Loadsa Moths

Lade - 0600hrs - overcast, muggy, 20C, se 2 - Following yesterdays exertions swimming in the bay I overslept this morning and as a result the local Great Tit and Blackbird were causing carnage around the moth trap; the tit actually managed to get into the top of the trap. However, 42 species were eventually extracted with the highlights being two Sussex Emeralds, five Swallow-tailed Moths and, new for the year, White-line Dart.

                                Swallow-tailed Moth

                                White-line Dart

Dungeness - The Patch was virtually birdless with only a few Bhgulls over the boil. A couple of distant Gannets went up, plus a Common Scoter, while the Black Redstart continues to sing from the power station. Checked out the Obs lodger which looked in fine fettle flying around the mess room and crapping on my shorts!

                                Fully fledged House Martin, DBO

Kerton Road Café - Assisted Mrs Moth this morning (which took 90 minutes) processing her main trap. It was a bit overwhelming with every egg tray stuffed with moths. The final species count was 58 but the abacus was needed to tally up the numbers, so as yet unknown, but must`ve been in the high hundreds. Highlights were 26 Sussex Emeralds (24 males, 2 Females), Shaded Broad-bar, July Belle, Common White Wave and a cracking Archer`s Dart. Also of note, in the fridge and trapped locally, was the RDB3 noctuid, Olive Crescent.

                                       Archer`s Dart, KRC

                                          Sussex Emeralds, KRC

                                          Sussex Emerald, KRC

Dungeness - 1500hrs - Went back to the point for an hour staring out across a mill-pond like sea. Sum total was, 12 Common Scoters, 3 Gannets and a Kittiwake east, plus six Harbour Porpoises close to shore.
ps: The final tally of macro moths at the KRC was nearly 1,400.