Moth Trapping (2) - Chinese Character

Another stunning looking moth that is a new species for the site - great name as well. The Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata).

Moth Trapping (1) - Scorched Wing

I did manage to record `17 new moth species following my trapping overnight on 16th August which surprised me as I have trapped a couple of times in August before. However the weather has been exceptionally hot so would expect some different species including migrants. The best looking of the new ones has got to be the Scorched Wing (Pagodis dolabraria).

Caddis Fly - Limnephilus vittatus

Another bicatch from Sunday's moth trap was a Caddis Fly. Having someone to id it for me was crucial as there are around 200 species in the UK and most don't have English names. This one is one of the group known as Cinnamon Sedges due to the colours.

Shield Bugs

I have seen Shield Bugs around but haven't stopped to identify and record them. Yesterday I recorded moths from a moth trap and ampngst the moths were two Shield Bugs so I bothered to identify them this time. They were Red-legged Shield Bug (Pentotoma rufipes) and Birch Shield Bug (Elasmostethus interstinctus). There are 40 plus species in the UK so this may just be the start!

Juvenile Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpeckers are definitely one of the smartest looking birds and one we see a lot of here. This is a juivenile who has not developed its final colours yet.

Banquet for the spiders

The wasp colony has obviously grown a lot in size over the summer with a result that somehow a few wasps are fining their way indoors. Good news for these spiders who have wrapped one up for later consumption.

Slow Worms

This seems to be a good year for them - I keep seeing them on a regular basis. I think the large compost heaps of hay provide a great winter site for them and I guess the range of slugs and snails we have is a good food source for them. Old photo