Moth mayhem!!

I am a complete rookie when it comes to moths and don’t have the light on every night. The conditions have been good over the last few nights and after a conversation with Pete Alfrey yesterday I decided I wanted to add Jersey Tiger to my every growing list of moths.

(Jersey Tiger)

Conditions were good again muggy with some cloud and only a slight breeze in the garden. I turned the light on at 2230hrs and waited hoping Jersey Tiger   would visit my garden and make my list. I check the light every 30mins to an hour.

(Jersey Tiger)

By 2300hrs Pete’s “There are loads of them about at the moment” statement was correct. I had thirteen Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria lutescens) scattered on the bed-sheet in the box and on the grass. I had to tread very carefully!!

(Mother of Pearl)

There were three Brimstone Moths, Mother of Pearl (Pleuroptya raralis) and an array of small moths.

(Gypsy Moth)

I regularly look at Surrey moths and have identified the Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) from a post by Angela Evans thanks!

I took a selection of the smaller moths and they spent the night in the fridge chillin’ out! I turned the light off at 0100hrs. I haven’t found a way of running a cable out to the garden without leaving a door or window ajar therefore when I crash so does the light!

(Hoary Footman)

(Silvery Y)

I have identified a couple of the moths this morning shown above and hopefully I am right?!

I have three that I am not sure of the identity of and they are shown below;-

(Dark Arches)

I have changed my mind a couple of times with this moth but Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) .

(Turnip Moth?)

(Scarce Footman)

A good night for the light, and a few new moths to add to my list. Most importantly for me Jersey Tiger only had one male which obviously didn’t want to stick around for the paparazzi! Thanks Pete for the help!

Wandering Whimbrel!!

After a stormy night and a little sleep I got up at stupid o’clock looking and feeling like Golem!! There was a brief respite in the rain so off I trudged to Beddington Farm.

The Farm is at its best when the weather is rotten and this morning was one of these occasions!! Glen and Tank had also struggled sleeping both arriving at almost mad o’clock. The morning started slowly with a walk to the lagoons which was totally devoid of waders. I spied four waders moving around on the lake but could not decipher what they were before they dropped out of sight.

A scan of same resulted in Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Snipe and a Little Egret that dropped in! A few Cormorants were flying around and the cloud was beginning to close in!

(Whimbrel)

The skies were still looking good. Glen and Tank had gone for a wander around the lake and I stood post at the hide. Just before the rain got into full flow I heard calls from the skies. A small flock of Whimbrel who were obviously in a hurry to go somewhere, so much so they didn’t even seem to look at the lake and they departed SW.

(3/4 flock of Whimbrel)

Pete Alfrey joined the crew but there was no more excitement until it was time to go home and sleep it must have been at least 10am! A few hours later and feeling refreshed I met Pete back at the Farm to wait for the next storm which didn’t happen! 

(Mute Swan)

Beautiful sunny skies prevailed so a bit of photo practice before returning home for...yes another sleep!!

More storms forecast tonight what will tomorrow bring!!