A Good Start

Much as expected from the forecast, 2024 got off to a good start here at Westcott.  Some paddling around the garden during the daytime on 1st January produced two leaf-miners, Stigmella aurella and Phyllonorycter leucographella.  There were lots of mines of aurella on bramble (Rubus) leaves.  Most were freshly vacated, presumably thanks to the rather warm December, but I did manage to track down two which still had a larva present.  The many leucographella mines on our firethorn (Pyracantha) were mostly just starting out but a couple were reasonably well advanced.

Stigmella aurella on bramble, Westcott 1st January

Phyllonorycter leucographella on firethorn, Westcott 1st January

Adult moths on the night of the 1st comprised Winter Moth (1) & Mottled Umber (2), getting the year-list up and running.  On the 2nd there was the single early arrival of a Dark Chestnut shortly after dark, while Storm Henk was still lashing the area, but nothing else turned up later in the night when conditions were less fraught.  Last night (3rd) brought in singletons of four species, comprising Emmelina monodactyla, Mottled Umber, Spring Usher & Satellite, taking the list of adult species to six so far which is better than normal this early in the New Year.

Spring Usher, Westcott 3rd January

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks