Moth Night at Spinningdale, 5th of July 2014

Tony Mainwood

 

As in 2012 five battery operated traps were set at various points on the Woodland Trust’s Ledmore and Migdale Woods property.  This time they were within 400m of the recently constructed shelter at Torry Croft.  Unfortunately the weather overnight was clear, with half a moon, and was decidedly cool (Fay Wilkingson had recorded just 5 degrees in her garden a few miles away).  As a result the number of moths caught was very limited.

 

The event was billed as a joint Butterfly Conservation/Woodland Trust one and Juliet Robinson was the official Woodland Trust representative promoting the event locally and providing the signage and First Aid backup on the day.  As it turned out most of he participants were Highland Branch members and there were 10 of us in all (two other folk, who were actually holidaying at Loch Carron, had unfortunately underestimated the time needed for travelling and only met up with us as we were deprating).

 

It was very much a case of spinning things out with chat and as everyone knew everyone it ended up as an enjoyable social get together even though there were only 25 moths of 10 species!  Even then two Chestnut-coloured Carpets were of particular interest as even some of the seasoned moth recorders had not seen one before.

 

Species List	Number
Silver-ground Carpet	2
Northern Spinach	4
Chestnut-coloured Carpet	2
Green Carpet	2
Magpie Moth	1
Mottled Beauty	5
Barred Red	1
True Lover's Knot	3
Ingrailed Clay	4
Smoky Wainscot	1