Mottled Umber, North Elmham, 1st October
Also new for the year was this Yellow-line Quaker.
Yellow-line Quaker, North Elmham, 1st October
Not much else - the season really is coming to a close - just Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Mallows, Common Marbled Carpet, Beaded Chestnut, 6 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow and 2 Rosy Rustics.
I haven't been doing caddisflies lately as I've had such a big backlog with moths, but I retained one from this catch as it was obviously different from any I'd caught here this year. It proved to be Halesus radiatus, actually one of the few distinctive caddisflies I'd identified from photos prior to owning the caddisfly key (not from here though, so this was new for the house).
Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 1st October
Next day we wre down to 11 moths of 7 species, but these included one of my favourites, Green-brindled Crescent new for the year.
Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 2nd October
The others were Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, Black Rustic, Beaded Chestnut, 5 Lunar Underwings and Rosy Rustic.
A lunchtime stroll round Thornham produced Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana on 3rd, along with Southern Hawker and Common Darters. That night's moths were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Grey Pine Carpet, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Black Rustics, Green-brindled Crescent, 6 Beaded Chestnuts, 5 Lunar Underwings, Rosy Rustic and Snout.
There was a bit more on 4th: 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Fan-footed Wave, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Black Rustics, Yellow-line Quaker, 4 Beaded Chestnuts, 11 Lunar Underwings, 3 Barred Sallows, Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Sallows, 2 Rosy Rustics and Snout.
Sallow, North Elmham, 4th October
Plenty of Red Admirals around when I was out and about around this time...
Red Admirals, Stiffkey, 5th October
That night's moths included the first Chestnut of the autumn and 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 5 Black Rustics, Green-brindled Crescent, Brown-spot Pinion, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, 3 Lunar Underwings, 3 Pink-barred Sallows, Sallow and Angle Shades.
It's been a good autumn for Convolvulus Hawkmoth and I've been bombarded with messages and photos of these amazing beasts that people have been seeing. Some people haven't just had one or two, they've had loads of them. But I have not. I have not seen one. Not one. Indeed, I have never seen one. Right up to 6th October.
Then the next morning as I was going through the moth trap I looked in and saw this big grey head peering out from beneath one of the eggboxes...
Surely... gotta be... hasn't it? I carefully lifted the eggbox out and turned it over... YES!! At last! A Convolvulus Hawkmoth! And not only that but a fresh one!
Convolvulus Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 6th October
I know they're not all that rare - certainly not as rare as a lot of other moths I've recorded this year, but I reckon this was probably my most exciting moth moment this year - such a badly wanted and long-awaited moth and an absolute BEAST.
Nothing else mattered much but Red-line Quaker was new for the year and Beautiful Hook-tip was an unusual second-generation record. Also 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Marbled Carpet, Yellow-barred Brindle, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Black Rustics, 2 Green-brindled Crescents, Chestnut, 4 Beaded Chestnuts, 2 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, Sallow and Snout.
Red-line Quaker, North Elmham, 6th October
Also 5 Wasps, of which at least 2 were Common Wasps.
Feathered Thorn and Blair's Shoulder-knot were new for the year on 7th. Other moths were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 6 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Black Rustics, 2 Merveille du Jours, Chestnut, 7 Beaded Chestnuts, 4 Lunar Underwings, 2 Barred Sallows, Pink-barred Sallow, 3 Sallows and Snout.
Feathered Thorn, North Elmham, 7th October
Blair's Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 7th October
Merveille du Jour, North Elmham, 7th October
The following night produced 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Mallow, Feathered Thorn, Black Rustic, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Green-brindled Crescent, Chestnut, 5 Beaded Chestnuts, 7 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow and Sallow.
Not so many moths the next night: 2 Black Rustics, Blair's Shoulder-knot, Green-brindled Crescent, Merveille du Jour and Lunar Underwing. Even fewer on 10th - Green-brindled Crescent, Satellite and Beaded Chestnut. The 11th wasn't much better with Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 2 Green-brindled Crescents and Lunar Underwing. Another Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea was at Burnham Overy Dunes on 12th and that night at home produced just 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Lunar Underwing and Barred Sallow.
Things improved a bit on 13th with 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, Red-green Carpet, Feathered Thorn, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Black Rustics, Red-line Quaker, Lunar Underwing, Pink-barred Sallow, Sallow and Angle Shades.
Epirrita season kicked off on 14th with the first new moth for the year in a week: 4 November Moths. Also Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, Feathered Thorn, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Black Rustic, 6 Green-brindled Crescents, Satellite, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing and Sallow.
November Moth (male, 8th sternite checked), North Elmham, 14th October
No more Epirrita for a few days though, 15th produced 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Feathered Thorn, Large Yellow Underwing, Black Rustic, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, Lunar Underwing and 2 Barred Sallows. On 16th 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Red-green Carpet, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker, Lunar Underwing and Barred Sallow. Just 4 moths on 17th: Green-brindled Crescent, 2 Yellow-line Quakers and Lunar Underwing; and only slightly better on 18th: Black Rustic, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, Chestnut and Lunar Underwing.
Things picked up again on 19th with a return of Epirritas - 6 November Moths. Also Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Green-brindled Crescents and Pink-barred Sallow. Also 2 Pinalitus cervinus, the first time I recorded this mirid bug this year.
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