More Autumn Moths

A look at more Autumn moths..
So let's start at a look at the last week mothing. A vast decrease in numbers, but good numbers on Wednesday night, with 1 new for garden in the form of a Large Wainscot, and 1 second garden record species, in the form of the Oak Nycteoline.
Another nice species from Wednesday night were 2 Feathered Brindle, which has only two previous records.

Feathered Brindle

The Feathered Brindle is a nationally scarce moth found on the coast in southern counties, and is one of the best marked moths of the autumn. I feel this is my compromise for the lack of any Sallow species (except Barred Sallow, which is a rare autumn moth for me) in the garden.

Next up is an immigrant which I did see while walking the coast path in July, but is an irregular in the garden, and is the Vestal, which, in my opinion, is an odd moth. Claimed to be a geometrid, it rests with it's wings in a tent-like position, and behaves more like a Noctuid than Geometrid (what I mean by this, is that when you put in on a log to photograph, it stays still, and doesn't fly off!)

Vestal

Fairly variable, they can be a fantastic pink in colour, though most are like this one and yellow.

Third moth is a rarity, but spreading, and will soon not be a rarity. I've been lucky enough to manage to toll up the grand total of 3 individuals, 2 this year, and one last year. That moth is the Jersey Mocha. Only recently being recorded in Britain, there have been several more in recent years, and is probably the most boring of the various Mocha species to be honest, but it's nice to get a rarity.

Jersey Mocha - a 'pot shot' because he wouldn't settle down on the log (neither did the other one this year)

And to finish off this batch of 4 Autumn species, I have gone for a Hawk-moth. Now, there are several hawks which are immigrants to Britain, of the ones I've seen, the stunning Oleander, the rather smart Convolvulus, the fantastic Bedstraw, and the impossible-to-photograph-when-active Hummingbird, I've only had two in the garden, Convo and Hummingbird, and only had the Hummingbird recently. Had one in the trap on the 5th September, and one visiting flowers in the morning when checking the traps a few day later. Quite a nice hawk, though much more impressive flying by day, than sleeping moth-trap version.