Wakeham Moths

After yesterday's low returns in the moth trap, I was hoping for a bit more this morning. And so it transpired with 36 moths of 13 species, including two firsts for the year.

Key

*First for year
**New for P&W moth list

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1      Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x4

#2      Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x10

#3      Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x3

#4      Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x4

#5      Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x3

#6      Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x4

#7      Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata x2

#8      Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea x1

#9      White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella x1

#10    Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria x1

#11  *White-point Mythimna albipuncta x1

#12  *Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens x1

#13    V-Pug Chloroclystis v-ata x1

#1 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#1 Another Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#2 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#2 Another Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#3 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#4 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#4 Another Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#5 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#5 Another Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#6 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#6 Another Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#7 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

#8 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea

#9 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

#10 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria

#11 *White-point Mythimna albipuncta

#12 *Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens

#13 V-Pug Chloroclystis v-ata

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Also in the trap was a wasp, cranefly and a spider:

A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris having............

................a rest and.............

.................morning wash before heading off after being caught in the moth trap last night.

And an European Cranefly Tipula paludosa

Copper Sun-jumper Heliophanus sp. The most probable, of the 40 or so British species, would be either H. cupreus or H. flavipes.

Low Numbers Again

Just when the moth numbers were increasing in the trap, last night's haul was pretty poor with just 17 moths of 10 species, with one first for year.

Noticeable absentees were Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana and Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

Moths recorded:

  *First for year
**New for P&W moth list

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1  *Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata x1

#2    Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg. x1

#3    Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x5

#4    Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea x1

#5    Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x2

#6    Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x1

#7    Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x3

#8    Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata x1

#9    Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis x1

#10  Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella x1

#1 *Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata

#2 Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg.

#3 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#3 Another Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#3 And another Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#4 Bright-line Brown-eye Lacanobia oleracea

#5 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#5 Another Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

#6 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#7 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea

#8 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

#9 Rusty Dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis

#10 Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella

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Also in the trap was a cranefly.

Limoniid cranefly Rhipidia maculata  AKA  Short-palped Cranefly

A Walk In The Sun

At long last I had an opportunity to get a good walk in today, to see what was about in the southern half of the island. Having parked up in the small car park (1) at the top of Sweethill Road here, I then headed west towards Reap Lane Barns (2) here.

En route there were a few Swallows heading over the horse fields and a lone Common Whitethroat from the hedgerow, west of the barns.

Having not found anything else here, apart from dozens of House Sparrows bathing in a puddle from last night's rain, I headed towards the South West Coast Path (3) here and then headed south towards the Top Fields (4) here.

En route I came across more Swallows heading up the island, 2 male Stonechats, a further 3 Common Whitethroats and a pair of Ravens being rather raucous.

From the Top Fields down to Culverwell (5) here I came across more migrants with a lone Sand Martin, 20+ Swallows, 2 Stonechat, 2 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear and 5 more Common Whitethroat.

Sadly there wasn't anything to be found at Culverwell so I headed back up the main road to the footpath (6) here, and made my way along the hedgerow (7) here. Along this stretch I came across a Chiffchaff and another 2 Common Whitethroats.

Instead of following the path towards Sweethill, I doubled back on the otherside of the hedge (8) here and made my way to Sweethill Farm along the track (9) here. There was another Chiffchaff along this route and 3 more Common Whitethroats. A few Swallows were seen flying back and forth along the track, where I tried to get a few photos of them head on.

The walk took exactly 3 hours with 32 bird species recorded, including my first Pheasant this year.

My walk today

Birds recorded:

3 Buzzard

1 Kestrel

3 Pheasant

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

20+ Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Skylark

1 Sand Martin

50+ Swallow

Meadow Pipit

Dunnock

Robin

6 Stonechat

2 Whinchat

2 Wheatear

Blackbird

10+ Common Whitethroat

2 Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Wren

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Raven

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

A Swallow feeding along the track at Sweethill Farm

At Reap Lane Barns a Meadow Pipit with a caterpillar..................

................. for one of its chicks.

Also by the barns was this male Stonechat with a grub.

And just north of Culverwell a male Stonechat singing.

In the Top Fields one of the two Whinchat passing through.

A male Wheatear in the Top Fields.

With so many Common Whitethroat about, it was only a question of time before I could get a half decent photo of one.

One of those raucous Ravens over the West Cliffs

A male Linnet

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Also seen along my walk was this beetle and moth

An Emerald Soft-winged Flower Beetle Psilothrix viridicoerulea and a.............. 

.................Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella sharing..........

...............this Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus arvensis flower.

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Ted taking his time. It was quite warm, so there was plenty of water on hand for him.

Beautiful Tussock

With a decent shelter in the back garden now, I can now protect the moth trap when there's rain about. Last night there was a light shower, but with no concerns about the trap getting wet, I put it out for another go.

This morning there were 46 moths trapped and it was great to see my first ever Pale Tussock and a Marbled Minor agg. in amongst 17 other moth species.

Moths recorded:

  *First for year
**New for P&W moth list

2026 Moth List Here.

Moths recorded:

#1         **Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda x1

#2            Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica x5

#3            Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana x6

#4            Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella x1

#5            Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata x4

#6            Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata x2

#7            Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi x1

#8            Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria x1

#9            Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina x3

#10          Birch Tortrix Epinotia immundana x2

#11          Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea x3

#12       **Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg. x1

#13          White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella x2

#14          Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella x8

#15         *Valerian Pug Eupithecia valerianata x2
#16          Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia x1

#17          Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea x1

#18          Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha x1

#19          Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta x1

#1 **Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda

#1 Pale Tussock

#1 Pale Tussock

#2 Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica

#2 Another Muslin Moth

#3 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#3 Another Light Brown Apple Moth

#3 And another Light Brown Apple Moth

#3 And one more Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

#4 Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella AKA Black Cloak

#5 Double-striped Pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

#6 Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata

#7 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi

#8 Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria (This photograph is of the one I caught yesterday. Today's Waved Umber escaped before I could photograph it. It's quite possible that the same Waved Umber is being caught nightly).

#9 Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina

#9 Another Common Swift

#10 Birch Tortrix Epinotia immundana

#11 Mallow Seed Moth Platyedra subcinerea 

#12 **Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg.

#12 **Marbled Minor agg.

#13 White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella

#13 Another White-shouldered House-moth

#14 Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella

#14 Two more Diamond-back Moths

#14 And another Diamond-back Moth

#15 *Valerian Pug Eupithecia valerianata

#15 Another Valerian Pug

#16 Yellow Belle Aspitates ochrearia

#17 Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea

#18 Ruddy Streak Tachystola acroxantha. Also known as the Australian Orange-tip.

#19 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta

More on:

#1    Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda Here and Here

#12  Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg.  Here, Here and Here

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Also in the trap were a spider and a wood gnat.

In one of the egg boxes was this this Stout Sac Spider Clubiona sp.

A Wood Gnat Sylvicola sp.