gobirding.eu Mothing Diary: East Wretham Heath

I was absolutely knackered last weekend but I just couldn't resist a Norfolk Moth Survey event in the Brecks at East Wretham Heath. Head thumping, I turned up along with Dave and joined a good crowd of other hopefuls. First bit of dusking while we waited to go in produced a few nice moths including Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea and Powdered Grass-veneer Thisanotia chrysonuchella.

Powdered Grass-veneer Thisanotia chrysonuchella, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Meadow Dwarf Elachista triatomea, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

I netted a pale Bryotropha sp., a terrella-type but in view of its paleness I wondered if it might be one of the other similar species like desertella (for some reason I mistakenly had it in my head that desertella was a Breckland species). I also retained a darker example, as much as anything in order to be able to confirm the presence of terrella as well. On returning home I quickly established that terrella can often be that pale and that desertella is in fact mainly a coastal species in Norfolk and decidedly rare inland, so it was no surprise that the first one turned out to be Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella. What was then very much a surprise was that the darker one turned out to be Desert Groundling Bryotropha desertella! You can see in the photos below how the desertella is distinctly narrower than the terrella. I didn't notice it in the field but at home it was also obviously smaller.

Desert Groundling Bryotropha desertella (male, gen det), East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Cinerous Groundling Bryotropha terrella (female, gen det), East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Several Gold Swifts were displaying beside where I set up my light:

Gold Swift, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

A wander round other people's traps provided a few good moths such as Ghost Moth, Fox Moth, the first of 7 Small Elephant Hawkmoths, Clouded Buff and my first ever Mint Bent-wing Pseudopostega crepusculella.

Ghost Moth, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Fox Moth, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Small Elephant Hawkmoth, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Back at my sheet I was extremely pleased to find a Rosy Marbled, a Breckland special that I'd not seen before, and also the first of 2 Red-necked Footmen.

Rosy Marbled, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Red-necked Footman, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

By now my headache was killing me and the extreme tiredness was too much. So rather than continuing to do the rounds with the others I headed back to my car and slept. An hour or two later I awoke, just in time to meet Richard and Dave who'd brought a couple of moths back from other traps that they thought I might like to see. Indeed I did, especially this absolutely superb Cream-spot Tiger, a new UK moth for me and especially pleasing after missing one at last year's Breckland NMS event.

Cream-spot Tiger, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

They also brought me Festoon, a species I'd only seen once before, and Purple Clay.

Festoon, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

Purple Clay, East Wretham Heath, 20th June

I missed a lot through being asleep most of the night and not very 'with-it' when I wasn't snoozing, but still saw plenty to keep me thoroughly entertained. The other stuff I noted down were Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 8 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis cerasana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 4 Flax Tortrices Cnephasia asseclana (gen det), 10 Green Oak Tortrices Tortrix viridana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrices Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Red Roller Ancylis mitterbacheriana, 3 Spotted Shoot Moths Rhyacionia pinivorana, Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella, 15 Little Grass-veneers Platytes cerussella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 8 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella, 2 Brown China-marks Elophila nymphaeata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Riband Wave, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Yellow Shell, 2 Green Carpets, Sharp-angled Carpet, 2 Grey Pugs, 30 Brown Silver-lines, 2 Brimstone Moths, Pale Oak Beauty, 2 Bordered Whites, 3 Lime Hawkmoths, Eyed Hawkmoth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Marbled Browns, Buff-tip, Lobster Moth, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, Buff Ermine, 2 Cinnabars, Least Black Arches, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor (gen det), Middle-barred Minor, Treble Lines, 2 Marbled White Spots and 8 Straw Dots.