

Nettle-tap

Highlight of the week was this Treble Brown Spot, courtesy of Nick who has trapped up to six this week. A brand new species for me and a real stunner. Nick also trapped this Orange Footman (below) - a species I've only ever seen on a couple occasions and again, a really smart little moth.

Possible Hoary Footman

Ruddy Carpet - Orcombe Point - very tricky to photograph.

 

 

Galium Carpet - Orcombe Point

Silver-ground Carpet - Orcombe Point

Grey Pug - Orcombe Point

Grass Wave

Grass Wave

A new moth for me. Chanced upon this afternoon whilst walking the dog on Woodbury Common. It is a localised heathland species - unlikely to turn up in the garden trap. Masses of Diamond-backs seen today too. I had about a dozen fly up from the pavement as I walked home from work. Plenty in the back garden too.

Light Brocade

Light Brocade is a common species that, until now, has avoided my trapping efforts - a subtle but very attractive species. This one required me getting the step ladder out - choosing a spot below my son's bedroom window in preference to the trap itself. Well worth the effort though. Several other common species were trapped but the only immigrant was a single Diamond-back. Otherwise a day of football today with no birding.

 

Angle Shades

Thistle Ermine

Common Marbled Carpet - a highly variable species. Compare with yesterday's specimen.

Shuttle-shaped Dart