Westcott, Bucks

Even though the garden year-list is now well past 600 species, I doubt that 700 will be achieved in 2023.  We were away for just over a week at the end of August as well as the first couple of days of September so there was a gap of nearly two weeks in garden trapping, but the following have been added to the year-list since the last report in mid-August:

     (17th)  Clavigesta purdeyi

     (18th)  Agriphila geniculea, Oak Processionary

     (19th)  Vestal

     (20th)  Pammene populana, Cypress Pug

     (2nd)   Hellinsia carphodactyla, Pale Eggar, Centre-barred Sallow, Feathered Gothic

     (3rd)    Epinotia ramella, Frosted Orange

     (5th)    Acleris rhombana, Four-spotted Footman, Beautiful Marbled

Hellinsia carphodactyla, Westcott 2nd September

Epinotia ramella, Westcott 3rd September

Four-spotted Footman, Westcott 5th September

Beautiful Marbled, Westcott 5th September

Noticeable since we returned was a significant reduction in nightly catches, a change to autumnal species and Large Yellow Underwing is now providing the highest counts (anywhere between 50 and 100 each night).  Hellinsia carphodactyla (2nd) was Westcott's 14th plume species.  It is the sixth completely new addition for the site in 2023 and takes the garden moth list to 1,071 species.  Epinotia ramella (3rd) is generally restricted to woodland locally but it has made occasional appearances in the garden although this was the first since 2018.   

Last night (5th) brought some migrant activity with Plutella xylostella and Dark Sword-grass in addition to the two nice macros illustrated above.  Hopefully there will be more to come over the next few warm nights.  

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks