Sunday 28th June 2009 Kingsgate &
Pegwell Traps
The NE wind has finally stopped and
even more surprising the last couple of nights have been
warm and set to continue, Lots of moths in the Pegwell and
Kingsgate traps and a host of what are notable moths for the
impoverished Isle including: Poplar Lutesring,
Blue-bordered Carpet, Brown Scallop,
Dark Umber, Bordered White, Green
Silver-lines, Birds Wing,
Slender Brindle and Marbled White Spot,
Some quality migrants - although virtually an absence of the
commoner ones. At Pegwell, a Spurge Hawk
and Plumed Fan-foot, at Kingsgate;
Rannoch Looper, Scarce Black Arches
and the pyralid Catoptria margaritella
(3rd Kent record?). Up to 50 Bird Cherry Ermines
are presumably migrants as with 2 Yponomeuta
rorrella. Tim came round to 'twitch' the Hawk
and brought along a load of micros that he was yet to id and
as I was going through those I came across the cracking
pyralid Catoptria verellus. (F
Solly)
Saturday 27th June 2009 Eastry
Encouraging catch again this morning
266 macros of 47 species, Regular double figures of
Mottled and Willow Beauty, Light and Dark Arches,
Flame, Heart and Dart, Uncertain, Mottled Rustic and
Marbled Minor, Firsts this morning singles of
Short-cloaked Moth, Barred Straw, Scarce Footman, Least
Carpet and a gorgeous Puss Moth. Reliable hawks
today 5 Elephant, 2 Poplar and 3 Privet,
a second single Festoon, a Swallow-tailed Moth,
and a couple of very smart Buff Arches. Shop 'til you
drop while stocks last (Bill Martin)
Thursday 26th June 2009 Eastry
Early morning madness these days,
barely time to summarize. Approaching 200 macros at a time,
with an average of 40 species, Lots of Heart and Dart,
Light and Dark Arches, Uncertain and Flame
of course, with fair numbers of Willow and Mottled Beauty.
Notable firsts here recently include Wood Carpet, Peach
Blossom, Buff Arches, Broad-barred White and White
Point, This morning singles of Vapourer, Fan-foot,
Scalloped Oak, Snout, and a nice Festoon. (Bill
Martin)
Tuesday
23rd June 2009 Dumpton Thanet
The
numbers of moths are holding up in my trap at the moment
with over 250 moth and 49 Species last night, just need some
migrants to drop in and make me really happy, (Gadget)
Monday
22nd June 2009 Broadway Garage Broadstairs
Surprised
to find a Figure of Eighty and a good-looking
Buff-tip both on the petrol pump when I was filling up
this morning. Must like the fumes, (John C)
Sunday 21st June 2009
Kingsgate & Pegwell Traps
Night of 20/6. A generally unremarkable
night at Kingsgate in terms of numbers and variety, the
majority of the contents being Heart and Darts (82)
and Heart and Clubs (39), A Maple Prominent
was of minor interest, however notables for the Concrete
Isle were Bactra lancealana, Blotched Emerald
and Shore Wainscot - the latter being new for the
site. Pegwell also had low numbers, although 12 Mottled
Beauty is a reasonable number for the site, First of the
year Small Emerald, Marbled Beauty and Clancy's
Rustic whilst a Sandy Carpet is noteworthy on
Thanet. (F Solly)
Friday
19th June 2009 Site not known
Night of
the 18th June, I've just started 'Mothing',
(thanks for lending me the trap, Claire) and here are my
first moths, Buff Ermine, Small Magpie,
Heart & Dart, Dark-Sword-grass, Red
sword-grass, Waved Umber, Willow Beauty, Large
Yellow Underwing, Common Swift, Common Rustic,
Heart & Club, Bordered White (female) and a
spectacular Privet Hawkmoth. All common stuff, but
I'm hooked! (John C)
Thursday 18th June 2009 Newington Thanet
Moths
overnight included 1 Aleimma loeflingana,1
Large Tabby,1 Peach Blossom, 1 Pale Tussock,
1 Varied Coronet, 1 Middle Barred Minor, 1
Toadflax Brocade, 1 Broad Barred White etc.
Numbers of Heart and Darts passed three figures for
the first time this year (111) as things picked up a little
after am overly long bleak period. Recent stuff has included
Anerastia lotella, Crambus pascuella,
Brown Silver Line, Clouded Brindle and
Small Clouded Brindle. (Phil M)
Wednesday 17th June 2009 Dumpton Thanet
The moths
have much better in the last week or so with number being in
the 250+ with over 50+ species, of note: Small Ranunculus,
Varied Coronet, Pine Hawk-moth and
Eidophasia messingiella which Phil had one back
on the 10th June, Lets hope it continues through
out the rest of the year, (Gadget)
Wednesday 17th June 2009 Sandwich Bay Area
An
uneventful birding trip this morning at least provided me
with a study of a handful of Five-spot Burnet
crawling over thistles by the Ancient Highway (Ben Ring)
Sunday
14th June 2009 Dumpton garden
Overnight trapping with the Milton Mk
VII produced the first singles of Sallow Kitten
& Shoulder-striped Wainscot, of
2009, amongst the regular dross on the egg boxes. During the
day I had seen two Humming-bird Hawks
feeding on the Red Valerian in the front garden. I might yet
get excited by these boring insects this year! (Dylan)
Sunday
14th June 2009 Newington Thanet
A far
larger catch overnight included an amazing amount of
Green Oak Tortixes there being at least 71 in and around
the traps and probably a few more were overlooked as it
rained when I got up at 4.00am to block up my traps so there
could well have been a few more sitting around the garden,
Other stuff included a few Apple Leaf Miners, 1
Pandemis cerasana, 1 Acleris beatricella,1
Acleris bermanniana, 1 Cochylidia
implicitana,1 probable Endothenia gentianaena,
6 Eudonia pallida, 1 Orthopygia
glaucinalis, 1 Freyer's Pug, 1 Ruddy
Carpet, 1 Pale Tussock, 1 Heart and Club,1
Toadflax Brocade,1 Nutmeg, 1 Small Clouded
Brindle, 4 Dusky Brocade, 1 Poplar Grey, 2
Straw Dot etc, Very little since I last checked in
(Phil M)
Sunday
14th June 2009 Westgate Thanet
A sudden
glut of moths, with 260 of 52 species. I was only saying to
Francis the other day how short a flight period Green Oak
Tortrix has and it already seems to have finished, Which
explains the 41 caught last night, Other than that a
Callisto denticulella was new for the garden and
other bits included Monopis laevigella,
6 Lyonetia clerkella, 6 Diamond-back Moths, 2
Hollyhock Seed Moths, Scrobipalpa
costella, Gypsonoma sociana, Bramble Shoot Moth,
Eudonia pallida, Haworth's Pug, Freyer's
Pug, 60 Heart & Darts, 7 Dark Arches,
Treble Lines, 4 Dark Spectacles and a Snout,
plus a variety of the commoner macros. (Tim H)
Sunday 14th June 2009 Eastry
Shoulder to shoulder in the trap this
morning was a first for the year! A count eventually of 170
big ones of 53 species, Notable firsts here of Dot Moth,
Treble Brown Spot, Clouded Border, Light Brocade, Common
Footman, and Cream Wave. Lots of Willow Beauty,
Dark Arches, and along with four Large
Yellow Underwing one early Broad Bordered Yellow
Underwing, must try to get out more. (Bill Martin)
Thursday 11th June 2009 Westgate Thanet
All been
very quiet in my traps recently, the first Sycamore
of the year last night, otherwise a scattering of Silver
Ys and Diamond back Moths over the last week, the
odd Lime Hawk, Poplar Hawk and Eyed Hawk Moths, a
couple of Ferns, a couple of Middle-barred Minors,
a Small Square Spot, an Epinotia bilunana,
a Mottled Beauty, a few White Ermines and a
couple of Dusky Brocades and an L-album Wainscot,
plus all the usual common stuff in very low numbers. (Tim H)
Thursday 11th June 2009 Kingsgate & Pegwell Traps
Night of 10/6. Having released yesterday's away from the
trapping area, there were a further 5 Rannoch Loopers
at Kingsgate and 4 at Pegwell. Other than that, less moths
than of late; of local interest in this concrete wilderness
or beautiful countryside according to some local politicians
- that’s way beyond rose tinted glasses, were Pale Oak
Beauty, Water Ermine and 2 Small Clouded Brindle
(F Solly)
Thursday 11th June 2009 Newington Thanet
Numbers
are steadily increasing these past few nights though it is
still ever so slightly dull on the mothy front. Last night I
did get another Rannock Looper but that was very much
the best moth. Other stuff included singles of
Eidophasia messigiella, Eudonia pallida,
Willow Beauty, Currant Pug, Poplar Hawk
Moth etc. It was a bit better then the previous night as
I took singles of Elephant Hawk Moth, Small
Elephant Hawk Moth, Green Pug, Treble
Bar, L Album Wainscot and Dusky Brocade
also 88 Heart and Darts on the night of the 9th and
11 White Ermines last night. (Phil M)
Wednesday 10th June 2009 Kingsgate trap
Night of 9/6. On an otherwise unremarkable night, there were
3 Rannoch Loopers in the Kingsgate trap. The only
other migrants were a single Silver Y and an increase
in Diamond-backs compared with recent nights. The
only other thing of interest was the first site record of
Argyresthia cupressella (F Solly)
Sunday 7th June 2009 Eastry
Not much expectation after a cold windy
and wet night. Just how wrong can you be? Total of 138 big
boys of 35 species, Firsts for the season were Straw Dot,
Mottled Beauty, Small Elephant Hawkmoth and two Large
Yellow Underwing, Singles of note included Snout,
Lychnis, Shears, Burnished Brass, Rustic Shoulder-knot
and a new Figure of Eighty, Doubles of Small
Square-spot, Peppered Moth, Dark Arches, Flame and Spectacle,
All the usual suspects and three Clouded Brindle
(Bill Martin) Eastry
Friday
5th June 2009 Newington Thanet
Very dull
around the lights as bright if not brighter than the core of
the sun this past few nights, Last nights highlights were
singles of Epinotia bilunana and Dog's Tooth
if that represents any sort of highlight? The night prior I
did get a Knot Grass - so I've already topped 2008's
total for the specie - two! No more Loopers - in fact the
only migrants I'm getting are the odd single of Silver Y
and a handful of Diamond Back's every night.
Hopefully this cool weather will clear off soon. Nice to see
Solly's still got a fantastic attitude towards those little
gems namely the stunningly beautiful Rannock Beauty. Does
anybody remember his classic quote from 2006 - "I'm only
interested in rare migrants", Seems like even that poor
outlook towards the wonders of the insect world has
nosedived to new depths of depravity. (Phil M)
Tuesday 2nd June 2009 Kingsgate and Pegwell traps
Night of 1/6. Another poor night at Kingsgate due to the
continuing NE breeze. The 14 Shears were the
commonest moth - all downhill after that, More at Pegwell
but mostly the common Noctuids with a few more of the
expected urban Geos, A bit of migration with 3 Rush
Veneers and another Rannoch Looper (the 4th so
far) - it didn't take long for those to be boring, about a
nano-second after the first I guess. (F Solly)
Monday 1st June 2009 Kingsgate and Pegwell traps
Night of 31/5. The Kingsgate trap was largely blown out
due to the annoying and cool north-easterly, 12 Shears
(a good number for Thanet) and first of year Clouded
Brindle, Gold Spot, Straw Dot and Rush Veneer
were the only things of any note amongst the few. Pegwell
was slightly more sheltered and had a lot more moths than
the previous two nights - mostly the common noctuids -
particularly Heart and Dart, Vines Rustic and
Marbled Minors. A Burnished Brass was new for the
year. A few migrants, another 2 Rannoch Loopers, 1
Striped Hawk and 1 Dark Sword-grass (F Solly)
Monday
1st June 2009 Newington Thanet
Amongst a
fairly average catch of mixed bits and pieces I did get a
nice fresh Gold Spot. (Phil M)
