Yellow-lined Quaker moth added to year list.

Tuesday 26th October 2021.

My first Yellow-lined Quaker of the year on my moth box. 

Hot on the heels of getting my first Red-lined Quaker moth of the year over at Andy’s house last Saturday, this morning provided a Yellow-lined Quaker perched on my moth box in my garden! Yes, they are fairly common moths at this time of year, but I rarely see them in my garden and although there were very few moths today, I was quite chuffed to find this individual.

Lesser Yellow Underwing was the only other macro moth today.

It was fairly mild last night and so I put my moth box on again to try my luck. There must have been a bit of rain overnight as the garden patio was wet, so I was pleased that I put my rain-guard on over the box. Sadly, it was too dark this morning to check the box thoroughly and so I checked it out when I got home from work instead. There, I found the following moths present:

• 1 Yellow-lined Quaker
• 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing
• 3 Common Plume……………….and that was it!

Top photo: a Goshawk. Bottom photo: Raven. Both photos by Andy Tew from the Lazee Birders which were taken in the New Forest today.   

I spent most of the day working indoors, but later in the afternoon, I had to take our Ambulance out on the road and the only sighting of note was a hovering Kestrel right by the edge of the M275 as we travelled northbound out of Portsmouth. I read with interest that a Red-necked Grebe was found in the Ferry Channel at Sidlesham, but I had to laugh when I discovered it was actually a Little Grebe! Other sightings today included a pair of Velvet Scoters through the Solent and a Ring Ouzel on Portsdown Hill. Portsdown Hill has also become a popular site along with Old Winchester Hill during late Autumn for Ring Ouzels and there is a good chance I might try my luck there this weekend, although I hear the weather looks to be grim this weekend.

Not the best of photos, but this Early Leafhopper (Acericerus ribauti) was in my moth box last Sunday and noticing the odd colouring of this very small insect, it had me intrigued and therefore I put a photo of it on the relevant Facebook page to see if it could be identified.  

As it is my Birthday next weekend, I have treated myself (with the wife’s permission of course) to purchase a Scopac telescope carrier, which should make life a lot easier while out birding with my scope. We shall see. 

This small micro moth was found last Saturday at the Information Centre at Blashford Lakes. It took a while, but I finally got an ID on it: Crocidosema plebjana, which, I believe, is a new 'lifer' species for me.