Garden moths galore & a Crossbill

With the temperature remaining high all night it was pretty clear that I was going to catch a lot of moths, so I was up at 04.35 to start recording.

Before I get onto moths though, I should mention that at 06.05 a Crossbill flew over. I didn't actually see it, as binoculars are not particularly handy when processing moths, but the call "kyip" sharper than that of a young Greenfinch, gave it away. Judging from the calls I would say it was heading east. I also heard another Siskin, and watched a Sparrowhawk help itself to one of the House Sparrows.

So back to moths. I caught a grand total of 97 moths of 45 species. Of those, 19 were new for the year, and two were lifers. I wouldn't get those statistics if I'd stuck to birds.

The lifers were micros called Batia lunaris and Acrobasis repandana. The fomer was resting on the side of the trap, while I caught two of the latter.

Batia lunaris

Acrobasis repandana

They both seem to be widespread moths, but its nice to get to grips with these tiddlers.

I think I'll give you the full list, followed by photos of the year-ticks.

Bird-cherry Ermine 2 (nfy), Crassa unitella 1 (nfy), Batia lunaris 1 (nfg), Ruddy Streak 3, Mompha subbistrigella 1 (nfy), Bryotropha terrella 3, Twenty-plume Moth 1 (nfy), Aleimma loeflingiana 2, Cnephasia ag 1, Red-barred Tortrix 1 (nfy), Variegated Golden Tortrix 1, Timothy Tortrix 1 (nfy), Light Brown Apple Moth 2, Hedya salicella 1 (nfy), Bud Moth 1 (nfy), Gypsonoma dealbana 2 Notocelia trimaculana/rosaecolana 1, Codling Moth 6, Phycita roborella 1, Acrobasis repandana 2 (nfg), Eudonia lacustrata 1 (nfy), Eudonia mercurella 2, Crambus pascuella 8, Garden Grass-veneer 6, Small Magpie 1 (nfy), Leopard Moth 4 (nfy), Elephant Hawk-moth 1, Riband Wave 3, Flame Carpet 1, Green Pug 1, Brimstone Moth 1, Snout 1 (nfy), White Satin Moth 1, Scarlet Tiger 3 (nfy), Common Footman 2 (nfy), Blackneck 1 (nfy), Grey/Dark Dagger 1 (nfy), Uncertain 6, Cloaked Minor 1 (nfy), Marbled Minor ag 1, Dun-bar 1 (nfy), Heart and Dart 6, Heart and Club 3, Flame 1, Large Yellow Underwing 2.

Bird-cherry Ermine

Blackneck

Cloaked Minor

Common Footman

Crassa unitella

Dun-bar

Eudonia lacustrata

Grey Dagger ag

Hedya salicella (very worn)

Leopard Moth

Mompha subbistrigella

Red-barred Tortrix

Scarlet Tiger

Snout

Twenty-plume Moth

Several of the above have not been seen in the garden since 2018; Blackneck, Small Magpie, Mompha subbistrigella, and Hedya salicella which I suppose makes them a bit more special.

Finally, one moth unfortunately expired  just after I had photographed it. But as it happens this was quite fortuitous because it was a Marbled Minor ag, a species that cannot be identified without genitalia examination, and which I won't deliberately kill. But if it keels over anyway, its fair game. So come November I will hand it over to the Warks Moth recorder and await his verdict. (02/10/2020: rather to my surprise it turned out to be a Rufous Minor, the first confirmed record for SP06).

Rufous Minor (confirmed by gen det)

Its been a long day.