Description


A diary of my mothing activity covering highlights and photos from my moth trapping activities. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I may mention other wildlife sightings here, especially insects, but for birds see my birding diary.

Saturday, 22 August 2015

Small Mottled Willow at last

(Apologies for last night's incomplete post if you saw it... I posted the wrong one!) 
 
The night of 21st July was one of the best in 2015.  This year has been an excellent one nationally and in Norfolk for migrant moths and nearly everyone seems to have been seeing Small Mottled Willows.  Not just coastal watchers either, some of the guys at inland locations have been getting multiples.  Not here though.  Diddly squat here.  Hardly any migrants at all - even Silver Ys have been decidedly scarce.  So it was with a sense of relief and "at last"-ness that I located a smallish noctuid with a distinctive posture under the sheet on which the moth trap was sitting.  Close inspection confirmed my suspicions - it was a Small Mottled Willow.  Not the finest specimen mind - in fact a pretty grotty one, but at least it was one!


Small Mottled Willow, North Elmham, 21st July


It wasn't the only migrant either - a Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella also turned up.

Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, North Elmham, 21st July


As for everything else that turned up that night - that will have to wait for another post.  Suffice for now to say that the Small Mottled Willow was just one of three new moths.


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