Westcott, Bucks

Three or four days ago, with the weather having turned much colder and wetter, I wasn't surprised that catches dropped away considerably and just three moths came to the twin-30wt actinic light on each of Wednesday and Thursday nights (December Moth, Red-green Carpet & Mottled Umber on Wed 16th and Red-green Carpet, Winter Moth & Scarce Umber on Thurs 17th).  I was beginning to think that was it for the year, but last night there was an upturn thanks to it being calm, dry and overcast.  The temperature still fell away to 4 or 5 degrees here but those moths which fly at this time of year are used to the cold (Winter Moths in particular seem to have glycol in their veins!).  The light brought in Agonopterix heracliana (1), Epiphyas postvittana (1), Eudonia angustea (1), December Moth (2), Red-green Carpet (1), Winter Moth (2), Feathered Thorn (4), Scarce Umber (5), Mottled Umber (1) & Brick (1).

Scarce Umber, Westcott 18th November

Prior to the cold snap we had another period with southerly winds when a number of good migrants were seen in the country (including Diasemiopsis ramburialis and Nigel's Diplopseustis perieresalis in our area), but nothing significant turned up here.  A Dark Sword-grass on the 12th and Silver Ys on the 12th and 14th were all that visited Westcott, that's apart from further appearances by Plutella xylostella, Udea ferrugalis & Nomophila noctuella as well as several examples of Turnip Moth, White-point and Angle Shades which may or may not have been migrants.  Some of the Turnips were very fresh and quite nicely marked, like the male below. 

Turnip Moth, Westcott 14th November

Since the 13th the twin-30wt light has been run on the window-sill inside our conservatory, something I've been doing during the winter months for several years now and it has made no noticeable difference to the number of moths recorded.  I check the windows once or twice in the evening and again before dawn, potting up any arrivals, but it saves having to mess around with a trap which at this time of year few of the moths actually enter anyway.  I probably won't put a trap out in the garden again until the end of March.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks