More of the same

With the warmer overnight temperature I had high hopes that last night might produce something interesting for the garden list, but in the end I had to be satisfied with a Water Carpet.  Actually, despite being a common moth this is quite a good record for Westcott, being only the fifth individual to be recorded here (two in 2005 then a long wait until two more in 2017 and now this one).

Water Carpet, Westcott 30th March

Surprisingly there were no micros at all and the full list of moths which managed to get past the bat patrol comprised March Moth (1), Streamer (5, equalling my highest ever garden total in one night), Water Carpet (1), Double-striped Pug (1), Early Thorn (1), Small Quaker (31), Lead-coloured Drab (1), Common Quaker (51), Clouded Drab (13), Powdered Quaker (8) & Hebrew Character (17).  Additional species the previous night when it was far colder included Diurnea fagella, Agonopterix heracliana, Agonopterix ocellana, Agonopterix arenella, Blossom Underwing, Twin-spotted Quaker & Early Grey, while others earlier in the week included Dotted Border (27th), Engrailed (26th), Red Chestnut (27th) & Dotted Chestnut (28th).

One more night to go then we're into April and the season starts in earnest.  These first three months of the year are always a lottery, dependent so much on the weather, but 2019 has been excellent so far.  The garden has produced 54 different adult moth species to date.  With a night still to go that's already one more than the previous record of 53 achieved by 31st March in 2017 when we enjoyed similar early spring temperatures.  The number of macros (37) is currently exactly the same.  Compare that with the very cold start to 2013 when by 31st March the garden list stood at just 11 species (2 micros and 9 macros)!    

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks