Wednesday 30th June 2010 Newington Ramsgate

Though there was quite a bit of activity overnight unfortunately when I went to empty one of my traps that was filled with moths (and about a thousand Crane Fly's) I found that I'd left a gap in one of the pieces of perspex when I'd moved them at 3.30 the previous morning and most of the catch had escaped. The other trap remained intact and contained an Elephant Hawk Moth, Maidens Blush, 2 Barred Yellows, etc. There was also another Red-necked Footman in the escape from Alcatraz trap but that was long gone by this afternoon when I checked it. During the night I had potted up a couple of more interesting bits which included the first Sloe Pug that I've taken in many years plus a really weird looking Scoparia/Eudonia which I think may well be a Eudonia lineola which is a Pyralid that shouldn't be in Kent at all - perhaps if it is one it may be a migrant? I would have kept the thing to show to 'you know who' but I risked taking a few photos and the darn thing flew off as did my pristine Sloe Pug before I could get any snaps. I did get a few photos of the Pyralid so hopefully these will be good enough for identification? It's quite an obvious looking thing. The previous night I took a few bits - 2 Privet Hawk-moths, a Shark, Magpie Moth and incredible numbers of Aleimma loeflingiana for my garden, there being at least 25 scattered around both lights. (Phil M)

Monday 28th June 2010 Newington  Ramsgate

A nice selection of bits and pieces showed in the garden overnight which included singles of Nephopterix angustana, Barred Yellow, Currant Pug, White Spotted Pug, Phoenix, Magpie Moth, Red Necked Footman, Privet Hawk Moth, Varied Coronet, Green Silver Lines plus 2 Cream Bordered Green Pea's and a few Ailemma loeflingiana which is unusual for the garden. The past few nights have turned up a Gypsonoma dealbana on the night of the 25th, a Rannoch Looper on the 24th, Elephant Hawk Moth on the 25th etc. (Phil M)

Sunday 27th June 2010 Dumpton Thanet

The last few nights have been much better for moth in the garden, with a few Hawk moths, Lime, Popular and Eyed with very good numbers of Aethes franicllana also Buff Tip, Large Nutmeg and Green Silver lines, (Gadget)  

Saturday 26th June 2010 Sandwich Bay

I was at Sandwich Bay this morning when Martin Shepherd arrived with a cracking Orache caught last night. I of course did not have my camera with me! (F Solly)

Friday 25th June, 2010 Adjacent King George VI Park

A good catch, temp 14C. 12 Heart & Dart, 1 Angle Shades, 2 Common Swift, 1 Common Footman (my first for this year), 2 Dark Arches, 2 Flame (my first for this year),1 Common Wainscot, 1 Willow Beauty, 3 Chrysoteuchia culmella, 6 Heart + Club, 1 Uncertain (my first for this year),1 Scoparia ambigualis, 1 Thistle Ermine, 1 Blastobasis lacticolella and 1Meal Moth. (Gather they hang about stables and not a horse in sight here)!  (Sue Smith)

Thursday 24th June 2010 Newington  Ramsgate

Things are starting to pick up at long last these past two nights - I took 47 species of macro plus quite a few micros the night before last which was encouraging by comparison with how it's been of late out in the garden. The past two nights have produced 'bits' such as Least Carpet, Treble Brown Spot, Purple Bar, May Highflyer, V Pug, Figure of Eighty, Eyed Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Common Footman, Treble Lines, Poplar Grey, Green Silver Lines, Lychnis etc. (Phil M)

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 Newington Ramsgate

Lots of moths overnight but little of any quality. The highlights were the first Udea olivalis, Meal Moth, Green Pug and Treble Brown Spot of the season plus singles of Currant Pug, White-spotted Pug, Eyed Hawk-moth ... yawn etc. It's just got to get better soon? (Phil M)

Monday 21st June 2010  Kingsgate & Pegwell Traps

Night of 20 June. The northerly wind of the last week or so finally eased and switched during the night; although with day time temperatures on 20th only reaching 13C it was another poor night. However there was a pleasant surprise at Kingsgate - a Lyme Grass, I believe only the fourth Kent record - a new moth and vitally important if I was a lister! Nothing else of note there although there was a slight increase in the dismal numbers. The best that Pegwell could manage was a Brown Silver-line and first of the year Common Footman, Varied Coronet and Fen Wainscot whilst 10 L-album Wainscots were the peak to date. (F Solly)

Monday 21st June 2010 Sandwich Bay area

Ten minutes in an apple orchard near Sandwich on my way to the Obs produced 8 Red-belted Clearwings to pheromone. A wander around the Whitehouse and Princes seafront area although hampered by the breeze produced a range of macro/micro moths including; Restharrow, Bright Wave, Oblique Striped, Six-spot Burnet, Mother Shipton, Thisanotia chrysonuchella, Platytes cerussella, Coleophora pennella, Ethmia terminella, Dichrorampha sequana and Dichrorampha plumbagana. (F Solly)

Monday 21st June 2010 Newington  Ramsgate

Just to let the world at large that I'm still very much alive and running my two back garden Mv's in usual manic fashion, I thought an entry might be in order. I've been offline for the duration but was saved at long last by the man with no legs who very kindly built me a new computer - so here I am. Not that I caught much last night, though it was a tad better than the week previous as at least there were a few Geo's on the wing as those darn varmit northerly winds dropped at long last. Overnight the best I could do was a Grey Pug amongst a varied but disappointing catch of common bits and pieces. The weathers been poor for moths as we're all too well aware but I have taken a few bits of garden interest this past month. Top of the pile have been singles of Oak Tree Pug, Lesser Treble-bar, Silver Ground Carpet, May Highflyer, Oak Hook-tip, Orange Footman, Chocolate-tip, Pine Beauty and Chamomile Shark - nothing too exciting but good one's for my back garden. I did also get 2 Rannoch Beauties on the night of June 17th plus a new moth for here in the shape of the Pyralid Hypochalcia ahenella on June 11th. On the upside I've taken more than the usual amount of Pale Tussock moths with up to three on some nights. I've still not caught any Lime Hawk Moths which is fairly ridiculous and many of the moths I normally get are either cropping up in very small numbers or not at all. Being offline for two plus months means I've been playing catch up on what's been going on since yesterday when I got back up and running. Solly's 'now fully relegated to trash status' comment regarding the recent Rannoch Looper invasion (a moth he'd have walked over his granny to see three years ago) made the whole experience a lot more fun than it otherwise might have been. Who would have thought it eh ... Solly the funniest man in Thanet?? He'll being doing stand up next? (Phil M)

Friday 18th June 2010 Kingsgate & Pegwell Traps

Night of 17/6. A slight easing of the northerly wind at some point during the night although Kingsgate still mostly blown out. At Pegwell, 3 Rannoch Loopers, 3 Dark Sword-grass and 5 Silver Y were the migrant 'interest'. New for the year were Least Carpet, Smoky Wainscot, Uncertain and Swammerdamia pyrella. Nudging ever closer to nearly interesting. (F Solly)

Thursday 17th June 2010 Cliffsend

How typical that Rannoch Looper has been officially "relegated to  trash status" when I had one in my trap this morning! (Claire W.)

Thursday 17th June 2010 Eastry

I know it's cold out there, but it must be a lot colder north of Luton. There were six Rannoch Looper in the trap this morning huddled together for warmth, all together 91 moths of 33 species, notable singles of Fern, Mottled Beauty, Dusky Brocade and Reddish Light Arches. Also lonely Toadflax Brocade, Heart & Club and Sharp-angled Peacock. (Bill Martin)

Thursday 17th June 2010 Pegwell Trap & Hover-Pad Late News

Night of 14/6. A stiff NE wind and cool. The Kingsgate trap was unsurprisingly virtually wiped out - 6 moths, Pegwell held a little more including a Rannoch Looper (now fully relegated to trash status), Pearly Underwing and 4 Silver Ys. Rather surprising given the poor overnight conditions. The remainder was a poor variety and low numbers of the usual junk Noctuids, 12/6. As I was passing Pegwell in the afternoon, I stopped off for 2 minutes with pheromones on the Hoverpad and had 2 Six-belted Clearwings come in straight away; even with the moderately stiff breeze. (F Solly)

Wednesday 9th June 2010 Undisclosed Site

Was out and about looking for day flying moths and besides the normal bits that are on the wing i.e. Cinnabar,  Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion, Clouded Buff I then stumbled across a Black Veined moth. (Gadget)

Wednesday 9th June 2010 Hacklinge Dip

The garden moth trap at Hacklinge Dip has produced some large number of moths recently with 100+ moths of 50 species or so on each of the past few nights. Highlights include Scarce Chocolate tip, Yellow barred Brindle, Obscure Wainscot, Pretty chalk carpet, Rusty dot Pearl, Cream bordered Green pea, many Diamond Backs, Chinese Characters, Orange Footman, Small Elephant Hawkmoth, Thistle Ermine and the pyralid Phyctaenia perlucidalis. Not quite as good a Sandwich Obs but a good start to the 'real' season. (Ben L)

Tuesday 8th June 2010 Dumpton Thanet

Moth's have improved slightly over the past few nights on the 4th Chocolate-tip, Popular Hawk-moth, on the  5th Orange Footman and Pale Mottled Willow, on the 6th Light Emerald and Blood vain, last night The Flame, Trebled Lines, Garden Pebbled, Broad- barred White and Peacock, (Gadget)

Tuesday 8th June 2010 Eatery 

The recent run of damp and misty nights have turned up some more interesting species from the garden trap. The night of Saturday 5th. produced a bumper catch, including Oak Hook-tip, Campion, Chocolate-tip and Figure of Eighty, 176 macros of 40 species. Last night in the rain, slightly fewer 125 of 30 species, but still some good stuff. Singles of Peacock, Scarce Chocolate-tip, Orange Footman, Light Emerald and Chinese Character the best of the bunch. (Bill Martin)

Monday 7th June 2010 Ramsgate Cemetery

Haven't been running the moth trap at home this season so far, but disturbed a nice moth over in the cemetery yesterday whilst out for a stroll. Was surprised to see a Brown Silver-line land on the wall at the end of my road after it flew past me. I haven't seen this one before locally. The book says it's a moth that occurs where its food plant of bracken is found - not a common plant in the cemetery! (Phil Beraet)

Friday 4th  June 2010 Adjacent King George VI Park

Friday’s catch 9 Hart & Dart, 1 Shuttle -sharp Dart, 1 Common Swift, 1 Common Marbled Carpet (my first for this year), 1 Common  pug, 2 Marbled Minors, 1 Light Brown Apple Moth (my first for this year) and 1 Crambus lathoniellus  (my first for this year. (Sue Smith)

Wednesday 2nd June 2010 Adjacent King George VI Park Late News

With numbers increasing I put the trap out again last night. 12 Hart & Dart, 1 Angle Shades, 1 Treble Lines, 1 Shuttle -sharp Dart, 1 Common Swift, 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character (my first for this year) 2 Large Yellow Under-wing and 1 pug possibly Lime Speck (my first for this year, (Sue Smith)

Wednesday 2nd June 2010 Church Wood

Some real world commitments today however with the weather better than I was expecting, a window of opportunity arose and I decided to try and get White-barred Clearwing on my Kent 'list'. A rather pointless exercise. I dropped into Church Wood and set the pheromone along with that for Large Red-belted Clearwing (a hard one to get in Kent) and to pass the time the pheromone for Yellow-legged Clearwing. As expected, there was a steady trickle of Yellow-legged Clearwings throughout - up to 4 at a time and as also expected no sign of the others. A few Speckled Yellows and a female Muslin tried in vain to relieve the boredom. Enthusiasm exhausted, I packed up and was heading towards the car when I came across an ideal looking area for Large Red-belted Clearwing - a few minutes after putting the pheromone out, 2 had come for a hot session with an expected saucy female! (F Solly)

Tuesday 1st June 2010 Stonelees Pegwell

A brief venture into Stonelees just as the rain started produced the attractive Mompha raschkiella sitting on a Rosebay Willowherb leaf (its foodplant)  (F Solly)

Tuesday 1st June 2010  Dumpton Thanet

The moths on Thanet have been very poor though out April & May, June can only get better we hope, last night of May in my garden new moths for this year noted:  1 Yellow Bell, 1 Carnation Tortrix ( Cacoecimorpha pronubana) 3 Nettle -Tap (Anthophila fabriciana) 1 Celypha striana 1 Elachista argentella and 1 Eudonia angustea the rest were a few of what's been recorded around Thanet so far this year, which is not a lot, (Gadget)