MAINLAND MOTHING

Rose early before dawn on Thursday 9th to check one of two moth traps tat had been running overnight. This one above is the "Gardiner trap" with clear perspex sides and three bulbs on top. Moths fly disorientated to the light and either land nearby or hopefully drop through a narrow slot into the box where they settle down until they are released.

Before I had started to look at the other trap, a "Skinner trap" actually in my back garden in the park, I heard the loud repeated calls of a nightingale. I shone my big torch into the thick tree and was surprised to locate the little bird anxiously calling out. The size of a robin, the pale underparts caught the torch-light as it perched on a branch. Instead of flying away, I was treated to a rare close-up view but it was obviously rather worried as it cocked its ginger coloured tail repeatedly. Maybe it had set its eyes on some of the moths in my garden as a breakfast treat for itself. A short while later I heard this bird being answered by its mate across the other side of the car park. It won't be long before they head off to Africa for the winter.

The previous evening had started off promising for moth activity as Wednesday evening had been warm and cloudy. However it turned chilly overnight with clear skies and there was a heavy dew by morning. Fifty species totalling about 160 moths was the final tally. Around a dozen swallow prominents, pictured above, were the most eye-catching moth noted with many fresh looking individuals newly emerged. Poplar hawk, drinker, grey dagger, pale prominent,treble bar, chocolate tip, copper underwing, straw underwing and several spectacles were some of the moths found.

The bats during the night had a great feast on some of the moths as they fluttered above the traps. There was also the very audible swoop of the bats as they dived down in hot pursuit. Surprisingly one or two moths could be seen successfully evading the bat-attacks with some very swift manoeuvres, presumably discovering that the bats sonar was locking onto them.
The scarcest moth was discovered lying in tatters under the feeding point for the regular long-eared bat in the toilet block. On the floor in the morning were the wings of the star-wort moth.


Joined members of the Essex Moth Group just north of Mersea Island on the mainland to carry out the annual survey of the nationally very rare White-spotted Pinion moth. The large garden near Langenhoe of Hugh Owen is one of the few British sites where the moth still survives, where there is still lots of elm, the foodplant for the caterpillars.
We ran five traps and while we waited for the moth to show, Hugh showed us one of the pinion moths pictured above, that he had caught the previous night. Around forty species were noted in the three hours of trapping, including canary-shouldered thorn, small square-spot rustic, white-point, green carpet, and rosy rustic.
As the traps were being dismantled at 12.30am a beautifully marked white-spotted pinion was found which made the evening end on a high.

Earlier in the day at the park, the male sparrowhawk was seen flying over the car park carrying a small bird. As it got closer to the trees where the young wait to be fed, one of the youngsters rose steeply up to meet the adult. It seemed as if the male didn't want to be mauled by the hungry youngster, so it lobbed the food over to it almost disdainfully, before it quickly made its quick getaway.

Other wildlife seen included a darkly marked female adder which I nearly stood on whilst pulling ragwort in the long grass. A couple of small red-eyed damselflies rested on a bush whilst many of the painted ladies kept a low profile out of the cool breeze and a whimbrel flew over calling.