14 Jun 17

Radipole
A trip to Pets at Home in Weymouth and an opportunity to have a look across Radipole Reserve. New bird species for me here were Common Tern (which was catching food and then flying east over Weymouth!), 2 juvenile Reed Warblers being fed by the adults and a Coot.

Other bits and bobs here a Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue Damselfly and a Southern Hawker.


Radipole Reserve

A pair of Great Crested Grebes

The male with a fish

Two juvenile Reed Warblers

A Common Blue Damselfly

Wakeham
Well the moth trap was an instant success. I put it out at 9:45pm last night and within seconds there were moths attracted to it. I was up at 3:45am to switch it off before the birds got to it and even as I was walking up the garden there were moths still flying around it.

A couple I recognised straight away were Brimstone and Heart & Dart. Having put a net curtain over them and placed the trap in the shed it was back to bed.

A few hours later and with jam jars to the ready, it was time to start potting them. After a couple of hours of ID'ing them the final total was 50 moths of 19 species. Not bad for my first mothing session on Portland.

If I've got this right I even got a rarity in the shape of a Starry Pearl, Cynaeda dentalis. What a great start for moth records on the island.

Here is the list and a big thank you to my good friend Nigel Sluman in helping me out with a good number of these which I struggled to ID.

ID No - Species -  (Number Recorded)

Moth 1 - Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria - (6)
Moth 2 - The UncertainHoplodrina octogenaria - (1)
Moth 3 - Shuttle-shaped DartAgrotis puta - (1)
Moth 4 - Ruddy Streak, Tachystola acroxantha - (1)
Moth 5 - Starry PearlCynaeda dentalis - (1)
Moth 6 - Buff Ermine, Spilosoma lutea - (1)
Moth 7 - Thistle ErmineMyelois circumvoluta - (1)
Moth 8 - Knot Grass, Acronicta rumicis - (1)
Moth 9 - Common Wainscot, Mythimna pallens - (2)
Moth 10 - Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum - (1)
Moth 11 - Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella - (1)
Moth 12 - Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata (1)
Moth 13 - Cinerous Pearl, Anania fuscalis - (1)
Moth 14 - Large Twin-spot CarpetXanthorhoe quadrifasiata - (1)
Moth 15 - Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana - (1)
Moth 16 - Rustic Shoulder-knot, Apamea sordens - (1)
Moth 17 - Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella - (1)
Moth 18 - Grey PugEupithecia subfuscata (1)
Moth 19 - Heart & Dart, Agrotis exclamationis - (25)
Moth 20 - Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata - (1)


Moth 1 - Willow Beauty

Moth 2 - The Uncertain, Hoplodrina octogenaria

Moth 3 - Shuttle-shaped Dart, Agrotis puta

Moth 4 - Ruddy Streak, Tachystola acroxantha

Moth 5 - Starry Pearl, Cynaeda dentalis

Moth 5 - Starry Pearl, Cynaeda dentalis

Moth 6 - Buff Ermine, Spilosoma lutea

Moth 6- Buff Ermine, Spilosoma lutea

Moth 7 - Thistle Ermine, Myelois circumvoluta

Moth 7 - Thistle Ermine, Myelois circumvoluta

Moth 8 - Knot Grass, Acronicta rumicis

Moth 9 - Common Wainscot, Mythimna pallens

Moth 9 - Common Wainscot, Mythimna pallens

Moth 10 - Setaceous Hebrew Character, Xestia c-nigrum

Moth 11 - Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Moth 11 - Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Moth 12 - Common Marbled Carpet, Dysstroma truncata

Moth 13 - Cinerous Pearl, Anania fuscalis

Moth 14 - Large Twin-spot Carpet, Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata

Moth 14 - Large Twin-spot Carpet, Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata (as above)

Moth 15 - Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruniana

Moth 16 - Rustic Shoulder-knot, Apamea sordens

Moth 17 - Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Moth 18 - Grey Pug

Moth 19 - Heart & Darts

Moth 20 - Brimstone

Moth 20 - Brimstone (same moth as above)

Also this Ichneumon sp.

And another!

As above!