1 September 2010

Immigrants at Portland were two Rush Veneer, two Dark Sword-grass, a Pearly Underwing and two Silver Y (PBO website).  At Chickerell, three Dark Sword-grass were of interest (C Pinder).  At Beaminster, a Dusky Thorn, plenty of Large Yellow Underwing, and a few of Least Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, and Lesser Yellow Underwing, and a Feathered Gothic (S Philp).

 

31 August 2010

Immigrants at Portland were a Rush Veneer, 44 Dark Sword-grass and a Silver Y (PBO website).

 

30 August 2010

Immigrants at Portland were a Diamond-back, three each of Rusty-dot Pearl and Rush Veneer, 40 Dark Sword-grass, and four Silver Y; additionally a Vestal was caught overnight at Reap Lane, Southwell (PBO website).  At Chickerell, a Dark Sword-grass was the only migrant in a catch dominated by Setaceous Hebrew Character, Flounced Rustic and Vine's Rustic in roughly equal numbers; Large Yellow Underwing remain very thin on the ground there (C Pinder).  An Old Lady and a Red Underwing at Preston (R Lambert).

 

29 August 2010

Immigrants at Portland were 28 Dark Sword-grass and four Silver Y (PBO website).

 

28 August 2010

Immigrants in the Portland Obs garden moth-traps were a Diamond-back, three Rusty-dot Pearl, five Rush Veneer, a Vestal, 31 Dark Sword-grass, a Pearly Underwing, Delicate. and five Silver Y (PBO website), At Beaminster, first sighting of Copper Underwing (considered probably Svensson's), second generation Lesser Swallow Prominent. Least Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic and Small Wainscot (S Philp),

 

27 August 2010

Immigrants in the Portland Obs garden moth-traps were Diamond-back, Rusty-dot Pearl, five Rush Veneer, a Vestal, 16 Dark Sword-grass, Pearly Underwing, Scarce Bordered Straw, six Silver Y; elsewhere, singles of Calamotropha paludella and Feathered Gothic (both infrequent wanderers to Portland) were the highlights from a few hours trapping at Cheyne Weare (PBO website).

 

26 August 2010

At Portland, the best of the night's immigrant moths - singles of Vestal and Convolvulus Hawk-moth - were caught in a couple of hours of trapping at Cheyne Weare; the immigrant tally in the Obs garden traps consisted of five Rusty-dot Pearl, a Rush Veneer. seven Dark Sword-grass, and two each of Pearly Underwing and Silver Y (PBO wbesite).  At Beaminster, new for the garden were two Black Arches, a White-point and new for the year were a couple each of Least Yellow Underwing and Square-spot Rustic, and a notable increase in Large Yellow Underwing with 143 recorded (M Raper).  At Gillingham, highlights were Orange Swift, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Silver Y and two Spectacle (G Hopkins).

 

25 August 2010

A single Silver Y was the only immigrant at Portland (PBO website).  At Broadwey, highlights were Peach Blossom, Frosted Orange and Gold Spot (P Harris).

Late news of a Light Crimson Underwing to an outside house light, in the Verwood area, on 21 August (C Hill, photo conf. by P Davey).  Also on 21st at Bowleaze Cove were Euchromius ocellea and Orange Sallow caught by a visiting trapper (I Machin per P Harris).

 

Light Crimson Underwing, Verwood area, 21 August 2010 © C Hill                                        Euchromius ocellea, Bowleaze 21 August 2010 © P Harris

24 August 2010

At Portland, singles of Cydia amplana and Small Mottled Willow provided some welcome rarity interest but the tally of routine immigrants remained less than impressive: two each of Diamond-back, Rusty-dot Pearl, and Rush Veneer and singles of Dark Sword-grass and Silver Y (PBO website).  Despite a full moon and clear skies there were 382 moths of 79 species caught in 11 actinic traps north of Hurn; the highlights were Agonopterix ocellana, Minificarma mulinella, Oegoconia quadripuncta, Acleris emargana, Ancylis laetana, Crambus hamella, Nephopterix angustella, two Birch Mocha, Mullein Wave, Vestal, two Bordered Beauty, six Pine Hawk-moth, White-line Dart, Dark Sword-grass, three Neglected Rustic, two Six-striped Rustic, Hedge Rustic, two Old Lady and a Pinion-streaked Snout (D Evans, M Jeffes et al).  At Gillingham, new for the garden was Cochylis atricapitana, also of interest were Rusty-dot Pearl and Silver Y (G Hopkins).

 

During the evening, searching and sweeping for Shoulder-striped Clover on Holt Heath yielded up to ten larvae. One “hot-spot” yielded four larvae from cross-leaved heath flowers on a gentle north-facing slope transitional between mire and dry heath. This represents the largest annual tally for this species in recent years in the county. Thanks to BC for hosting the search and to the team of seven who worked hard under starry skies to locate the quarry (P Davey et al). 

 

Shoulder-striped Clover larva, Holt Heath, 24 August 2010 © J Winterbottom

23 August 2010

Just a Dark Sword-grass and two Silver Y as migrants at Portland (PBO website).  At Radipole, the highlights were a Vestal and a Dark Sword-grass (L Phillip, RSPB).  The first Frosted Orange of the autumn at Broadwey (P Harris).  At Burton, two Canary-shouldered Thorn and Old Lady were new for the year, plus a single Pearly Underwing and two White-point (J Southworth).  At Gillingham was a Tawny Shears, a retrap from the previous day, and still awaiting sunshine for publishable photos (G Hopkins).

 

22 August 2010

By day, three Channel Islands Pug, and a Lime-speck Pug near Abbotsbury (T A Box). 

Migrants at Portland were represented by singles of Rush Veneer, Pearly Underwing and Silver Y (PBO website).  At Broadwey, traps overwhelmed with Vine's Rustic and White-point again; the best of the rest were Vestal, Mouse Moth and two Gold Spot (P Harris).  At Gillingham, of note were Acleris laterana and Brown China-mark (G Hopkins).

 

Vestal, Broadwey, 22 August 2010 © P Harris                            Channel Island Pug, near Abbotsbury, 22 August 2010 © T A Box

21 August 2010

By day, near Abbotsbury, seven Channel Island Pug and a male Four-spotted Footman (P Harris).

Not a single immigrant moth was caught overnight in the four moth-traps operated in the Portland Obs garden! (PBO website).  At Broadwey, huge numbers of moths including 685 Vine's Rustic and 59 White Point but nothing out of the ordinary (P Harris).  At Preston, a Scarce Bordered Straw, and the 2nd garden record of Shaded Broad-bar, and Red Underwing (R Lambert).  The pick at Gillingham were Pyrausta despicata, Rusty-dot Pearl and Bulrush Wainscot (G Hopkins).

 

Orange Swift, female, Gillingham, 20 August 2010 © G Hopkins                                                      Bulrush Wainscot, Gillingham, 21 August 2010 © G Hopkins

 

 

Please note earlier 2010 records now archived  -  follow archive tab at the top of the page.