Westcott, Bucks

Well, that was quite an uninspiring seven days, although to be fair it was actually to be expected during this period in August when little usually happens.  Last night's catch of 274 moths of 57 species was fairly typical.  Adult moth additions to the garden year-list won't take long to cover:    

(8th)    Bucculatrix ulmella, Acleris cristana
(9th)    nil
(10th)  Narrow-winged Pug
(11th)  Cacoecimorpha pronubana
(12th)  nil
(13th)  nil
(14th)  nil

The list currently stands at 555 species for the year but that includes the leaf-mines discovered over the past week.  For adult moths the count is 542 (296 macros).

Numbers of Setaceous Hebrew Character are rising again and it has joined Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing at the top of the list of most numerous macros each night.  However, both of them are being outdone by the grass moth Agriphila tristella (a count of 70 last night is fairly typical).  I had a late Elephant Hawk-moth on the 11th, while a fresh Waved Black on the 12th might suggest a second brood.  Although not a year first, a very smart female Dark Spinach last night was only the fourth garden record for this supposedly common species (...as for Spinach, I haven't seen that here since 2007!).

Acleris cristana, Westcott 8th August 

Dark Spinach, Westcott 14th August

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks