Following the much-appreciated help with some of our recent mystery moths, we hit 86 species in Wolvercote, Oxon, on Friday-Saturday night -- not quite a garden record, following the 88 of a week before, but the 278 individuals that night were a record for the year, which is nice. Much less of a result on Saturday-Sunday night, for the simple reason that our mercury bulb was stolen part-way through the night: indeed, someone must have come into our garden, switched off the trap at the mains in our timber studio, and removed the bulb. There were 25 individuals in the trap, but nowhere near as many, of course, as would be expected. The trap's out again tonight, with an actinic bulb instead -- we actually have a spare mercury bulb, but I'm assuming that the actinic would be rather harder to just walk away with. All rather unpleasant.
Steve and Xander Goddard
Very odd thing to take as they are relatively cheap, unless it's a neighbour making a point.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it is that -- odd, because the trap was behind our timber studio, at the bottom of our garden, and cannot have been casting light on any property. It was also, of course, out of direct line of sight from our house, so I don't think we'll be putting it there again. I think the point being made was probably more about perceived 'light pollution' and assumed 'harm' to wildlife.
ReplyDeleteMight be worth investing in one of those motion-activated night-time wildlife cameras...
ReplyDeleteVery much worth considering, Dave.
ReplyDelete