Oxfordshire Exploring

Been a busy couple of days and nights with classic high summer conditions and muggy evenings good for mothing. I set up four moth traps at Waterstock Mill last night with Henry and today I met up with Oxford Ornithological Society Chairman Alan Larkman and secretary Barry Hudson to visit Alan's nature conservation projects. Holly and Jacob joined us for lunch at the Trout pub on the banks of the Thames. A great inspiring day. 

 Barry and Alan Meet Up

Barry Hudson by the lake at the Baulking project 

Southern Marsh Orchid on Alan's land

The Baulking site, 16 acres of meadowland adjacent to the lake complete with it's first Bee Orchid (below). Alan was utilising various methods to increase the biodiversity of this site including sheep grazing, haycuts and meadow topping with the introduction of seeds from other project sites and natural regeneration of trees self seeding from the hedgerow plus additional planting of other selected tree species.  

Waterstock Mill

We had 15 Poplar Hawk-moths across the four traps, one MV, an LED, an actinic Heath Trap and another home made actinic. 52 species across the traps. 

Marbled White Spot- this might actually be an overdue lifer 

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis Achatana ? 

Fenland Pearl, Anania perlucidalis

Homemade actinic trap- seemed to work okay 

Site of the main trap, the Robinson's MV by the River Thame 

Elephant Hawk-moth 

Back at the Old Vic

A few highlights from the Old Vic trap recently. 

Foxglove Pug

Nutmeg I think- been getting good number of Large Nutmeg recently but this stood out as being smaller with a dark inner kidney mark 

Miller

Least Black Arches 

Waved Umber

Lesser Wax moth 

Hornet- a bit of shock to find this in the trap 

Privet Hawk-moth again