Westcott, Bucks

Despite continued nightly counts in excess of 100 species, additions to the year-list have slowed to a trickle as is only to be expected as we approach August, but I have now managed to pass 500 garden species for the year.  When doing the stats for the old moth sightings pages on the BC Upper Thames website prior to the advent of this blog, Peter Hall used to reckon that we only ever had about 100 species left to see between 1st August and the end of the year so we'll soon be winding down towards winter!  That's not to say there won't be more excitement to come, of course, because autumn is generally the best time for migrants.

Additions here over the last few nights have been as follows:
(17th)  Cochylimorpha straminea, Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Notocelia roborana, Agriphila selasella,
            Straw Underwing
(18th)  nil
(19th)  Agonopterix subpurpurella, Bactra furfurana, Donacaula forficella, Oak Processionary
(20th)  Cochylis molliculana, Udea lutealis
(21st)  Coptotriche marginea, Scrobipalpa costella, Grapholita compositella

Last night (21st) I had another Oak Processionary but of more interest was the tiny Grapholita compositella which I've recorded three or four times in the local area but is another first for the garden.

Grapholita compositella, Westcott 21st July

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks