Sunday 30 July 2017

Too much rain and wind!

I did put a light out a couple of days ago in the back garden (Chorleywood, Bucks) and got 18 species: All bog-standard and what you might expect. One moth, however, I felt was worth photographing:


August Thorn, if I'm right. But I don't think I've seen one that obscurely marked before. It's not worn, nearly concours condition in fact.
Andy.

2 comments:

  1. Yes, that looks like August Thorn to me, Andy, and the wings are obviously held low in the correct manner for that species.

    My experience of rain is that it has to be a complete deluge to stop the moths from flying! I ran the garden trap here under the gazebo as usual last night despite constant rain from switch-on until switch-off at 4am. I got 54 species, split exactly 50:50 macros to micros, and they included a couple of migrants (Udea ferrugalis and yet another Small Mottled Willow). I had a look at midnight to see what was going on and it was quite busy around the trap with geometers, noctuids and micros all flitting about trying to avoid what to them must have been massive droplets of water!

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    Replies
    1. Oh yes, they'll fly in the rain alright. I like your suggestion a few weeks ago that it might help interfere with bats' 'radar'. Since then I've seen it suggested elsewhere (by a scientist, no less) but I can't remember where.
      I don't think they like the cold and wind so much.
      They're not good with water when they land on the trap, however. It does them no good at all. I don't like the rain, either! Especially if I'm operating mains-strength electricity.

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