Butterflies & Moths 2021

Well it's time to start a new thread for this year. I saw my 1st Red Admiral of the year yesterday & have had a couple of moths in the house & in the trap overnight.

The house moths come out of the firewood (I think), Ive had 3 around the computer this month, I just keep putting them back out Mompha subbistrigella

Photo taken of it in the plastic pot before I threw it out.

Then in the trap a couple of moths, Eudonia angustea, always around in the winter,

& this one which is several weeks early, not sure why, Orthosia incerta "Clouded Drab Moth"

Last years thread is here https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/206393/butterflies-moths-2020  for those that want to have a bit of bedtime reading.

  • Germain said:
    Mike, I think it's a Silver Y playing tricks

    I think you could be 100% right.

    The silver y isn't in any of my books, and because there are so many different species of moth in the UK alone, I took a wild guess. Many thanks for the correction.Thumbsup

  • Hi Mike,

    I saw a Silver Y at Minsmere recently, I was lucky enough to see it in flight and watch it land otherwise I would never have seen it. The upside down Y that gives it it's name showing right in the middle of it's wing. Before I found one in the garden during Lockdown last year I'd never come across one.

    Also at Minsmere a couple of Small Heath Butterflies

    Best Wishes,

    Trevor

  • TJS said:

    Hi Mike,

    I saw a Silver Y at Minsmere recently, I was lucky enough to see it in flight and watch it land otherwise I would never have seen it. The upside down Y that gives it it's name showing right in the middle of it's wing. Before I found one in the garden during Lockdown last year I'd never come across one.

    Best Wishes,

    Trevor

    Yes, I'd seen that, but wasn't able to comment. I know I could easily join the Minsmere group, as with any other group, the only reason why I don't join these groups is down to the massive dose of notifications. I know I can mute, but that also seems a never ending task, and the increase in notifications via email, sends my email provider into overdrive sending all forum posts straight to spam!

    But I still view a great many of the posts via the home page, there's always something interesting.

  • Hi Mike,
    I joined the Minsmere group so that I could reply to one of Clare's posts and also because I go to Minsmere quite a lot as it the most diverse wildlife watching spot local to me (23 miles away). I've only done one post within the group and did find a different selection of people responding to it. Perhaps next time I come back from Minsmere from a productive day out I'll split the photos between two posts.
    Next week we're on a trip to North Yorkshire, fingers crossed for wildlife and weather.
    Best Wishes,
    Trevor
  • Yesterday the weather was stunning and I had plenty to count on one of my survey sites - It has been such an odd year and this particular site has been returning reducing numbers over the last few years but there was a marked difference yesterday and the only thing I can put it down to is ragwort providing a nectar source in drought conditions - it was full of Small Copper, Small Heath, 3 types of White - Large, Small and Green-veined, wonderfully fresh Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock, Wall and Red Admiral but the absolute stars of the show were 4 cracking Clouded Yellow -  I actually had to point them out to other people walking past them.

  • An impressive amount of sightings Caroline ... after waiting (somewhat impatiently) & reading other's posts re Comma, a favourite of mine but rare visitor here, finally saw three in the warm sunshine yesterday ... no pics as I didn't want to scare them off!
    No chance today as all mizzly drizzly !
  • TJS said:
    Hi Mike,


    I joined the Minsmere group so that I could reply to one of Clare's posts and also because I go to Minsmere quite a lot as it the most diverse wildlife watching spot local to me (23 miles away). I've only done one post within the group and did find a different selection of people responding to it. Perhaps next time I come back from Minsmere from a productive day out I'll split the photos between two posts.
    Next week we're on a trip to North Yorkshire, fingers crossed for wildlife and weather.
    Best Wishes,
    Trevor

    Absolutely.

    Fingers crossed for North Yorkshire. If you watched Heartbeat, that was filmed predominantly in the village of Goathland and surrounding moorland with many scenes in Whitby and Grosmont.

    I/we will look forward to your photos and reports

  • An Angle Shades in my garden this morning

  • Ooooh, lucky you Sandra, one of my favourite moths & never saw one here this year!
  • A first for me this year, Wendy, so it was a lovely surprise to see it.