Magpie Moth - Abraxas grossulariata
Another reach back into the archives...
This is a slightly frustrating post. This weekend we had both booked time of work to attend a a Butterfly Weekend.It is an event held by the Butterfly Conservation Charity who look after various local reserves and manage it for wildlife. And while they look after all wildlife, the main focus is Butterflies (obviously). Once a year they hold an event and invite supporters of the charity and other members of the general public to attend a series of events to show the results of their work.
Clouded Border - Lomaspilis marginata
It is split into 2 halves. The first is a public moth trap event where various local moth-ers set up their traps and show what can be seen when darkness falls. The second is a guided butterfly walk, where a local expert leads us round the reserve pointing out interesting stuff and sharing his extensive knowledge.
Now with all the Coronavirus problems, this years event is unfortunately cancelled. So instead I will share some images from the Event we attended exactly 2 years ago today, and show just what we are missing out on this weekend
Ghost Moth - Hepialus humuli (male)
Part 1 - Moth Trapping
In the evening we went out and visited Chambers Farm Wood to attend a Moth Night. It was run by the Butterfly Conservation and basically featured lots of Moth Traps in a fantastic habitat.
Bordered Beauty - Epione repandaria
Chambers Farm Wood is a great example of Ancient Woodland, which means it hasn't been disturbed for 100's of years. With plenty of established Oak Trees and Lime Trees this means it is a great place to see Butterflies and Moths, as well as loads of other insects.
Moths in Pots! So many Moths! So many Pots!
It was also very exciting to meet other trappers. I have been looking at moths in my garden for nearly 4 years, and while I had talked to several moth people on social media, this was the first time I had been to a trapping session where there were other people to talk to!
Black Arches - Lymantria monacha
I was hopeful of seeing new species due to the different habitat, and I was rewarded with 27 species new to me, which included some that I was desperate to see such as the Black Arches and the Magpie Moth, We also saw a few Hornets, which was pretty cool too!
European Hornet - Vespa crabo
After the fantastic, but very tiring, night at the Moth Event (we eventually got home at 3am), the following day we headed back to Chambers Farm Wood to do the Butterfly Walk.
You can read all about the Second Day in Part 2
Here is a selection of pictures....
Bird-cherry Ermine - Yponomeuta evonymella
Early Thorn - Selenia dentaria
Rosy Footman - Miltochrista miniata