Saturday 15 October 2011

Touch of the blues

The year presses on but the weather is kind and reports of rare migrant moths still abound. So the light still shines in the garden here, and snoozers in the dawn continue to be varied and interesting.


Last night, a lot of them went for blue backgrounds - although in the case of the Red-line Quaker above that is proof that the camera lies. The moth was actually sitting on the outside of the clear (albeit a bit grubby) plastic cowl, while the trap bowl, at the bottom, is actually black.


The Shuttle-shaped Dart, above, went for a genuinely blue eggbox as did the Blair's Shoulder Knot below (Update: Uh-oh - see Comments). Further update: Ah-ha! I'm sure it's a Dark Sword-grass, so I have got a migrant after all. It's one of the UK's most frequent arrivals from overseas and I remember now that our county moth recorder Charlie Fletcher identified one for me last year. Hooray! We had my distinguished colleague Simon Jenkins to stay last night, along with another old friend, Maggie Bone, whose husband Ron was a marvellous painter. So I'm glad the trap gave me something to show them.


There were some comments on the lines of 'Why are they all brown?', it has to be said; but the wonders of digital close-up won them over. I think.

5 comments:

Stewart said...

Hi Martin, the 'Blair's' might warrant a closer look ;) I'll leave the rest to you...say no more.

MartinWainwright said...

Oh no, Stewart.

Is it a Pale Pinion?

I am so hopeless, even when given clues...

All v best

M

MartinWainwright said...

PS Stewart - I've tried to go over to your blog but the link isn't working at the mo for some reason. I'll try again All v best again M

Stewart said...

You have it sussed Martin it is a Dark Sword Grass....

MartinWainwright said...

Hooray! Thanks for stopping me getting too lazy!