• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

May Moths (1 Viewer)

Rarest moth this morning in a garden context was my second Seraphim, very worn, a right shabby article. Much smarter was the year's first Hawk-moth, a Lime. Chocolate-tip and Sandy Carpet (3rd garden) were the other notables.
 

Attachments

  • 20240518051452_IMG_4579.JPG
    20240518051452_IMG_4579.JPG
    842.2 KB · Views: 9
  • 20240518050822_IMG_4562.JPG
    20240518050822_IMG_4562.JPG
    1.3 MB · Views: 9
  • 20240518050740_IMG_4561.JPG
    20240518050740_IMG_4561.JPG
    679.3 KB · Views: 9
  • 20240517230157_IMG_4535.JPG
    20240517230157_IMG_4535.JPG
    1.4 MB · Views: 9
A few unusual ones for me last night amongst the usual
Bufftip
Treble lines
Seraphim (photo)
Brindled White spot (photo in case someone has other suggestions)
Narrow winged Pug (again photo in case of other suggestions)
Spruce Carpet
Foxglove Pug
Orange Footman
White Ermine
Flame Shoulder
 

Attachments

  • 20240518_053851.jpg
    20240518_053851.jpg
    933.7 KB · Views: 6
  • 20240518_053633.jpg
    20240518_053633.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 6
  • 20240518_053716.jpg
    20240518_053716.jpg
    714.5 KB · Views: 6
Massive cock-up forgetting to change the battery over, so the trap light was out when I came down this morning. Who knows what left under its own steam: before I went to bed I had a look and there was lots of moth activity around the trap but it didn't ping me to do the change-over - grrr!

Anyway, the first Poplar Hawk-moth of the year was still there along with three Treble Lines, a Pale Mottled Willow and a Knot Grass. The Poplar even stuck its wings out on being released rather than adopting their usual roosting pose - nice view of the chestnut hindwing spots!

John
 
I would call that a Knot Grass John. If your indecision is based on the photo, is it possible that the flash has changed it's appearance slightly from when you clocked it in life? If so I would be inclined to go with first instincts on this one.
 
I googled briefly which came up with this -


Hindwing useful! Also the white spots indicate Knot Grass ...
 
Thank you to both James and Dan. I was happy on first sight and later began to talk myself out of the ID on the photo. It wasn't the best marked ever tbh! Knot Grass it is.

Cheers

John
I've always done Knot Grass on the white spots on the inner bit of the forewing, but never appreciated the confusion with Poplar Grey if they were less obvious until you posted that!
 
Spectacle the NFY this morning, plus singles of Willow Beauty, White Ermine, Treble Lines and Shuttle-shaped Dart. Not much but its not far off full moon.

John
 
Not much from last night - 7 Treble Lines, 2 Pale Mottled Willow, 2 Shuttle Shaped Darts, 1 Vines Rustic, 1 Willow Beauty and a nfy Lycnis
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20240521_073150_MP~2.jpg
    IMG_20240521_073150_MP~2.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 2
  • IMG_20240521_072618_MP.jpg
    IMG_20240521_072618_MP.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 2
  • IMG_20240521_072006_MP.jpg
    IMG_20240521_072006_MP.jpg
    4.4 MB · Views: 2
A decent haul last night with four NFY: Orange Footman on the window, Diamondback Moth, Vines Rustic and Small Clouded Brindle in the trap. Four Treble Lines top numbers plus two White Ermine and singles of Esperia sulphurella, Flame Shoulder and Poplar Hawk-moth.

John
 
Not the ideal moon conditions for mothing on the night of 22/23 May as shown below!

However, I found a bunch of moths in and around the trap in the morning including some outside it that the Robin and Great Tits had missed: Orange Footman on the window and Esperia sulphurellaon the wall. Small Clouded Brindle and Poplar Hawk-moth photographed after release on the Buddleia but the other moths were totally unco-operative so eggbox shots.

John

20240522 (2)_Moon.JPG20240523 (1)_Orange_Footman.JPG20240523 (2)_Esperia_sulphurella.JPG20240523 (3)_Diamondback_Moth.JPG20240523 (4)_Vines_Rustic.JPG20240523 (5)_Small_Clouded_Brindle.JPG20240523 (6)_Poplar_Hawk-moth.JPG.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top