Westcott, Bucks

70 moths of 26 species appeared in the garden last night despite all that wind and rain from Storm Brian:  Blastobasis lacticolella (1), Acleris rhombana (1), Acleris variegana (1), Epiphyas postvittana (1), Common Marbled Carpet (4), Red-green Carpet (4), November Moth sp (8), Feathered Thorn (1), Figure of Eight (1), Lesser Yellow Underwing (1), Setaceous Hebrew Character (4), Green-brindled Crescent (2), Merveille du Jour (1, tenth of the year and first time that the garden count has achieved double figures), Black Rustic (8), Satellite (1), Chestnut (1), Dark Chestnut (2), Red-line Quaker (2), Yellow-line Quaker (3), Brick (1), Beaded Chestnut (14), Lunar Underwing (3), Barred Sallow (1), Sallow (1), Angle Shades (2) & Rosy Rustic (1).

Figure of Eight, Westcott 20th October

There has been no sign of migrants here since the pair of Vestals on the 17th but I keep trying in the vain hope that something else will find its way this far inland.  The rather tired Figure of Eight last night was new to this year's garden list and takes the 2017 site total up to 322 macro species already (and more than 630 species of Lepidoptera altogether with many micros requiring dissection still to be added).  The target for me to beat is 324 macros (achieved here in 2015) and that should be easy with Sprawler, Scarce Umber and December Moth still to appear and things like Dark Dagger, Tawny Marbled Minor and Lesser Common Rustic likely to be confirmed after dissection.  This year is on course to become the best ever for the garden so far as numbers of species are concerned, quite surprising really as I've been away in Devon quite a lot since the beginning of August.  

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks