Westcott, Bucks

A few more species have been added to the garden list over the past ten days, reducing to single digits the number of macro species still expected to appear this year:

     (28th)  Brick

     (29th)  Acleris sparsana

     (30th)  Merveille du Jour

       (1st)  Feathered Thorn

      (2nd)  Red-line Quaker

      (3rd)  Figure of Eight, Autumnal Rustic

The only unexpected visitor amongst those above was Autumnal Rustic which is a completely new moth for the garden (macro no. 460).  The Atlas shows quite clearly the lack of records in NW Bucks, although I did get one rather unexpectedly in Bernwood Forest two years ago (not yet mapped) so perhaps its fortunes locally are improving.  The specimen below was on the small side and rather worn but the moth must be right at the end of its flight period now.

Autumnal Rustic, Westcott 3rd October

Despite reasonable conditions, migrants over this period have been few and far between at Westcott.  The only one worthy of note was this very pink Vestal on 1st October:

Vestal, Westcott 1st October

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks