26 June 2014 (am) - Inner Farne, Farne Islands, Northumberland

After searching for orchids on Lindisfarne, it was time to head out to Inner Farne to search for terns. Thankfully, after an hour-long wait I located the Bridled Tern crusing over the top of Inner Farne. We enjoyed three or four spells of the Tern and eventually left it, still sitting on the rocks, at 12.30pm ish.

Lovely to be back on the Farnes!

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern (left) and Black-headed Gull (right)

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern

Arctic Tern

Sandwich Tern

Common Tern

Common Tern

Arctic Terns

Puffins

Puffin

Puffin

Puffins

Guillemots

Red-breasted Merganser

Fulmars

Kittiwake

26 June 2014 (early am) - Northumberland

Arrived in Northumberland just in time to put a trap out for a couple of hours prior to dawn - Garden Tiger is always welcome.

Then headed over to Lindisfarne in the hope for Lindisfarne Helleborine. Whilst lots of helleborines were located, they were all Marsh Helleborine - I bet I wasn't far away  though...

Garden Tiger

Barred Straw

Marsh Helleborine

Marsh Helleborine

Marsh Helleborine

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

Northern Marsh Orchid (colour isn't true)



Plant spp...!

Pirri Pirri - a Kiwi import

24 June 2014 - The Larches KWT, Detling, Kent

Nice trip to The Larches last night - with a few pugs and noctuids requiring ID assistance, please!

Brown Scallop

Clouded Brindle

Dusky Brocade 

Clay Triple-lines

Large Nutmeg

Beautiful Golden-Y

Pug - Grey??

Short-cloaked Moth

Satin Beauty 

Pug spp

Mottled Pug

Marbled White-spot

22 June 2014 - East Cowes, Isle of Wight

An overnight visit to the IOW provided an opportunity to catch in a new garden - 46 spp overnight was decent, with Festoon (2) being the highlight.

Festoon, 21/6/14, East Cowes, IOW

Shuttle-shaped Dart, 21/6/14, East Cowes, IOW

Small Blood-vein, 21/6/14, East Cowes, IOW

Fan-foot, 21/6/14, East Cowes, IOW



pug spp (Freyer's ?), 21/6/14, East Cowes, IOW

19 June 2014 - Nr Ticehurst, East Sussex

Found some blackcurrants today - an opportunity to trial the TIP pheromone. Despite the weather being cold, cloudy and quite windy, two male Currant Clearwings were attracted within about 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately time conspired against me during photography - hence the rather naff images!

Currant Clearwing, 19/6/14, East Sussex

Currant Clearwing, 19/6/14, East Sussex

 

Currant Clearwing, 19/6/14, East Sussex

18 June 2014 - Badgells Woodland Campsite, Kent

Last weekend I caught several (10+) of these mysterious carpets whilst at the Badgells Woodland Campsite... Somehow, I failed to pot a single one for photography, so popped back to try and catch one...

Although it was still quite light, I put the trap back in the very densest part of the Sweet Chestnut undergrowth (where it already felt like night had arrived) and caught this moth within about 2 minutes. I packed the trap up and headed home in the light - job done!

This specimen is faded compared to the others I caught on Saturday - but not having seen one in proper daylight, I wasn't sure what it was. I'm now pretty sure these are all Waved Carpets - some authorities state there is a dark formed abberation goodwini. Too be honest, I can't see this being an abberation, which implies a one-off mutation, as these moths are very numerous and all alike.

Anyway, I hope I've got the ID correct! Whatever this is, its much nicer than the paintings and photographs I've seen of the bog-standard Waved Carpet...! ;-)

Waved Carpet f. goodwini, 18/6/14, Badgells Woodland Campsite

14 June 2014 - Badgells Wood Campsite, Kent

Decided on first camping trip out with Max (aged 5) in order to wake up nice and cold and dirty on Father's Day! Chose Badgells Wood Campsite, only a ten minute drive from home, for this first experiment - close enough to leg-it home if needed. With no electricity on site, it was the perfect location to put a battery-powered trap out. But would a chestnut coppice site produce anything...?

Yes, had a lovely 100+ moths to greet me, first thing in the morning. Beautiful Carpet (1) and Peacock (10+) were two new species for me - Brindled White-spot (10+) and Twin-spot Carpet (10+) were only the second time in my clutches!

The folk who run the campsite (Karina and colleagues) were extremely welcoming of my mothing activities and grateful for the records after my visit - do send them your records if you stay.

Happy Father's Day!

Beautiful Carpet

Peacock Moth

Twin-spot Carpet

Brindled White Spot

Lozotaenia forsterana

Beautiful Golden-Y

Purple Clay

Small White Wave