Further Autumnal Species

Here at Westcott there hasn't been anything particularly exciting over the past few nights (I still await this year's Clifden Nonpareil, for example!), but the usual suspects are trickling in.  None of the moths illustrated below has broken any records for its date of appearance and I suspect they'll be turning up in most people's traps imminently, if they haven't already:

Black Rustic, Westcott 3rd September

Sallow, Westcott 3rd September

Pink-barred Sallow, Westcott 4th September

Pale Pinion, Westcott 5th September

Deep-brown Dart, Westcott 5th September

The Pale Pinion was rather a dark specimen but it is still Pale rather than Tawny.  I didn't see either of the two species in the spring but that isn't really surprising because they are far more common here in the autumn before hibernating.  They love ivy blossom, as do many other moths at this time of year, so torchlight searches around the local area will soon be required.  The ivy isn't quite in flower here yet but should be within the next week.  Deep-brown Dart is a somewhat featureless species and may need to be looked at carefully, especially when worn.  Not that there's much it could be confused with locally.

Pale Eggar has done really well here this season.  I had another four last night and that takes the garden total so far to 27 since the initial example on 21st August.  This is the first year I've had a double-digit count.

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks