June 24th 2009

The last few days have been hectic but very productive.

Monday June 22nd 2009
With humid conditions and cloud cover predicted for the evening I managed a last minute lift to Wormlieghton early evening to run 2 traps and two light sheets for a few hours in an area that has not been trapped very often if at all. Unfortunately it means you have to sweat a bit carrying your gear but the reward of a Long-eared Owl gliding past me as I brewed up certainly made up for it and the nearby fishermen were very entertaining. The same or another was heard in the night along with Tawny Owl while earlier I had seen Sedge and Reed Warbler, Corn Bunting and Tree Sparrow.

Tuesday June 23rd 2009
The night turned in to complete joy with so many moths arriving I had a hard job keeping up and was reluctant to leave with 111 species of 590 moths in only three hours but I was due out in a few hours and needed me beauty sleep. Best of the catch for me personally was Broom and Alder Moth. My workload increased when I arrived home and the garden traps were full so had to turn them off, 199 of 53 species adding Bordered White to the garden year list.
By 9am I was having breakfast near Brighton, Sussex on the south coast with match sticks holding up the eyelids and a day of butterflies, moths and other flapping things ahead of me. Once fed the first port of call was to see the Scarlet Tigers a moth I have rarely in this country managing two then on to a Nature Reserve where amongst the many nesting Black-headed Gulls there were a few Med Gulls and a single Roseate Tern amongst the Common Terns. Also seen were Wheatear, Hobby, Little Tern, Reed and Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat along with Pyramidal Orchids.
As they day warmed up we moved on to look for butterflies on the Downs managing 17 species including my first Marbled White, Dark Green Fritillary, White-letter Hairstreak and Adonis Blue of the year. Day flying moths or those disturbed included Six Spot Burnet, Grass Wave and a road side Cream Spot Tiger caused mayhem until it was re-found. Fragrant Orchid added to a growing list and a few unidentified bats in the evening when setting up the moth traps.

Wedensday June 24th 2009
Last nights session included Scorched Carpet, Brussels Lace, Puss Moth, Four Dotted Footman, Privet Hawkmoth, Galium Carpet, Pretty Chalk Carpet, Sharp-angled Peacock which were all new for me and also managed Lobster Moth Pine Carpet, Smoky Wainscot, Heart & Club, Birds Wing and Coronet all new for the year so a brilliant session. The species count stands at 118 and still counting with 1300+ trapped. I arrived home mid-morning in time for domestic’s duties before crashing out. Getting too old to survive on 5hrs sleep in 2 days but there again I’m only on this planet for a second so why waste it dreaming of debauchery or my waistline.
Mid afternoon found me and the pheromones looking for clearwings on the allotment behind Dave’s house managing Currant and Red-belted Clearwing while he slaved away in the office – shame. A Shelduck flew over the garden this evening while getting the garden traps ready.
Meanwhile the whales and dolphins sightings in the Bay of Biscay from the Pride of Bilbao have produced Minke Whale, Sperm Whale, Long-finned Pilot Whale, Common Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin, Striped Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin and Cuvier's Beaked Whale on recent sailings so guess who's going.

Richard