National Moth Night - Winyates East

National Moth Night is an event spanning three nights (it used to be just one). Originally organised by the magazine Atropos, and now jointly run with Butterfly Conservation, it shifts its position each year to take advantage of the various short flight seasons of the over a thousand species occurring in the UK.

I have never felt knowledgable enough to take part, until this year. The arbitrary selection of the date has led to many wash-outs in previous years, it almost seems part of a tradition. This year is no exception; cool wet and windy. They were hyping it as an opportunity to target the Holy Grail of moths, a rapidly spreading former rarity called Clifden Nonpareil. I managed to catch one a fortnight ago, so was astonished to find another clinging to the side of the house this morning.

Clifden Nonpareil showing a bit of its blue underwing

Clifden Nonpareil

My total catch was 28 moths of 12 species as follows: 1 Ruddy Streak, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, 1 Light Brown Apple Moth, 1 Clifden Nonpareil, 3 Brindled Greens, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lunar Underwings, 1 Light Emerald, 1 Flounced Rustic, 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 1 Square-spot Rustic, and 1 very worn Copper Underwing ag.

All of the above have turned up in the garden before, but the Brindled Greens were new for the year.

Brindled Green

I'm pleased to feel I have made a contribution to the survey at last.