30 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

The garden trap continues to provide a few surprises. Last night my wee surprise was a Dark Sword Grass, my first for this house (only previous one I've caught was in Cornwall).

Brown Spotted Pinion - another garden first.

28 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

New moths are still coming thick and fast for me. And always appreciated.

Large Ranunculus - one of seven caught last night (my first ever). Very smart beasts.

Deep-brown Dart

Blair's Shoulder Knot

Blair's Shoulder Knot (2nd specimen)

25-26 Sept 2010 - Kent - Norfolk - Kent - Oxon

Arrived in Kent for a weekend of socialising and much merryment. And all was going well until 12.30pm ish when the pager mega'd an Empidonax Flaycatcher spp on Blakeney Point...

Having seen the Cornish Alder Flycatcher in 2008, I was calm until the ID was released - probable Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - a first for the Western Palearctic - bugger!

With son sleeping and wife out nattering it was until 15.33 that I gathered John Clements for a drive north.

Pulling in to the coastguards car park at 17.58 it was now that the difficult part of the journey was about to begin - to walk the complete length of Blakeney Point into a 65mph gusting wind!

With the sea producing a blanket of foam 50+metres inland, it was touch and go as to whether we'd make it out to the Plantation before the light fainally faded.

Captain Clements did the sensible thing and turned round at the Half-way house (which is nearly two-thirds of the way along Blakeney Point) - a few others, myself included battled out to the and joined Chris Heard, Franco, et al in a fruitless search - we'd missed it.

Now, in the dark, we all legged in back to the car park - this time aided by the gusting wind which had previously held us back. A telephone call ahead enabled beers and scampi to be ordered before the kitchen closed. Soaking wet, we ate and drank and discussed the ID of the flycatcher that we hadn't seen.

Sunday morning dawned slightly less windy than Saturday had ended - this time with news of the bird still present, we hopped on the seal watching boat and were transported to the end of Blakeney Point in minutes.

After a quick leggin-it we saw the bird - now re-identified as an Alder Flycatcher (my second) - bugger! (Great shot by Jim Lawrence - nice one Jim)

24 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Common Marbled Carpets were evident today with another couple of colour variants to add a bit of interest.

Second up and another Common Marbled Carpet

And finally, a dark variant Willow Beauty. These second generation chaps are averaging a lot darker (and smaller) than the first.

22 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Beaded Rustic

Common Marbled Carpet

19 Sept 2010 - A small wood outside Didcot, Oxon

Frosted Orange

Burnished Brass

Spider 1

Spider 2

Given the recent upsurge in moths, it is only a matter of time before everyone starts on spids - so I'm starting now!

18 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Red-green Carpet

Black Rustic - a fantastic chappie

Small Dusky Wave - I like 'em

Lunar Underwings - they're still too new to me to dismiss them...

12 Sept 2010 - A small wood outside Didcot, Oxon

What the flippin 'eck is this. OK the pictures may not be fantastic - but I can't find it in the book!

Another shot of the same beast - it's got me stumped!

Brown-spotted Pinion

Lunar Underwing

11 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Lesser Yellow-underwing - And probably the smartest one I've caught to date.

Centre-barred Sallow - and this one was in teh graden - nice!

Feathered Gothic - Another garden tick

Chinese Character

Dunno 1 - Flounced Rustic?

Dunno 2 - Really dunno!

5 Sept 2010 - A small wood outside Didcot, Oxon

A wee chap - I had been hoping it was an Oak Nycteoline, but now I've given up on that theory

Centre-barred Sallow - one of two caught, but then I let the better marked moth go...!

Green Carpet

Feathered Gothic

Lesser Yellow Underwing - I think

Small Square-spot Rustic - I assume

And a Hornet

2 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Another shot of yesterday's dunno moth

1 Sept 2010 - Didcot, Oxon

Orange Swift - a slightly dull male

And in truth I don't know what this is - doubtless a Flounced Rustic in that case...