ENHS moth night, Wolsey Drive, Walton on Thames, 27 July 2007
Rain had set in by 9pm, but we decided to set up the trap anyway at 10pm, sheltered by a golf umbrella! This proved very worthwhile, as a steady stream of moths kept us occupied until we gave up around midnight, with 31 moths of 22 species recorded despite the weather. Yellow-barred brindle and plain wave were perhaps the most unusual. The others were more familiar: dwarf cream wave, many-plumed, lesser yellow underwing, gold fringe, black arches (2), brimstone (2), oak hook-tip, peppered, clay (5), mother of pearl (2), flame shoulder, large yellow underwing, willow beauty, bright-line brown-eye, common rustic, heart and club (3), dark arches, broken-barred carpet, heart and dart,and early thorn.
ENHS moth night, Locke-King Close, 8 September 2007
Much better weather, and Ross and Lynn's guests mixing with ENHS members in an admirable new kind of moth night cum party, with moths as special guests! Altogether we caught 40 moths, of 22 species. Star of the night was probably the old lady (moth!), also the now uncommon spinach, and the attractive centre-barred sallow. Other species were square-spot rustic (7), large yellow underwing (3), copper underwing, yellow shell (2), pale mottled willow (2), willow beauty (4), setaceous Hebrew character (2), brimstone (3), green carpet, flounced rustic, light emerald (2), shuttle-shaped dart, marbled beauty, garden carpet (not as common as it used to be), grey pine carpet, snout (2), maiden's blush, common wainscot, and lesser yellow underwing.
Elmbridge Borough Council Moth Survey
This is still ongoing and, although becoming less of a public event, it still provides useful data for the Esher Commons management. There have been three more events since the last report, but one was aborted due to heavy rain (I wasn't there!).
Fairmile Common, Flying Circle, 21 August 2007
No heavy rain, this time, but a steady drizzle between 10 and 11pm, causing inconvenience, but not stopping the flow of moths! But we were ready to quit by 11.15 pm with books, pots, and all getting very damp. Over 40 moths of 20 species were trapped, with at least a dozen large yellow underwing; also elephant hawk, lesser swallow prominent (2), least yellow underwing (2), tawny-barred angle, white-line dart (4), lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing, brimstone, copper underwing (2), dark spinach, broad-bordered yellow underwing, setaceous Hebrew character (2), square-spot rustic (2), flame shoulder (2), treble-bar (2), shuttle-shaped dart (3), common rustic, maiden's blush (2), common carpet, and iron prominent (2).
West End Common, Lardy Pond, 20 September 2007
Despite it being a warm night, there was a severe shortage of moths about, with intervals of around 20 minutes between arrivals! We gave up at 11pm, when drizzle began. For the last hour we were joined by a bat, sweeping constantly over the lamp.
Only 12 moths of five species turned up: square-spot rustic (2), light emerald (3), oak lutestring (5), brindled green, and willow beauty.
Postscript: Brooklands Museum, 28 October 2007
In the course of some preliminary survey work on the museum site, Ross Baker and I discovered a number of herald and buttoned snout moths hibernating in the shelters and the tunnel, as well as peacock butterflies. Not to mention 45 species of fungi and a superb oak - of which more in a future issue.
Dick Alder