Another new moth for my life list.

Sunday 11th September 2022.

A fiery red start to the dawn this morning.

A gorgeous sunrise this morning, with the sun reflecting on the clouds giving it such a fiery look. Yesterday evening, I stood outside looking down the hill into the wooded valley, watching the last of the sun's ray fizzle out as dusk approached, enjoying the last of the songs of the birds and watching the bats coming out of their roost and head off over the fields to the woods below. What species they are is anyone's guess, but they were all around Pipestrelle sized. 

Above, my first Frosted Orange moth of the year. Below, a Small Square-spot.

Getting cold, I eventually made my way indoors for dinner and went out to check the moth box, just once, around 9pm. Already, there was a Flame Shoulder moth (only my second this year) and a Rosy Rustic perched up on the wall behind the box, which was a good start. It looked as though it was going to be a cold night too, so my prospects of lots of moths in the morning looked slim. A small micro flew into the Cottage and I quickly potted it to have a go identifying it in the morning.

Above, only my second Flame Shoulder of the year. Below, a new micro moth for my life list, Agonopterix hericliana, that flew into the Cottage last night.

There were 17 moths of 11 species recorded this morning along with several Caddis Flies and plenty of those Dung Beetles! Among the moths included my first Frosted Orange of the year, a really stunning moth and also only my second Small Square-spot moth of the year (the last being in Andy Fisher’s garden). The interesting micro I potted last night was also another species new to my Life List, Agonopterix heracliana (with the horrible vernacular name of Common Flat-body). Although it does closely resemble Agonopterix cilliela, I am opting for the former for arguments sake! 

I always make use of what I can find and so the Ironing Board became very useful and saved me bending down on the ground while checking the moth box!

A few Bats were making their way back to their roost in the nearby trees when I went outside and I could hear a few birds in the distance including Chiffchaffs, Nuthatch and Treecreeper in the nearby woods. Hopefully, another good day out in the field. The moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Snout
• 2 Rosy Rustic
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Frosted Orange (NFY)
• 1 Small Square-spot
• 4 Straw Dot
• 1 Flame Shoulder
• 1 Brimstone Moth
• 2 Green Carpet
• 1 White-shouldered House Moth
• 1 Agonopterix heracliana (NFY + LIFER)