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.