A welcome return

Last night's actinic trap here at Westcott, Bucks produced just two moths, although both were new for the garden year list.  One was Hebrew Character, the other was Lead-coloured Drab (note the feathered antennae in the photo below).  The latter failed to make an appearance at all here last year, despite there being several black poplars within sight of the house, so it was good to see it return and on such an early date - in fact one day earlier than my earliest ever sighting.


Hebrew Character & Lead-coloured Drab, Westcott 22 Feb 

With reasonably warm conditions out of the wind, I also took the Robinson MV trap to nearby Finemere Wood at dusk and in the allotted three hours it caught 83 moths of 9 species:  Tortricodes alternella (31), Yellow Horned (1), March Moth (1), Small Brindled Beauty (10), Pale Brindled Beauty (21), Spring Usher (10), Dotted Border (6), Satellite (1) & Chestnut (2).  The Yellow Horned (illustrated below) was again a day earlier than I've ever seen it before.  Dave Wilton



Yellow Horned, Finemere Wood 22 Feb