Window of Opportunity

The current slight improvement in overnight temperatures has produced a few moths to the conservatory windows here at home, the actinic light having been run inside on the windowsill until about 11pm.  On Thursday night I got a Pale Brindled Beauty, Friday night brought a Chestnut while last night there was almost a "glut" of five moths before the light was turned off:  Agonopterix heracliana (1), March Moth (1), Dotted Border (2) & Dark Chestnut (1).  It looks as though we might get a couple more worthwhile sessions before the frosts return and I might even be tempted to run the light for the whole night tonight.   

March Moth, Westcott 17th February

March Moth, Westcott 17th February

The average number of macro-moth species recorded here by the end of February is ten and I'm currently on track with eight, so this year is shaping up quite normally.  One thing which I did notice on looking back at the statistics is just how many more macro species than usual had appeared in the garden by the end of March last year, something that I hadn't appreciated before.  That figure was 37, which is eleven more than the previous high (26 in 2011) and way above the average here since 2005 which is 22 species.  Seven of the 37 put in March appearances here for the first time ever:  Water Carpet, Brindled Pug, Oak-tree Pug, V-Pug, Brimstone Moth, Purple Thorn & Nut-tree Tussock.  Hopefully this rather more normal winter won't bring quite so much disruption to flight times.        

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks