Dingy Shell and Dark Knapweed Conch

 

Dingy Shell - trapped at Saint Hill, near Kentisbeare - many thanks Martin. This species likes damp woodland and marshy areas, which doesn't best describe where Martin lives. In fact I'm arguably in a more suitable area, but I haven't scored with this little 'Geometrid' yet! The resting posture (shown above) is very distinctive for this species. Its wings are always closed in a butterfly-like fashion.

 

A decent selection of moths trapped in ideal conditions last night. They included at least half a dozen Silver Y, 1 Rusty Dot Pearl and a couple Diamond-back on the immigrant front, and firsts for 2018 included Cabbage Moth, Herald, Lobster Moth, Leopard Moth, Phoenix and Scallop Shell. Moth 'du jour' however was my first ever Dingy Shell, safely transported to Exmouth courtesy of Martin.

I normally like to photograph moths 'out of the pot' but we didn't want to risk losing this one, and it will be released safely back in Kentisbeare later this evening. Thanks again Martin.

 

 

Knapweed Conch - Agapeta zoegana - dark form. Knapweed Conch is my absolute favourite 'micro', so I was chuffed to see the dark form today - a first for me. Below is what they usually look like.

 

 

This one was photographed in Rockbeare a few years ago.

 

Presumed Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana - such a variable species.

Micro sp - a work in progress and just c4-5mm long.

 

Slender Pug - I'm catching more of these than Haworth's Pug at the moment.

 

 

Haworth's Pug

 

Nut-tree Tussock

Buff Footman

Buff-tip

Leopard Moth

Lobster Moth

Herald

Gold Triangle

Ermine sp - I'm catching lots of these at the moment, but I'm no closer to identifying them. Having said that, the size, grey sheen on white and tiny black spots perhaps point to Willow Ermine.

Ermine sp

Rustic - a few of these starting to turn up now. Their confusion species - Uncertain are still around but looking less and less fresh.

Micro sp - another work in progress but possibly Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner?

Grey Knot-horn - Acrobasis advenella

 

 Scallop Shell - a truly gorgeous moth which would have been today's highlight were it not for the  Dingy Shell.

Silver Ys and Meds

Hundreds of Silver Ys on Orcombe Point this afternoon. The trap's going out tonight!

Juvenile Med - one of two off Mudbank at high tide. Also 3 adults and at least one first-summer.

Meds

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing - a female and my first this year.

 

A few more birds off the seafront than of late. Early this morning - 8 Mediterranean Gulls, 23 Common Scoter, 12 Sandwich Tern and 2 Common Tern. A Grey Wagtail flew over and small numbers of Swift and Swallow appeared to be on the move, out over the sea. Mediterranean Gulls were the order of the day with a further 7+ off Mudbank, including my second juvenile this year, following one off the seafront yesterday. Below, in order, are juvenile, First-summer, second-summer and adult summer Meds. I didn't get a read on the white-ringed Black-head.

 

 

 

 

 

Golden-brown Tubic - Crassa unitella

Square-spot Rustic - this and the Dun-bar below were firsts for this year. Also got my first Jersey Tiger of 2018 today.

Dun-bar

Red Twin-spot Carpet. Don't think it's Dark-barred.

Coronet

New Tawny Tubic - Batia lunaris

 

 

This fungus was pale yellow yesterday and today it's over twice the size and flushed light orange. I searched 'yellow fungi' online but couldn't find a match.

Butterflies and Moths

Small Skipper - West Lodge

 

Still very quiet on the bird front but to be honest I haven't really been looking very hard. A half-hearted look off the hot and busy seafront yesterday afternoon revealed just a dozen Sandwich Terns, a first-summer Mediterranean Gull and, surprisingly, a Kestrel heading towards Orcombe, out over the sea, from the direction of Dawlish Warren.

Male Small Skipper - the curved black line on the forewing is called the sex brand. These are specialised scales from which pheromones are released to attract a mate.

Small Skipper

Large Skipper - this species is now being out-numbered considerably by Small Skippers.

Early Thorn

Blue-bordered Carpet - only my second ever.

Single-dotted Wave

My first Ruby Tiger this year. Not too much else in the trap last night but 5 Silver Y and a Bird-cherry Ermine offer some hope of something rarer.

 

Richard Lewington's fabulous 'Yponomeutidae' plate from the indispensable 'Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland'. Not an easy group to get to grips with despite these beautiful illustrations.

 

Bird-cherry Ermine - a presumed immigrant and the easiest 'Ermine' to identify, with its neat rows of black spots.

 

Ermine sp on the right alongside the considerably larger Bird-cherry Ermine. Size-wise it suggests Y. sedella but it's not quite right for that species, so perhaps Orchard Ermine? See the above plate.

Five-spot Burnet on the West Lodge thistles, found whilst walking the dog with Lu.

Some of Yesterday's Moths

Double-striped Tabby - Hypsopygia glaucinalis

 

At least 68 macro species in a busy trap yesterday morning. A number of micros too but didn't have time to count everything.

 

Pearl Grass-veneer - Catoptria pinella

Kent Black Arches

Cream-bordered Green Pea

Muslin Footman

White-point - presumed immigrant along with 2 Silver Y and 2+ Diamond Back yesterday.