Don't give up just yet

More than 80 moths of 25 species came to the garden actinic trap last night, a catch I would have been more than pleased to find after any night back in May or June when we were getting such dismal totals.  Caught were Common Marbled Carpet, Red-green Carpet, November Moth, Bordered Beauty, Feathered Thorn, Turnip, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Black Rustic, Pale Pinion, Grey Shoulder-knot, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Green-brindled Crescent, Merveille du Jour, Satellite, Chestnut, Dark Chestnut, Brick, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker, Beaded Chestnut, Lunar Underwing, Pink-barred Sallow, Sallow & Angle Shades.  Additions amongst the 20 species caught the previous night were Mottled Umber, Square-spot Rustic, Barred Sallow & Dusky-lemon Sallow.  There was nothing outstanding and certainly nothing like Feathered Ranunculus here (in fact I'd be happy with one or other of the two species of Ranunculus which do occur locally, not having seen either in the garden for two or three years!), but all the same it was an interesting and colourful collection to remind you that the season is far from over yet.

Westcott 15th October

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks