Although very wet, the milder than usual conditions this January have resulted in a better than expected count of adult moths in the garden (we must be overdue a really cold snap!). I know we're only talking about a handful of species anyway but the average here over the past decade for the first month of the year has been to get five macros and two micros whereas this month there have already been nine + six with one night still to go. 2019 was the closest with ten + one. I'll need to check even further back as well to be sure but I believe this January's species total constitutes a record for the garden. There are also a handful of moths which other recorders have already seen locally this year (
Acleris cristana, March Moth, Dotted Border, Oak Beauty & Common Quaker spring to mind) but which haven't appeared here yet.
Garden additions over the past week have comprised Grey Shoulder-knot and Dark Chestnut on the 27th and
Agonopterix heracliana on the 30th (the latter will be retained for checking but the confusion species,
Agonopterix ciliella, is rare in Bucks and despite multiple dissections over the years has never been found here in the garden).
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| Grey Shoulder-knot, Westcott 27th January |
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| Agonopterix heracliana, Westcott 30th January |
Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks
record year here in Didcot garden too Dave, but for exactly the opposite reason. Apart from a couple of postvittana which I need to check weren't actually December (it's been so long since I've seen a moth) I have had no moths at all which is the worst January I can remember in any garden I've trapped in :(
ReplyDeleteThat Agonopterix looks a bit reddish, so could be a candidate for ciliella
ReplyDeleteLike Marc I have caught very few moths this Winter. 2 of 2 species in December and 13 of 4 species in January. The number of empty traps has been quite disheartening. On a more positive note one of the January moths was a Spring Usher which I have not had here before.
ReplyDelete