With the cold evenings of late it has been nice to have a warm evening albeit spoilt by the odd shower. Although the moths at the trap were all singletons at least new for year moths are now appearing possibly because the rain of late has softened the soil allowing the emerging moths to escape what had been hard ground.
Moths in the trap were Scorched Carpet,May Highflyer,Lime Hawk-moth,Flame Shoulder,Lunar Marbled Brown,Brimstone Moth,Green Carpet & Brindled Beauty
With the forecast today of good weather early on I decided that P and I would go to see the Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Bentley Wood with off chance of the moth or two.Last year I missed this site due to a major operation so it meant a great deal to me today.
When we arrived it was overcast but warm,ideal conditions for photography as long as you can find them and I soon did, a female which I followed until she decided to perch on the top of an Alder Buckthorn bush, so how lucky was that? Clearly this beautiful butterfly must have emerged in the last 24 hours as she was pristine with strong red markings on her underside.
I suppose the count would be in the region of a dozen and I even found a mating pair.
Other butterflies seen were mostly Brimstone with females ovipositing on the Alder Buckthorn,the odd Orange-tip came into view as did Peacock and Green-veined White.
Moths on the other hand were nowhere to be found apart from one micro who waved goodbye as it vanished into the woods.
On the way back I popped into Odiham to check the moths there and only two where seen but one was a new for website moth called a Least Black Arches,my first ever.
Altogether a very enjoyable day if not a little tiring.
Moths in the trap were Scorched Carpet,May Highflyer,Lime Hawk-moth,Flame Shoulder,Lunar Marbled Brown,Brimstone Moth,Green Carpet & Brindled Beauty
With the forecast today of good weather early on I decided that P and I would go to see the Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Bentley Wood with off chance of the moth or two.Last year I missed this site due to a major operation so it meant a great deal to me today.
When we arrived it was overcast but warm,ideal conditions for photography as long as you can find them and I soon did, a female which I followed until she decided to perch on the top of an Alder Buckthorn bush, so how lucky was that? Clearly this beautiful butterfly must have emerged in the last 24 hours as she was pristine with strong red markings on her underside.
I suppose the count would be in the region of a dozen and I even found a mating pair.
Other butterflies seen were mostly Brimstone with females ovipositing on the Alder Buckthorn,the odd Orange-tip came into view as did Peacock and Green-veined White.
Moths on the other hand were nowhere to be found apart from one micro who waved goodbye as it vanished into the woods.
On the way back I popped into Odiham to check the moths there and only two where seen but one was a new for website moth called a Least Black Arches,my first ever.
Altogether a very enjoyable day if not a little tiring.
The marvelous Bentley Wood, looking inviting in the afternoon sunshine
59.014 - Pearl-bordered Fritillary - ♀ - BOLORIA (Clossiana) euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) - what a stunner this butterfly is.
59.014 - Pearl-bordered Fritillary - ♀ - BOLORIA (Clossiana) euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) - just look at the perfect red markings
59.014 - Pearl-bordered Fritillary - mating pair - BOLORIA (Clossiana) euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) - even a mating pair obliged
59.014 - Pearl-bordered Fritillary - mating pair - BOLORIA (Clossiana) euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) - even a mating pair obliged underside or upperside they were a couple of posers
Some clearing work has been carried out for the butterflies
74.004 - Least Black Arches - NOLA confusalis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1847) - found in Odiham on the way back home. New for website moth.
74.004 - Least Black Arches - NOLA confusalis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1847)
70.226 - Brimstone Moth - OPISTHOGRAPTIS luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758)
70.100 - Green Carpet - COLOSTYGIA pectinataria (Knoch, 1781)
70.208 - Scorched Carpet - LIGDIA adustata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - another one of those special appearances at the moth trap
70.208 - Scorched Carpet - LIGDIA adustata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
70.075 - May Highflyer - HYDRIOMENA impluviata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - first fresh specimen seen
70.075 - May Highflyer - HYDRIOMENA impluviata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
69.001 - Lime Hawk-moth - MIMAS tiliae (Linnaeus, 1758) - taken early in the morning so looks somewhat tainted
69.001 - Lime Hawk-moth - MIMAS tiliae (Linnaeus, 1758)
70.329 - Flame Shoulder - OCHROPLEURA plecta (Linnaeus, 1761)
70.329 - Flame Shoulder - OCHROPLEURA plecta (Linnaeus, 1761)
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