Quite nice

An Engrailed from last night's catch.

Stick that in your pencil!

Looks like I finally pulled out a Lead-coloured Drab, after much trying.  Two Double-striped Pugs were also new for the year, but otherwise it was standard stuff – Clouded Drab, Common Quaker, Small Quaker, and Hebrew Character.

Pug on a rug

Had a pretty good haul last night with all the usuals plus a March Moth and a couple of Early Greys, which are always nice to see after all the drabby stuff.

Only one new moth though, this pug. It was on the side of the trap so potted it quickly, then brought it in to try to identify it. It subsequently decided to have a wonder round the room before settling on a hanging wall rug.

As with Ellen's, I think this is probably a Brindled Pug. Anyone want to second that?

Pug sp.

In the absence of Jeremy, I think it might be a Brindled Pug.  Caught two the night before last, amongst common/small/twinspotted quakers, clouded drabs, hebrew characters, chestnuts et al. 

Drabs...

but are they all Clouded?

蛾

Put the trap out last night with high hopes of a good haul, but the moths were apparently on a night off, with only 12 turning up. Amongst them was the unusual (and very early) Chinese Character, and a couple of Double-striped Pugs to add to the tally.

A mottley lot

 9th mottled grey of the year so far: plus 20 hebrew characters, 6 common quakers, 5 clouded drabs, 4 small quakers, 1 twin-spotted quaker, 1 shoulder stripe, 1 march moth and 1 chestnut.

The Moth Whisperer

If you had sat me down a couple of years ago and told me that in 2012 I would find myself waking up at 7am on  a Sunday morning to go and talk to moths I would have to have taken a long good look at my life and try to work out a strategy to best avoid my fate. Yet this morning (and indeed yesterday too) that was exactly what I found myself doing and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. What's more, as with most animals in my life (as my chickens and cat will testify) I've started to anthropomorphise them. The Clouded Drabs are quite clearly unimaginative, dull, obstinate and like most moths that play dead at my slightest touch, a bit thick. However, they are also efficient and tenacious team players - every night that I put my trap out, Cloudy and her 19 brothers and sisters Drab know their mission: get on with the business of filling it up. Once in the trap, their job is to sit perfectly still until I come and nudge them at which point they fall dead allowing me to scoop them up and throw them back in the bushes. They don't know why they do it, but it's not their business to know.

If there's one aptly named family of moths it's the Pugs. These pugnacious little brutes just won't give a guy a break. As soon as you try to place them a little better to take a good picture they're off. To the top of the barn, just high enough to be too high to reach with a chair. And no matter how patient your coaxing you won't be able to get them to come down. They stay there just long enough for you to get a ladder and start climbing and then they're off again. Over to the neighbours. That's what happened to me yesterday with a Double-Striped and I won't be forgetting it in a hurry (in case there are any Pugs out there that might have chanced upon this post - I'm watching you!).

Onto the noble moths. These are the larger moths that include the Hawks and one I caught this morning - an Angle Shades. These are obviously the nobles, the royalty, the chieftains of their tribes. Apart from their size and outfits to prove it, more impressive is their demeanour. Once they are caught, they don't go on fainting fits, they are not quarrelsome, they are patient, acquiescent and accept their fate with dignity. Moth-chiefs, I salute you!

Angle Shades, the King Kamehameha of moths

A thorn in my side

An early thorn and a chestnut were the new additions to 19 macros and 4 micros last night.

The fun part

I might get a bit of criticism for this, but what would mothing be without a little competition? Here is our stats page:

https://sites.google.com/site/cdmumoffstats/

As you can see, things are hotting up!. Will has been consistently in the lead so far, maybe in part because his garden backs on to a field. Anyway, it is early days yet, and we might soon be joined by some more competitors. Watch this space!

Getting better

23 moths of 12 species last night - only ten of them count for the 'race' though, as there were two micros in there.  Best were Yellow Horned, Red Chestnut, Twin-spotted Quaker, as they were all new for the year.

Oakey dokey

Like Col I had my best haul of the year so far, one massive burying beetle and 28 moths, of which the best was definitely this Oak Beauty.

Get knotted

The biggest haul so far - 20 macros, 1 micro and a big fat black beetle. The only new one was this grey shoulder-knot.

I fancy a cup(le) of earl(y) grey(s)!

Another good night! 2 Early greys, 3 common quakers, 2 hebrew characters, 1 satellite, 2 small quakers, 2 clouded drabs and 1 dotted border.

Foggin rubbish

Looks like I dipped out on the great weekends moffin' by not putting out the trap on Friday and Saturday nights.  I tried last night and only got two - an Early Grey, and a Dotted Border.  You know it's going to be crap when you look outside and can't even seen your trap cos of the fog.

That Old Chestnut

Thought it was about time to post some pictures too. Not exactly inspiring, though I had a relatively decent haul this weekend, which included a March Moth, Dark Chestnut, a few Clouded Drabs and Common Quakers. Hebrew Characters aplenty - five in total!!!

Had to get in there with the chestnut pun... I'm afraid I couldn't better you though Col!

Chestnut

Clouded Drab

Clouded Drab

Common Quaker

Dark Chestnut

Hebrew Character

Hebrew Character

Have you met my twin? He's a real character.

Saturday night was much better than Friday. We were visited by 2 small quakers, 1 March moth, 3 dotted borders, 3 Hebrew characters and 1 twin-spotted quaker. Can we have an award for most puns in blog titles?

Colourful

An astounding array of browns in the trap last night.


March Moth


Clouded Drab


Small Quaker


Common Quaker

Does it get any better than this???!!!

I bloody hope so.

2 small steps

Trapping at this time of year is a bit of a lottery, with an empty trap a real possibility, so I was very happy to see this Small Brindled Beauty on the fence, and to fish out a Small Quaker from the trap. Still no Oak Beauty though!

Overwhelmed

Massive haul in Biggleswade last night - four moths!  Two Common Quakers, a Hebrew Character, and some scrotty plume moth.  Photo to follow.