I thought that I'd try a green 22W Circline instead of the blue I've been using. A bad night to try it...a cold 12c and SW3-4,5-6 with rain, so few moths. Nice Shoulder-striped Wainscot. I never realised that they had a black bar across the forehead. Apart from H&Ds, Ele-hawk was nice. #teammoth

A cold night 10c with a SW3-4 and o/cast. Usual stuff including the Small Marbled from yesterday... let it go in the front garden, and it flew off high...only to be re-caught by the UV. Photos confirmed it. Not many do that. Double Sq-spot, Poplar Grey and a Hawthorn Moth nfg etc 😁 #teammoth

I couldn't get around to the trap until 10-ish due to various things, and left the funnel stuffed with a plastic bag to stop the birds getting in. Good move. I took the lamps and collar off to find a fresh Small Marbled sat near the top of an egg box! 8th Cheshire record. Well chuffed 😄 #teammoth

Managed to beat the birds but only just. 33sp 55moths. Some fresh moths at this time of year. Crescent Tortrix was an eye-catching new micro for me. Quite a few Mint Moths around the herbs and another variation of Seraphim I've not seen. 😁 #teammoth

No exotic rarities or dapper hawk-moths up here but a nfg in the shape of a Grey Birch in pristine condition which was nice. Also a fresh Figure of Eighty and a very small Spectacle, not much bigger than a minor..and all the usual stuff. 31sp 51 moths sums up the mothing here.. #teammoth

A night of brief storms & heavy rain, so not much in the way of moths, even if I did beat the Great Tits by a few seconds. Apart from a microcaddisfly which looked like a moth, Triple-spotted Nest Moth, Brindle Tortrix, Plum Tortrix & Spotted Shoot Moth. Latin in the alts. Lots of PLadies. #teammoth

A cool night with a fresh easterly so a lot less moths, the best of which was a Scorched Wing, which are always nice to see... and common stuff, Com M Carpets, Ingrailed Clay, Freyer's Pug etc... but very few micros.. #teammoth

Second day in the row of temps around 33c. Nights around 14c-15c. So, like buses, 2 more Small Mottled Willows and 21 Diamond-backs confirming insects are reaching northern parts. However, the star was a carpet which made a run for it but was chased down 😅.. Oblique Carpet, another nfm. #teammoth

Thanks to @stevenash71.bsky.social for 1 of his Small Mottled Willows...down with Saharan sand on the trap. Also 2 Diamond-backs & 3 new pugs for the garden..my first ever Dwarf surprisingly, White-spotted & Mottled. 3 tiny micros to be looked at. Northbound Painted Ladies in several spots #teammoth

A cooler night than expected but more moths than usual, so good..😁 Silver Y nfy, a beautifully subtle olivey-grey May Highflyer, furry Pale Tussocks, Seraphim, Grey Pine Carpets etc & 18 micros, 12 of which were Aus Orange-tips Tachystola acroxantha. Also a Shore Sexton Beetle N.littoralis #teammoth

Slightly better after a warmer night..14sp 22moths and with lovely fresh moths... and a couple of nice nfg.. Maiden's Blush and Meadow Hook-wing Ancylis badiana.. alongside Set H Character looking very medieval and a Pale Mot Willow with its beige cardigan markings 😁 #teammoth

Had to change all 3 lamps in the trap after one failed and glad I did..it was so much brighter. Still not enough to bring hordes in, but a nfm, Azalea Leaf-miner Caloptilia azaleella unless you all think otherwise.. 2 Cockchafers, a smart Buff-tip and a fresh Currant Pug 😁 #teammoth

I've been enjoying this so much, I forgot to post a picture of it set up! under 15 min for full set up. if leaving at same location, breakdown/wind safety takes 30 sec. I made it, it works - onward to less urban locations! #teammoth #mothlight #bugsky

One moth..a very furry Muslin Moth, saved the night 😅 Always reminds me of a toy we had in the 70s..a Gonk 🤣 #teammoth

I'll get it right this time 🙄 Mothing was dire. My second ever Ochreous Pug rescued things & a H&D was nfy. By-catch invertebrates proved interesting with 3 Deleaster dichrous, a nationally scarce Rove Beetle and a Caddisfly Hydropsyche sp. A cold front just gone south with thunder & rain. #teammoth

Clawing a few moths back but still struggling with numbers. Lots of foliage out, enough to lay eggs on and blossom to feed on, but few insects in general.

"[511984-high-flying-kite]."

Well, that was a poor night. 2 SSD, a HC and a Flame Shouder. 2 Diamond-backs were at least migrants. I did miss this yesterday. It was on the wall when I went to put the trap on. May Highflyer in lovely condition. #teammoth

A few moths at last due to a milder night and rain. Still only 10 species with Seraphim and Small Phoenix nfg. Also had a micro I'm not familiar with which I think might be Vetch Moth Aproaerema anthyllidella. Not many records for Cheshire. Any of you micro lads concur? 😁

Another one-moth night, nothing in the trap... but an antennae poking out from behind the lead proved to be yet another new moth for me, a Chocolate-tip. Fabulous big soft front legs...A bit late to the choccy party but pleased to have had one at last...😁🍫

Well, you just never know! Put the trap out under gloomy skies & a very fresh cool NE breeze. Switched it off, fed the birds, had a casual brew & went for a look. One small pug on the outside of the trap, its wings lifting in the wind.. & immediately knew it was new for me.. Ochreous Pug 😁 #teammoth

Moth catches still dire with the best catch for 2 weeks last night.. 3sp 5 moths. Roll on warm weather. An interesting by-catch that seems to be quite uncommon was the beetle Oedemera femoralis, a False-blister Beetle, so not all lost. Anyone into beetles can confirm it? #teammoth #beetle #oedemera

Well, unable to compete with the south-west mega trap lads, I had to be content with 2 migrant Diamond-backs and some fresh pugs...I'm amazed that any migrants made it, but small mercies and all that. Anyway, they'll be shaking in their boots when I get a Rusty-dot Pearl 😆

The lone survivor! I looked out about 1.30am as Storm Dave ripped through with sheets of horizontal rain and trees bent double, and wondered if my trap would still be there in the morning...Needless to say, it was fine, still lit and with a sole occupant, one tough cookie Hebrew Character 😁

Moth happiness this morning when I turned over an egg box and a much anticipated Lead-coloured Drab looked back at me... what a beautifully patterned moth with various rich hues in differing light ... such a poor name... it should be Frosted Drab at least 😄 6sp 51moths #teammoth

Still all the common early spring moths, 6sp 36moths, the nicest of which was this bark version of Twin-spotted Quaker... #teammoth

6c, Cold and wet with a fresh westerly, and it showed.. 3sp 11moths. Only a fresh Grey Shoulder-knot salvaged the night 😁 #teammoth

A corrected post..thanks Dave. Catches still over a hundred with a plain March Moth, a couple of Early Greys, another fine Oak Beauty and a nice micro, an Early Reveller Diurnea fagella #teammoth

8sp/95moths...mostly quakers but a nfy Brindled Pug was nice... the markings on these spring moths are so varied.. #teammoth

The good night of 11sp 136moths were mainly Common Quakers and apart from the Oak Beauty, nfy Satellite and and a Clouded Drab with joined stigmata 😁 #teammoth

Well, it was 4c and I expected an average trap,so really surprised to see the trap with more moths than I had pots 11sp 136moths..2 new for the year..a worn Satellite and a much appreciated, long overdue Oak Beauty living up to its name, nfg & me..I actually almost missed it on the bricks😍 #teammoth

With the Sallow in full blossom now, it seems to be attracting insects. It was full of bumblebees yesterday, presumably Buff-tailed. Even with a full moon, plenty of moths inc a very smart Early Grey and a couple of well marked Dotted Borders. #teammoth

One nfy, a Pale Pinion which might also be new for this garden...and of course another Clouded Drab..different plumage #teammoth

My first Pale Brindled Beauty of the year, plus regulars. Even so, a couple of species are amazing close up and still hold the wow factor for me. A fresh H Character, so intricate, and the silver version of Clouded Drab..hues of grey, brown and black.. they're beautiful moths 😁 #teammoth

After a cold night, 6c, I didn't expect much in trap. Really surprised to catch 6sp 61 moths, my largest Feb catch I can remember. The Sallow blossom is fully out so maybe that helped. Best was another Grey Shoulder-knot and a nfy Twin-spotted Quaker 😁 #teammoth

Couple of nfy moths, Dotted Border and Grey Shoulder-knot, the latter possibly new for me....but I'll have to do some more digging 😁 #teammoth

These warm nights are waking the moths out of their winter slumbers... 5sp 19moths inc the first micro of the year, a LBAM of course.. the macros, mostly Common Quakers and Hebrew Characters with a couple of pristine, silvery Clouded Drabs and singles of Chestnut and Small Quaker.. #teammoth

And so it begins...the magic trap is out once more 😁 #mothtrap #teammoth

Along with the Redpolls in the garden, there's about 20-30 Siskins on the food...Little stunners when they're so close 😁 #siskin

With just under a hundred finches of five species coming to the feeders, the c20 Redpolls are very interesting...perhaps NW genes in one and a faint whiff of Arctic genes in another... plus a pink bird with a pale back and rump... which has a shiny new ring on.. 😁 #redpoll

Easington Moths...only my 2nd for the garden, a smart Red Sword-grass in near empty traps... #teammoth #redswordgrass

Easington Moths.. 2 Merveille du Jours this morning, a dull one and an absolute stunner... even the markings differed between them..with black arrowheads along the fringe on the termen...They might not be rare, but if they were, I'd twitch one defo 🤩 😁 #teammoth #merveilledujour

Easington Moths.. a night of heavy rain associated with ex-Hurricane Gabrielle over Biscay. Migrants are trickling in. Largest single night count of Dark Sword-grass,12, Delicate, White-point, Silver Ys and Turnips. Best of a lifer, possibly a migrant (No elms), a superb Dusky-lemon Sallow #teammoth

Easington Moths Aug27th.. 779 moths, 513 of which were LYU, SHC & CWainscot. But 17 Beet Moths were the first since the influx of Sep 2022 when they were new for Yorkshire. Also D Sword-grass, a Rusty-dot Pearl and the first Small Mottled Willow of the autumn. Also another Archer's Dart 😁 #teammoth

Easington Moths.. much quieter clear night... but some nice commoner moths...and if ever there was a moth that deserved to be rare, it would be Archer's Dart...fabulous plumage 😁 with Pearly Underwing and Bulrush Wainscot as supporting cast... #teammoth

Easington Moths...a light SE wind produced migrants, the best of which was a fabulous Great Brocade, nfg and an absolutely pristine Bordered Straw. Large Thorns are appearing and the Ni lure attracted a Dewick's Plusia, also nfg.😁 @migrantmothuk.bsky.social @doublekidney.bsky.social

Easington Moths...After a fresh westerly & clear night, perhaps 1 new macro which escaped, mostly expected species. Also the first mass arrival of Diamond-backs, 405 counted... So a nice couple of micros, Com Marbled Straw & Lsr Tawny Crescent, a LsrYU & a mystery carpet-type..Chevron? #teammoth

Easington moths...A pug that I think should be a White-spotted but it has no thoracic spot (maybe faint?) and no white spots on the sides of the abdomen...so am I looking at a Golden-rod doing a White-spotted impression? Thanks @mothiduk.bsky.social

Easington Moths... 114sp 775moths.. just 2 migs..a Pearly Uwing and a Bordered Straw.. but some very nice supporting cast.. a fresh Bordered Pug nfg...they are an ace pug! Also a White-line Dart, the first Southern Wainscot of the summer and a lovely Slender Brindle..😁 #teammoth

Easington Moths... a quieter night with a nice selection of micros and a couple of macros.. Pine Hawk-moth was the best whilst a fresh July Highflyer and a rather battered Giant Water-veneer were supporting cast... #teammoth