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The
YEAR. 2004
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The year to the end of July. goto the year from August
January. So far this year the weather has been from the Atlantic with depressions bringing much needed rain and
strong winds. Winter Moth on 4th and Mottled Umbers on 6th. Continuing mostly from the west until the end of
the month with strong winds, plenty rain and no moths.
February. (updated 11th.) Mild spell at beginning of month with Pale Brindled Beauty in Lydd, Satellite at Great-
stone. Several Dark Swordgrass in Lydd, Greatstone and New Romney with two noctuella (6th in Lydd). Cold
spell of northerlies (with temperatures dipping to minus 4 degrees) to 10th. Just a hint of the unseasonal migration
that happened to the west of us. Richard Clamp had Dark Sword Grass at Greatstone 3rd - 10th. Ted Carpenter
had Dark Sword Grass in Lydd on 8 dates from 4th - 18th, with 3 on 6th. Chris Rootes had DSG on the 12th.
Barry had DSG at Greatstone on 14th. Keith had Bordered Straw in Lydd on 18th. Several noctuella were
recorded at Greatstone, Lydd and Dungeness, maximum 5 recorded by Dave Walker at Dungeness on 13th.
Otherwise a quiet cold month, Early Grey in Lydd on 13th and 15th are the earliest area dates.
March. Except for the 1st and 2nd, the temperature never dipped below zero during the month. The mostly light
winds alternating between SW and N, NE. Warmest nights 15th (min 8) and 31st (min 9). Most productive
periods for moths mid and end of month. Mostly single figures of 'quakers' over the area but more on the shingle
with up to 30 Hebrews at the Long Pits and on the reserve. 7 Twin-spotted Quakers recorded in the area.. not
a moth seen every year here and then only the odd record. Up to 7 Lead-coloured Drabs at the Long Pits is the
most seen on one night to date. Keith Arter had an early Double-striped Pug on 16th (earliest date 15th in 1996).
Jill had the earliest recorded Wormwood Pug on 19th in Lydd. Also of note.. Oak Beauty (3), March Moth and
Tawny Pinion (19th area record) are not frequently recorded in our area. Silver Y at Greatstone on 17th, Dark
Sword-grass at Boulderwall on 20th.
April. Mild periods at beginning, middle and end of month, warmest night 27th (min 10). Winds, mostly light, gales
17th-21st. Very few species at the traps before the 24th, just the usual 'quakers'... up to 7 Lead-coloured Drab
and 17 Powdered Quaker at the Long Pits. Tawny Shears started to appear from 22nd and Light Feathered
Rustic from 28th at Dungeness. 8 dates for Pine Beauty in Lydd, upto 6 Streamer at the Long Pits (the most
recorded on one night). Early records of Chocolate Tip 16th, V-Pug 14th, Currant Pug 24th. Clouded Border
and Lime Hawk-moth on 28th and Reed Dagger 14th are all the earliest dates recorded. Moths of note not seen
regularly in the area... March Moth at Greatstone 11th. On 29th in Lydd, Ted had Lunar Marbled Brown
(5th area record) and Jill had Purple Thorn (11th area record). Richard had Oak Nycteolene on 30th at
Greatstone which is the first spring record. Barry had Water Carpet at Greatstone on 27th which is the first area
record. 2 Dark Sword-grass on the reserve on 2nd.
May. Apart from a few days of south westerlies at the beginning of the month the wind has been from the north,
and mostly light. Minimum overnight temperatures hovering around the 6 degree mark up to 7th, since then around
10, max 14 on 17th. Not very many moth species or numbers appearing in the traps until 13th, when up to twenty
five species recorded at some traps. The shingle traps are quite impressive in the spring .. with counts over 100 of
Cinnabars, Yellow Belles, Tawny Shears and Light Feathered Rustics over the last few nights. Fox Moth more
abundant with up to 6 which is the most recorded on one night (has not been recorded off the shingle in our area).
Moths of note: Pale Pinion at the back of New Romney on 15th (12th area record), Sean had Purple Thorn at New
Romney on 16th, Jill had Seraphim in Lydd on 18th (12th area date) and Richard had Lunar Thorn at Greatstone
on 19th (11th area record). Since the 20th wind has continued from the north with cool night temperatures and very
few moths at the traps. Richard had Clay Triple-lines on 21st (20th area record) which was the only moth of note.
Wind south-easterly 28th and 29th, overnight minimum 14 on 29th .. the most productive night so far this year. Barry
recorded 52 species, including Clouded-bordered Brindle (17th area record). Jill had Orange Footman in Lydd and
another at a new trap site run by Dorothy Beck at Lydd-on-Sea .. regarded as migrants in our area. Keith had Flame
Wainscot in Lydd (2nd area record, the other at Greatstone on June 1st 1987). Scalloped Hazel at Lydd and
Dungeness (13th and 14th area records) and Lunar Thorn at Lydd-on-sea.
30th. Rivulet in Lydd (5th area record). Orange Footman at Greatstone.
31st. Heavy rain overnight. Orange Footman at Greatstone, Pete had Broken-barred Carpet at Boulderwall (10th
area record which from here will be shortened to a.r.).
June. 1-6th. Wind NW to 5th, SE on 6th. Min. overnight temp. 10-14. Good selection of species appearing ..
of note; Rosy Wave 4th and 6th, (22 dates 1990-2002, 23 dates in 2003), Ingrailed Clay (16th a.r.) both in Lydd.
White-pinion Spotted (Sean had 1st a.r. in 1989 at Dungeness, 9 dates 1995-98 and non since.) at the back of
New Romney.
7th. Upto 50 species in some traps, of note May Highflier at Greatstone (15 dates 1992-1998, the first since then).
Keith had Concolorous at the Long Pits. (see pics).
8th-10th. The spell of south-easterlies 6th-8th produced a sprinkling of Silver Y in the traps and feeding during the
day. Pearly Underwing at the Long Pits. HBH-moth at Dungeness. Small Mottled Willow 8th, 2 on 9th at the back
of New Romney and a few noctuella. Of note, May Highflyer at Greatstone 10th, the pyrals aridella at the Long Pits
on 9th (15th record since first seen in 1993, all have been from the shingle) and stagnata in Lydd on 10th (6th a.r.).
11th. Dark Sword Grass, back of New Romney and Littlestone. Bordered Straw at Greatstone.
12th. Colin had Flame Carpet in Lydd (18th a.r.).
13th-16th. Mild nights, light north westerly breeze, up to 66 species of macros and 18 species of pyrals at Keith's
Lydd site on 14th (a marked change in the numbers of species caught since the night he started using these 40 watt
insect lights). Bordered Straw at Greatstone on 15th. Of note, May Highflyer and Orange Footman in Lydd on 14th.
17th-24th. North-westerly light to fresh to 19th, backing northerly 20th, south-easterly 21st and increasing in strength.
Vicious south-westerly gales 22nd and 24th which devastated some gardens in the area. The cool nights and then
the strong winds have kept catches down with no moths of note.
25th-26th. The wind backed NW after the depression went through and continued to back, staying SE overnight on
26th with localised rain overnight. Some of the traps better than others, just a hint of migration with Bordered Straw,
Dark Sword-grass and a few Silver Y. Keith had Orache Moth at the back of New Romney, the 3rd a.r. (see pics).
The more exposed Dungeness traps with very few species, although Dave had Plain Golden Y (18th a.r.) and Keith
had about 4000 Synaphe punctalis, the pyrel, but little else.
27th-30th. Fresh westerlies, best night 29th when overnight min. temp 15. Few Silver Y, 1 noctuella and 1 ferrugalis
(the first of the year). Of note, Silver Hook (22nd a.r.) and the pyral fusca (21st a.r. and the first since 1998 .. see
pics in workshop).
July 1st-10th. Wind mostly from the west, usually strong, overnight temps hovering 11-14 degrees. Not good mothing
weather. Numbers and moth species well down, especially 'noctuids' .. Barry commented that he had more species
of 'geometers' than 'noctuids in the trap on 10th for the first time ever. Moths of note .. Barry had Langmaid's Yellow
Underwing on 3rd and another on 4th.
11th. Calm overnight, temp 13. A few more moths in the traps, although still patchy, over 60 species of macros at
Greatstone. Small Ranunculus at Barry's and at Keith's Lydd trap. (5th and 6th a.r. see pics). Jill had the pyral
aridella in Lydd. (14th a.r.). Convolvulous at Dave's trap at Dungeness.
12th-14th. Hint of migration with several battered Dark Sword-grass and Pearly Underwing, the pyrals noctuella and
ferrugalis in small numbers but few Silver Y. Moths of note .. Four-dotted Footman at Dungeness. Up to 10 biviella
in Lydd. Chris had the first shingle record of biviella at Dungeness.
15th. Despite the strong wind, a few moths in the more sheltered gardens. Of note .. Barry had Lunar-spotted Pinion
(13th a.r.) and Reddish Light Arches at Greatstone and Keith had Miller and Black Arches in Lydd (18th a.r.).
16th. Good selection of species at inland sights, upto 74 macro species at Barry's, 27 species of pyral at Keith's
Lydd trap (inc 14 biviella and 6 pascuella), though numbers well down and very little in the shingle traps. Of note ..
Scorched Wing (20th a.r.) in Lydd. Sean had Coronet at New Romney (20th a.r.).
17th. Coronet, Langmaid's and the pyral suavella (14th a.r.) in Lydd. (see pics in workshop).
18th. Overnight temps dropped (min.12 degrees). No moths of note.
19th. (temp min.15) Although the wind was south-easterly no migrants except a few Silver Y feeding by day in the
area. No moths of note.
20th. South-east, muggy with light rain before dawn (temp min.18). Up to 70-80 species of macro at Greatsone and
Lydd. 31 species pyral at Lydd. Keith had Satin Lutestring at Dungeness (13th a.r.), Small Ranuculus, Langmaid's
YU, the pyrals aridella,suavella,repandana and 17 biviella in Lydd and also suavella at the back of New Romney.
Sean and Barry both had the pyral canella. Dorothy Beck had Langmaid's at Dungeness. Pete had Double Kidney
at Boulderwall (13th a.r.). Despite the wind direction, apart from an increase in Silver Y in the traps (up to 40) and
ferrugalis at New Romney, no obvious migration.
21st. Delicate at Keith's Dungeness trap and Dave had the pyral sylvestrella (4th a.r. see pics). Langmaid's at Chris's
Dungeness trap.
22nd-23rd. Mild nights, plenty of moths in the traps. Few battered Dark Sword-grass, few HBH-moths by day (24th).
Sean had Scarce Bordered Straw at New Romney. Moths of note .. Another Double Kidney on the reserve. Colin
had 2 Slender Brindle (19 previous dates), Keith had a third Small Ranunculus, both in Lydd. Dave had Sub-angled
Wave at Dungeness (7th a.r.)
24th. Dorothy had Waved Black at Dungeness which is a new moth for the shingle. Slender Brindle and 2 noctuella
at the back of New Romney. Nut-tree Tussock at Dave's trap at Dungeness.
25th. Colin had Purple Thorn in Lydd, Pete had another Double Kidney at the reserve, Barry had Small Ranunculus
at Greatstone, Dave had Scallop Shell ( 8th a.r.) and Chris had Mere's Wainscot (17th a.r.) at Dungeness , Black
Arches and Coronet at the back of New Romney, Langmaid's at Littlestone, another Coronet in Keith's Lydd trap.
Sprinkling of the pyrels repandana and roborella which are usually associated with migration .. still a few battered
Dark Sword-grass.
26th. 2 more Slender Brindle, at Greatstone and Dungeness, where Dave had the second shingle record of the
pyrel biviella. Scarce Bordered Straw at Littlestone. Cooler overnight, fewer moths.
27th. The pyral suavella in Lydd.
28th. Pete had Lesser Cream Wave at Boulderwall (11th area record see pics). Keith had the migrant pyral tumidana
at the back of New Romney, Dungeness and 2 at Littlestone. Dorothy had 2 Langmaid's and tumidana at Dungeness.
(previously 27 dates). Barry had Small Ranunculus at Greatstone, Colin at Lydd.
29th. Langmaids at Dungeness (Keith and Dave) and Lydd. Dorothy had Tawny Wave and Dewick's Plusia at Dungeness
(see pics). Sean had Langmaid's at New Romney. Barry had another Small Ranunculus and Langmaid's at Greatstone
amongst the 94 species he recorded (his fourth, 4 in Lydd). Neighbours of Sean in New Romney, Andy and Maggie
Tebbs who have recently started running a trap, had Small Ranunculus. Few Dark Sword-grass and noctuella.
30th. Barry and Keith had Tree-lichen Beauty at Greatstone and Lydd. Colin had Small Ranunculus in Lydd. Dorothy
had Slender Brindle at Dungeness. Two Langmaid's at Dave's trap at Dungeness and two at Littlestone. The pyrals
suavella at Littlestone and Pete had aridella at Boulderwall. Sprinkling of Maple Pug this last week. We usually record
at least one each year .. about ten dates so far .. including one at Boulderwall on the shingle .. its considered a vagrant
here because of the abscence of the food plant. No great numbers of Silver Y, slightly more Dark-sword Grass, a few
noctuella.
31st. Richard had Tree-lichen Beauty at Greatstone. Barry had Small Scallop (13th a.r.) and Dark Umber (17th a.r.).
Langmaid's at Dungeness and Lydd. Slender Brindle at Littlestone. Few noctuella.