Plumed Prominent

My annual pilgrimage to the Marlow area to check whether or not Plumed Prominent is flying yet wasn't actually needed this year as we'd already had the welcome report from Turville on 5th November (see the blog entry from a few days ago below).  Bonfire Night was traditionally the time to start looking for this nationally scarce species but it seems to have been appearing anything up to a week later than that locally over the last decade or more and in some years I've had to make several repeat trips.  However, last night I couldn't resist the urge to take another look myself and ran traps in two woods in adjacent kilometre squares to the north-west of Marlow.  Five came to light in Homefield Wood (Forestry Commission/BBOWT) and another pair in Pullingshill Wood (Woodland Trust), those totals suggesting to me that next week should bring even better numbers if anyone cares to go out looking for it.  The first appearances last night were at around 6.30pm and the last at 8.30pm while I was packing up.  As can be seen from the on-line Atlas, for reasons unknown the moth is confined in our region to that area of the Chilterns where our three counties meet.

Plumed Prominent, Homefield Wood 10th November

Other species seen in Homefield Wood last night comprised Ypsolopha ustella, Plutella xylostella, Scrobipalpa costella, Blastobasis lacticolella, Epiphyas postvittana, December Moth, Oak Hook-tip, Red-green Carpet, Spruce Carpet, November Moth agg., Feathered Thorn, Lesser Yellow Underwing, White-point, Satellite, Chestnut, Brick & Vine's Rustic, along with a Dark Bush-cricket and two very late Hornets.  The only additional species in Pullingshill Wood was Acleris sparsana.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks