Small Marbled, Bordered Straw, Migrants and Micros

With temperatures up to around 30 C by day and 18 C by night with a south easterly wind and the Summer Solstice too, this weekend has, as hoped for, been a cracking little moth weekend. 

It wasn't really until last night that the moth migration picked up. Not quite up to the Southwest standards where there has been some very heavy insect immigration, highlights here included a nice Small Marbled (high on the wish list), a Bordered Straw, Small Mottled Willow, Diamond-backs, Rusty-dot and European Corn Borers. There's also been a few nice dispersives and the odd bit attracted to the Pheromones too.

Now on 524 for the Lodge and 342 for the year. 

I've been listening out for Crossbills in the mornings but no luck yet. Amy Robjohns had some moving over Portsmouth yesterday which isn't far away. The Cuckoo was calling again this morning and yesterday I had Curlew and Oystercatcher going over the garden calling too. Suddenly Grey Wagtail has appeared again and going over calling several times a day. I had a Coal tit singing from the neighbours conifer in the week. 

Small Marbled

Bordered Straw- both of the above scarce migrants managed to fly off before I got a proper photo

Small Mottled Willow

Festoon

Gorse Knot-horn, Pempelia genistella (I think)

Double Orange-spot/Orange-spot Piercer, Pammene aurana. Attracted to the Six-belted Cleariwng lure.

Large Saltmarsh Conch, Phalonidia affintana (I think) 

Small Grass Veneer by the looks of it 

Portland Ribbon Wave- presumably a local moth but not been many around recently. A surprising lack of Dark Sword Grass in this moth migrant influx and also not many Delicates and also pretty low numbers here of Rusty-dots and Diamond-backs with quite a compartive high proportion of scarce migrants to common migrants e..g I've had 2 Striped Hawkmoths, a Vagrant China-mark, Small Marbled and Bordered Straw and only 2 Rush Venner, 2 Small Mottled Willow and no more than 10 each of Diamond backs and Rusty-dots in the last week or so. Four-spotted Footmans have been prominent with up to six a night.

Highlight of the mini-farm this weekend was picking our onions that we planted over the winter. Quite proud of this one!