Westcott, Bucks

As you'd expect in this good weather, the garden has being doing reasonably well over the last few nights.  New for the year-list have been the following:

(18th)  Phtheochroa rugosana, Nephopterix angustella, Scorched Wing, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth,
            Mottled Rustic.
(19th)  Cochylis molliculana, Myelois circumvoluta, Pyrausta purpuralis, Anania perlucidalis, Figure of Eighty,
            Silver-ground Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Currant Pug, Clouded Border, Privet Hawk-moth,
            Coronet.
(20th)  Phyllonorycter messaniella, Cydia fagiglandana, Anania hortulata, Pinion-spotted Pug, Freyer's Pug,
            Poplar Kitten, Cinnabar.

Of last night's selection, Cydia fagiglandana appears here infrequently (just a singleton every two or three years), probably because beech doesn't like the local heavy clay soils, but there are some old established trees around Waddesdon Manor which is quite close by.   Pinion-spotted Pug was, of course, the star visitor even though it wasn't in the best of condition.  It was the third visit here by this rarely-seen pug, the other two being in 2018.  Poplar Kitten failed to appear in the garden last year despite all the local poplars and it is nowhere near as common around here as its smaller cousin Sallow Kitten, so that was another welcome visitor.

Cydia fagiglandana, Westcott 20th May

Pinion-spotted Pug, Westcott 20th May

Poplar Kitten, Westcott 20th May

The year-list reached 190 species today with a daytime record of Burnet Companion, only the second ever to have been seen in the garden.  This one spent some time scooting about and feeding from our philadelphus, allowing me to take a few pictures before it disappeared.

Burnet Companion, Westcott 21st May

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks