Might Hurricane Katia sweep in some rarities from America's vast stock of moths, like the Arctic Skuas and Manx Shearwaters which have been limping in to Slimbridge on the storm? No such luck, but hats off to this little Garden Carpet which was out and about in winds topping 50mph and probably higher. Plus a bit of rain; and I must say that the rain-shield on my trap, a simple plastic disc designed by the 1950s entomologists Mr and Mrs Robinson, is one of the most effective devices I have ever come across.
I've included our fancy secateurs for scale, and colour, because the Carpet is a chit of a thing. Slightly bigger, and bearing the scars of either the storm or a long life, there was also this Rosy Rustic in the eggboxes. According to my moth Bible, it frequents 'gardens and disturbed weedy places'. Chez nous, it isn't always easy to tell the difference.
A score of equally battered Large Yellow Underwings completed the hurricane haul, along with half-a-dozen wasps, one daddy-longlegs and nobbut a few of those flies which infested yesterday's post.
2 comments:
Hi Martin, I do hope Katia didn't make too much mess. The scruffy remains of another tropical storm dragged through here last week, no wind but a wet and humid week that brought the mozzies out en mass and made being in the yard a miserable experience.
At least it seem to have finally doused the Dismal Swamp fire. Fingers crossed. And now thankfully there isn't another storm on the horizon for the first time in a month.
Hi B
It's not been too bad, although sadly a hospice volunteer was killed by a falling tree on his way to collect a patient up in county Durham.
A curious feature to me has been the way that intense gusts and general atmospheric unhappiness coincided at times with clear blue sky and bright sunshine - powerful but invisible pressure forces at work.
Glad the Dismal Fire is out. The season is approaching its end here and there's just a touch of autumn in the air.
All warm wishes
M
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