A drenched worn Clifden Nonpareil added to trip moth list.

Thursday 7th October 2021.

A foggy start to the day in East Prawle. For some reason or another, I was finding moths on the lawn!

It is our penultimate day here in East Prawle and I have to say that I have not found any rare birds (so far) here, the moths have given me a good showing and this morning, yet another quality moth has dropped in near my moth box. This morning, I awoke to a real ‘pea-souper’ here in East Prawle, with visibility down to around 50 yards, but there was a good number of moths not only in the moth box, but also found a lot of bedraggled moths on the lawn! 

The bedraggled Clifden Nonpareil. It was on closer inspection of the upper wing pattern that I could agree with a fellow 'moth-er' that this was indeed a Clifden. Hopefully, it will dry out and become a little more obvious; but a lovely surprise nonetheless.

I was actually making my way back inside the Cottage when I stumbled across a very large moth sitting very wet on the lawn and I quickly got my largest pot out to check it out. It was still alive (thankfully) and on first guess, I was sure it was a Convolvulus Hawk-moth and decided to put a photos on the Migrant Lepidoptera Facebook page and was quickly corrected by a chap on there, who suggested a Clifden Nonpareil (Blue Underwing). On closer inspection, I can actually see the wing pattern on the upper wing, but the moth was too wet to check the under-wing. I consequently, put the moth inside my moth box to hopefully dry out and I shall have a closer inspection later today and then release it. The Clifden, then this would be only my 3rd ever. What a way to end the week here!

Another soaked moth found on the front garden lawn - an Angle Shades.

Not forgetting the other moths present, I found a Snout moth by the box last night and a Common Marbled Carpet was fluttering nearby. This morning, there was a variety of moths including a Double-striped Pug, Delicate and at least 3 Beaded Chestnuts. The full list for this morning is as follows: 

• 1 Clifden Nonpareil
• 2 Large Yellow Underwing
• 2 Black Rustic
• 3 Beaded Chestnut
• 4 Feathered Ranunculus
• 2 Large Ranunculus
• 6 Lunar Underwing
• 2 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Snout
• 2 Angle Shades
• 1 Garden Carpet

Top photo, a selection of the moths caught this morning in and around the moth box. Middle photo, one of three Beaded Chestnuts. They do vary in colour a lot. Bottom photo, my second Delicate moth of the trip.

Despite the thick fog, I still could hear a few birds calling near the garden including a Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail; though I don't know how long this fog will persist here this morning. We shall see. Like the moths, there could be a grounded rarity just around the corner?