Westcott, Bucks

Last night's rain caused a significant reduction in Lunar Underwings recorded, 'only' 82 attending the trap here, but Black Rustic numbers increased to 44.  Two new-for-year species for the garden list were Pine Carpet and a nice purple form of Barred Sallow.  The Pine Carpet was an even smarter-looking female than the male I had in Finemere Wood the previous night.  Unlike Grey Pine and Spruce, the moth is not at all common in Bucks where there are still fewer than 30 records overall, but this is the fourth year out of the last five where I've had an individual in the garden.  The habitat locally is rather untypical:  we are on heavy clay soil with no nearby pine plantations.  Most of the woodlands locally which were wrecked in the '50s and '60s by having their deciduous hearts cut out in favour of conifer plantations are now on the mend after the removal of those conifers over the past ten years or so.  The moth is therefore presumably existing on garden pines (of which there are quite a few locally) and/or specimen trees on the nearby Waddesdon Estate. 

Pine Carpet, Westcott 27th September

Barred Sallow, Westcott 27th September

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks