Large Wainscot added to my moth Life List.

Friday 8th October 2021.

The Large Wainscot by my moth box this morning.

And so, we said goodbye to East Prawle for another year but not before I checked out the moth box I had on overnight while my wife finished packing! An overcast start to the morning, the ground was very wet again and yet another good showing of moths to go through, with a few more lovely surprises. Yesterday’s Clifden Nonpareil was still present where I left it yesterday, in a gap within the brick wall near the box, but still dry too and a little wary when I went to pick it up. I decided to leave it alone and concentrate on what was on the grass.

My third ever Green-brindled Crescent on the wall of the Cottage. 

A very worn Snout moth. 

I picked up another ‘lifer’ when I discovered my first ever Large Wainscot perched on one of the arms of the chair my box was sitting on. Much larger than the similar looking Common Wainscot, I carefully picked it up using one of my pots and placed it carefully with the other moths. Another cracking moth, a Green-brindled Crescent, was found perched on the wall near the box and that was by chance. I nearly gave up looking over the wall of the Cottage but on closer inspection, I found a few more Lunar Underwing and Feathered Ranunculus sat on the wall and a very late Small Fan-footed Wave.

The following moths were present this morning:

• 1 Green-brindled Crescent
• 1 Clifden Nonpareil
• 1 Large Wainscot
• 1 Snout 
• 3 Common Marbled Carpet
• 9 Feathered Ranunculus
• 35 Lunar Underwing
• 1 Black Rustic
• 2 Large Yellow Underwing
• 4 Beaded Chestnut
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Dark Sword Grass
• 1 Small Fan-footed Wave

The Small Fan-footed Wave.

So this trip rounded off with a bumper crop of moths and I have to say that this week here has been superb for moths and reasonable for birds. Yes, I was hoping for a rarity this week, especially as someone found a Red-eyed Vireo not too far away from East Prawle, in the Soar Valley yesterday. Surely there was one hiding away along one of those hedgerows? I took Scruff for a walk in the morning and came across a lot of Chiffchaffs along the lane and also a Goldcrest. A few Blackcaps were also present, but I could not find anything more unusual. I did see some birders down below near the coastal path looking interested in something, but all I noticed was the two Roe Deer again.

Becky and myself enjoying an ice-cream yesterday afternoon in Dartmouth. A Grey Wagtail was seen in the town and a pair of Common Buzzards soared high over the harbour.  

This juvenile Herring Gull kept a very close eye on us just in case we dropped any of our ice-creams

This morning, while checking the moth box, I could hear a Ringed Plover calling high overhead, but I failed to locate the bird in the gloom. Also, there were plenty of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Linnets passing overhead and a Chiffchaff could be heard somewhere nearby. As well as the expected lots of Crane Flies, other insects in my moth box included a Common Green Shieldbug and a very impressive Minotaur Beetle. By 9am on the dot, the car was packed and then off we went, but not before we had a lovely cooked breakfast in Kingsbridge to ease one into the long drive back home to Portsmouth.  

The Minotaur Beetle in my hand this morning having spent the night in the moth box.