Brenda writes: “It was a bit cooler overnight and so the moth trap was a bit calmer. There was a reasonable selection of moths but in smaller numbers and with no hawk-moths – too cold for them! We did have two new species, the brown-tail, a white moth with (you’ve guessed it) a brown bottom, and a beautiful bordered pug which James photographed on the house wall.
Today’s concert was in Cambridge. On the grass verges I spotted black knapweed and evening primrose, and at the church where we were playing a clump of Canadian golden-rod was coming into flower.
One final moth observation; sometimes an oddity drops into the trap. I was puzzled by a moth about the size of a shuttle-shaped dart and asked James about it. ‘What do you think?’ he said. ‘It looks like a tiny heart and club.’ I replied – I was right. The caterpillar was perhaps short of food and so the moth was small. It happens!”
New species for June 30th:
Moths: brown-tail, bordered pug
Flowers: black knapweed, evening primrose, Canadian golden-rod
TOTALS TO DATE:
Birds = 203
Moths = 155
Wildflowers = 225