[Half-cocked]

Originally Posted by littlebug

Just as well I've had no moths to identify

That should all change soon, nights are getting milder.

[Mothman]

Originally Posted by Half-cocked

That should all change soon, nights are getting milder.

Don't speak too soon, from the weekend on it'll be cool again

I ran trap last night. 10C min
19 moths of 12 species.

We are truly in the May doldrums.
We are over the Spring flush and we are waiting for summer and May can be really bad for moths, but in many recent years we've had Summer weather in April/May and the numbers in May have been relatively good.

[Mothman]

Even worse last night
Min temp of 6C and a really poor total. May can be a very disappointing month for moths.

125w MV
0648 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1
0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1
1852 Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata) 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 4
2387 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 1

[littlebug]

I do find it really odd... last year I didn't have an empty trap until maybe september/ october despite some really cold nights (and snow!) at the start of the season.
Are the numbers extraordinarily low MM, even for May?

[Mothman]

Originally Posted by littlebug

Are the numbers extraordinarily low MM, even for May?

I think so, but it is down to weather and once we get a few days of fine weather, I expect activity to pick up quite a bit.

There are relatively few species that have their peak season in May. So for this month we are looking at stragglers for the spring season or earlies from the summer season.
What has happened thus far, is that Spring pretty well got done and dusted in late March with stragglers through April. Summer seems far away. At moment we are in between.

[thebishop]

4 Moths here last night.
Angle shades x 1
Twenty plume moth x 1
Garden Carpet x 1
Clouded-bordered Brindle x 1

[Half-cocked]

1 x Common Quaker
1 x Hebrew Character
1 x Light Brown Apple Moth

[thebishop]

Twenty -plume Moth.

[littlebug]

Originally Posted by thebishop

Twenty -plume Moth.

Nice I have the actinic out tonight. Lovely day here today.. don't know if the night will follow suit.

[littlebug]

Trap out tonight as I'll be away tomorrow.

Tomorrow.. heading to Aran island. Undecided yet whether to take a moth light and if so, which one?
The island climate is often much milder than the mainland so may have more luck than here but... as MM mentioned we are in the May doldrums. Still the islands can bring surprises

[Half-cocked]

Found an Angle Shades in my garden shed yesterday evening.

[Mothman]

Originally Posted by littlebug

Trap out tonight as I'll be away tomorrow.

Tomorrow.. heading to Aran island. Undecided yet whether to take a moth light and if so, which one?
The island climate is often much milder than the mainland so may have more luck than here but... as MM mentioned we are in the May doldrums. Still the islands can bring surprises

Hope you did bring the trap

I think someone mentioned to me recently that it couldn't get worse.....well they were wrong!

3 moths!

1769 Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica) 1
2186 Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) 1
2190 Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) 1

It has been a miserable weeks weather. Wet and cold. Another frost last night

[littlebug]

Originally Posted by Mothman

Hope you did bring the trap

I brought the light.

Bit of a design failure with my makeshift trap which probably kept them out rather than in.
But I had 1 common quaker and 2 x Shears, a couple of unidentified micros and 2 beetles.
Not a lot but more than I've had at home for weeks! There are probably more in the vegetation.
I might try the other side of the house tonight but that will mean having to get up "really" early to get to them before the birds do.

Clear blue skies here but still quite cold.

Oh and I found my moth book out here!

[Half-cocked]

1 x Common Quaker
1 x White Shouldered House Moth

[thebishop]

-1 Here last night.Nothing in the trap not even a fly.