Westcott, Bucks

The only additions to this year's garden list over the past week have been Green-brindled Crescent (3rd), Large Wainscot (6th) and Brick (7th).  Last night's catch, comprising just over 90 moths of 19 species, was fairly typical of the week's results apart from a notable increase in Large Yellow Underwings:  Acleris variegana (1), Nomophila noctuella (1), Emmelina monodactyla (1), Mallow (1), Red-green Carpet (1), Common Marbled Carpet (1), Turnip (1), Large Yellow Underwing (11), Setaceous Hebrew Character (7), Deep-brown Dart (1), Black Rustic (3), Green-brindled Crescent (2), Satellite (1), Brick (1), Red-line Quaker (1), Beaded Chestnut (14), Lunar Underwing (40), Dusky-lemon Sallow (1) & Angle Shades (3).  Lunar Underwing is doing its best but my current cumulative total for the garden stands at only 650, two-thirds of the way through its flight period.  The moth certainly isn't going to break any records here in 2016 (totals for the previous three years have all been above 1,600 and in 2014 they reached 3,570).

Other species seen earlier in the week included Blastobasis lacticolella, Epiphyas postvittana, Eudonia angustea, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Square-spot Rustic, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Pink-barred Sallow, Sallow (not doing at all well here this year) & Pale Mottled Willow, while Yellow-line Quaker has been noticeable by its absence since the end of September.  I still await my first Merveille du Jour of the season.

Brick, Westcott 7th October

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks