UP BEFORE THE LARK

There was a colourful sunrise to see from the country park on Friday 1st, looking east across the river Colne and above Point Clear. This was just before 5.30am and it wasn't long before the day warmed up again.
I'd already been up an hour checking the two moth traps, along with Chris Williams who had set up his four traps operating through the night.

Despite the clear overnight skies, around seventy macro species were noted in total.

 One of the most colourful and largest moths was this red underwing which was discovered later on Friday morning and nowhere near a moth trap. In typical red underwing fashion it was found resting on the outside white wall of the park's information room, in the full glare of the sun.
There are usually two or three records at the park each year during August, so hopefully a few more to see.

This bordered beauty is always a nice find in the trap with its smart orange colouration.The first record for the park was only found last year, so maybe they have become residents here.

 Another orange coloured moth is this male orange swift, a common moth in mid summer with several in the traps.

The twin-spotted wainscot was first noted at the park about four years ago and has been seen each year since, although normally just involving a single individual.

The tree lichen beauty is enjoying a good season at the moment with eight individuals being found although surprisingly only in two of the traps. This is certainly the highest count for the park but not quite the peak count from a week earlier in West Mersea of 22 in one night.
Andy Field also recorded a tree lichen beauty in his trap at the beginning of the week in his High St North garden.

A fresh maiden's blush with its pinkish-blush marks on the wings appeared in small numbers at the traps, always pretty to admire.

The aptly named blood-vein with the dark red band across the wings was noted, this fresh individual showing the red tinge to the wing-margins.

Other moths noted included oak eggar, oak hook-tip, pebble hook-tip, drinker, purple bar, lime-speck pug, peacock, poplar hawk, pebble prominent, iron prominent, black arches, ruby tiger, least yellow underwing, knot-grass, flounced rustic, sandhill rustic, ear moth sp, rosy rustic, silver-Y, marbled beauty, vapourer and August thorn.