Butterflies & Moths 2020

Hi All, I took an executive decision & decided to amalgamate the Butterfly & Moth threads which may make it easier to find if it's used more!

These are the old threads from 2019 Beautiful butterflies https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/200195/beautiful-butterflies-2019#pifragment-4285=1

& Mostly Moths https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/198118/mostly-moths-2019/1273216#pifragment-4285=1

To start us off here are a few from the recent traps & wine rope,

this is a lovely Satelite from the 8th january

Best wishes

Hazel in Southwest France

  • Absolute beauties H! Do hope you are not so restricted again ... as for me here, hardly go out & weather too constantly wet & windy to set up moth trap!
    Take care & stay safe

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • Thanks Wendy, you take care too.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • Beautiful moths H, good to hear that you are still managing to get out and hopefully you will still be able to get to the woods. I'm still getting the trap out when the weather permits and have had some lovely moths that I'll pop up soon. I got to spend a lovely afternoon with our recorder recently and he has encouraged me to keep going through the autumn and winter provided it's not blowing a gale or tipping it so I'm looking at a slightly more robust set up.

    Cin J

  • I put a heavy stone in the bottom of mine to hold it down, the sheet is held down with roofing tiles at the edges. If its on a balcony you could fix it to a balustrade with rope, or on grass a strap & tent pegs. There are a lot of moths about in winter & they aren't the same as those around in summer. Also, because not so many people trap in winter, their distribution isn't so well known. Go for it! Have you tried the rope trick? I tie a rope in a tree that has been soaked in a mix of 0,5 litres wine/500g sugar & go out every half hour from dusk. It's amazing what you get. This is a Pale lemon-sallow from a couple of weeks ago.

    Ideal for showery weather.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • Hazel C said:
    soaked in a mix of 0,5 litres wine/500g sugar

    ?? Are you mad?? Not giving moths MY wine!! And don't say to use leftovers, coz there aren't any LOL

  • Thinking about you H having just read the news of second lockdown from Friday!
    Stay strong, stay safe!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • Thanks Wendy, this afternoon I negotiated (with my ex-boss) to do a years moth trapping in his Chateau gardens & was hoping to start this weekend. Sob sob! I do agree with it but why do they have to make it so hard. Also did a run to the local dump to get rid of all our rubbish (thought the lockdown was coming) & will take a lorry tomorrow to get the wine supplies in! LOL

    PS I had my haircut last week too, definately saw this coming.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • Shame about the moth trapping but pleased to hear you are sorted with the essentials ... will the agreement still hold good when restrictions are lifted?

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • Yes, I'm sure, I was just so pleased that he was enthousiastic about it & I wanted to do one this weekend as the weather has perked up. I'm like a kid who has got a fab new toy for Xmas & nobody bought the batteries LOL

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • I got the photo of a life-time yesterday. Why? Well in French a Clouded Yellow butterfly is called a Souci. So are French-marigolds that grow wild all over the place. For years now I've tried to get a photo of a Souci on a Souci. They always seem to ignore them & go on dandelions instead. I have also hoped for years to get a Clouded Yellow open. Well on yesterdays short walk around the house I got both!!

    It took off just as I was taking the 2nd photo & I got this.

    Another box ticked on things to do/see before I die.

    Stay safe all!

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France