Migrants at Galley!!

Haven't posted here for ages but thought I'd share a snap of one of two white-speck moths that were in the trap on Thursday morning. They are listed as scarce immigrants here in Ireland but have been recorded all around the coastline.  Nearly put them down as clay but checked the dates (would be late for clay) and studied them a little harder, before realising what they were. Also had c. 11 vestals in and around the trap - its been good conditions for them recently, with 66 trapped on tues night locally.

Flaming June at Galley

The last week has been our summer, with rain due tomorrow. Having moved the trap to a new spot on the sheltered side (from the persistent easterlies - where were they in April??), I've been getting great mixed species hauls with plenty new for the year!

Highlights from this morning included five of these - a new one for me!

Treble lines

Also one that nearly got away, but managed a quick snap before it flew. ID'd by a reliable source, as it was yet another I'd failed to find in the book - slowly learning where to start for each species but still get wrong-footed fairly often!

Ruddy Highflyer

A couple of species that I trapped last week but caught again today

Pod Lover

Campion

And finally - an enormous fat lady, loitering under the last egg box - she spent most of the time in the pot playing dead, but calmed down eventually and looked a bit more alive just before she flew off

female Fox Moth

Just tallied up and the fox moth makes it 50 species for the year in the garden, not including several pugs that are beyond me! Pretty impressed with that, though its small beer compared to some!

a busy week at Galley

Moths galore this week! Mostly small square spots - 85 of them yesterday! But some new ones & good ones in the mix!

This Yellow-barred Brindle was a new one for me

as was this Bright-line Brown Eye

and this Marbled White Spot (Thanks for ID @aojandthehounds)

Two of these guys were the best though - my new favourite moth!

Poplar Hawkmoth

Failed to ID this fella though - is it a Pod Lover? Not sure! Any suggestions gratefully received!

my very own emperor

Moving my trap under the kids playhouse seems to be paying off, as its more sheltered from wind and rain can't get near it, meaning I can run it more often.

Bit of a surprise this morning when I noticed this in the grass!

Female Emperor

Sadly she was a bit scuffed up - I may even have trampled on her as I'd been over that bit of grass a couple of times before I noticed her! Will have to be more careful in future!

A couple of muslin moths were in the trap, with a water carpet nearby, and as I dismantled it for the day, I discovered this fella lurking underneath...

Broom moth

Another tick! So thats 16 species for the garden so far this year! Plus this rather worn pug from last weekend which I was bugging lots of people about on twitter last week - general consensus was Brindled Pug but I've really no idea! Any thoughts welcome!

Brindled pug? Or too worn to tell?

Trap out again tonight - wonder what we'll get tomorrow?

Exciting mothage at Galley Head

Wow! This is great! Last two nights have produced lots of goodies! Best of the bunch was an amayzing puss moth, which was just brilliant! I'd found a couple of their caterpillars in the summer last summer, and they are pretty wacky...

Puss moth (caterpillar)

but the adult was just fabulous! And great value in the hand!

Puss moth (adult)

So presumably fairly local produce!

That night also produced my first ever Dark Sword-grass, and then I had another 5 in the trap this morning - ooo migrants!

Two muslin moths were also pretty special I thought! I love the furry fellas!

Muslin moth

Finally, last but not least, a tiny double-striped narrow-winged pug, which was loitering on the white sheet beside the trap this am.

Still only had 12 species in the garden so far but every trip to the moth trap has been exciting so far! Never know what is going to be inside!

two goodies

Only one moth in the trap this morning but it was a good one! Red Sword-grass - never seen any sword-grass species before so this was amazing - really looked just like a stick!

whats brown and sticky?

And then this evening a friend dropped round with this in the back of his van....

female Emperor

Amazing eh? Thats moths for ya!