Wednesday 21 September 2011

Two for joy

Two magpies beat me to the trap this morning but unlike a sparrow two years ago, they were far too big to get in. They wouldn't have found much if they had, but there was a Silver Y, a full-size one unlike the mini variety gammina which intrigued me the other day.



In their helpful comments on that post, Nick and Stewart said that 2011 was proving a poor year for Silver Ys, which used to be the common moth when I was young, largely because it flies by day as well as night. So here's another picture to cheer everyone up.


Alongside this in the trap were five large yellow underwings in varying stages of dilapidation, a daddy-longlegs and this, below. Is it a caddis fly? Almost instant update: I've just Googled - including some slightly gruesome pics of fishing fly bait - and I'm sure it is.

3 comments:

worm said...

the tufts on the back of a silver Y always bring to mind the large saddles one sees on a camel....

Just spent the last week going awol in Ibiza - saw dozens of hummingbird hawks every day!

Banished To A Pompous Land said...

I recall Silver Ys being one of the commonest finds in our 'moth trap' in Gloucester. When I say moth trap I mean the smoking hut where the door was open and the light on all night all the year around.

In those days I used to visit several times a day. Just for the moths of course.

MartinWainwright said...

Hiya! Sorry for the delay, I've been scooting about. Did yiu nanage any photos, Worm? I've spent happy house in the Mediterranean sun waiting in vain for them to settle.

More Silver Ys here, Banished - at least two in the trap most nights. But overall, they are not as often seen as in the days which you evoke and I remember

Warm wishes

M