Bernwood Forest, Bucks

I ran just two MV lights for the usual three hours in the M40 Compensation Area adjacent to Bernwood last night.  This is not a particularly pleasant place to sit, with the hard shoulder of the M40 just a few metres away from each trap.  I haven't worked out a species total yet as there are still quite a few pots to go through, but just one of the traps produced in excess of 120 (amazing really, with speeding cars and lorries so close by!) and they included items such as Large Emerald, Birch Mocha, Plain Wave, Rosy Footman & Mere Wainscot which are well enough known from the main part of the forest.  Two surprises included another Prochoreutis (after the one in my garden the previous night) and a wandering Fen Wainscot.  The pictures below were taken in fading light this evening and the flash has done odd things to the colour of the seemingly very reflective scales of the choreutid. 

Probable Prochoreutis myllerana, Bernwood 28th July

Fen Wainscot, Bernwood 28th July

It is typical that I should be trapping regularly at four wetland sites in Bucks this year, with Fen Wainscot as one of my targets (not seen at any of them so far), yet it turns up here completely out of habitat!

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks