Fraxini-fest

Sad to say in a way, but I can see Clifden Nonpareil becoming common everywhere locally within just a few years and therefore losing a bit of its magic!  Last night I had a final session in Bernwood Forest looking for Oak Lutestring (which wasn't found, so I conclude that it has probably been lost to the site).  The first moth to arrive at the Skinner MV trap which I monitored throughout the three hour session was a Clifden Nonpareil which circled the light for a good ten minutes before flying off.  Assumed for recording purposes to be the same individual, it re-appeared at packing-up time to walk around on the sheet before perching on the side of the trap (eight seconds of grotty video here).  Meanwhile, a second example had entered a twin-30wt actinic Skinner trap on a different ride some distance away and a third was found inside my other trap, a Robinson MV.  I had one in 2018 at the last spot so it is probably fair to say that the species is now resident at Bernwood.  There is certainly plenty of aspen throughout the forest.

Clifden Nonpareil, Bernwood Forest 11th September

Clifden Nonpareil, Bernwood 11th September

Back home at Westcott I could see that the garden trap itself held a Red Underwing but during a torchlight scan of the immediate area I happened to notice what was obviously a Clifden Nonpareil perched high up on the wall of the house about 15 metres away from the actinic light.  Luckily it was close enough to an upstairs bedroom window to be able to pot it up from indoors and then put inside the trap.  That's the fourth record for the garden over three years.  While there is no aspen in the immediate area (although there are lots of poplars), aspen is certainly plentiful in local woods within a mile or two of the village.

Clifden Nonpareil & Red Underwing, Westcott 11th September

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks