Moth Target No. 2: Mottled & Grey and Not Where I Say!

For those who didn't guess, my 2nd target species for 2014 is Mottled Grey, a widespread geometrid, of chalk downlands and heathland, but, like most spring species, it is lacking from my "list".


So a group of us were meeting up at a known site for Barred Tooth-striped, where it has been recorded before, but hadn't for a few years. They had their target (which was sort of mine), and I had mine: The Mottled Grey. I did note it had been recorded on the site before, so I was hopeful. I had planned to see MG at Blackdown, either by disturbing it by day, or netting after dark, but hadn't had the weather or time to do either.
Anyway, we had a fairly strong south easterly wind, but it was warm. The day had many butterflies on the wing, though I only managed four species (not that there's much else than those four): Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell. Also some nice beetles, including an Black Oil Beetle.

Black Oil Beetle

So anyway, we gathered on this known site and went to explore the site, looking for Wild Privet & Ash where the Barred Tooth-striped may be present. We were split in 3, two groups of two, and a group of 4, to cover as much ground as possible.

My group (of me and one other), were apparently giving the worst side, as I heard calls of "a geometrid the right size, but it got away", "an Engrailed" and "Water Carpet". We had one micro, a Depressaria daucella, which I didn't net; all I managed to find were two ticks, about every single gorse, hawthorn, bramble and blackthorn bush on the site, and a Longhorn Beetle (which was nice I suppose).
Anyway, we walked down the hill a bit, and we approached a large area of bushes. We decided to split up here, and almost immediately a moth flew past me. I did manage to net and pot it, and to my delight, I had what I believed to be a Mottled Grey (turned out to be an Early Tooth-striped, which I can confess I did misidentify, as it was smaller than the ones I have seen in before (only had experience with 2 before, both much larger with more distinct markings), and then two minutes later (after struggling through another bramble bush), I netted a second moth, an Acleris schalleriana this time.
I didn't see any other moths (except one, which got away), until I met with my other group member. He had an extra moth with him (along with the micro), and this one was a Mottled Grey, as confirmed by the county recorder later, so that then was my target done. We did a little more netting, and missing, and getting stabbed by plants, until we came across another member (from the 4 member "team" (I say team like it was a competition, which it wasn't (or at least we won't admit it was!)), who had a Water Carpet in his net, which was new for me two, so my second new species of the evening.

Water Carpet - new for me and a nice species.

Mottled Grey - My Target Species

So we decided to head on back to where we saw some Wild Privet and Ash earlier, on the way netting some Shoulder Stripes, which were nice, a lovely species which I've only seem on one occasion before. One the way there, my "team" member potted a geometrid from a hawthorn branch.
This was it! We had finally found Barred Tooth-striped! I noted some Wild Privet a few meters from the branch it was found at, and so everyone gathered round to view the rare moth!

Barred Tooth-striped - Nationally Scarce A

We managed to get a total of about 12 species or so, of which I saw 10, with 3 new species for me, plus my target species! And while I didn't net the BTS, my "teammate" did, so we sort of won??



Anyway, we all went our ways home, until the next time!

Moth Target No.1 - New House, New Rules

Haven't put a post up for a loooong time, but I have moved house since.. Well that's my excuse anyway!

Anyway, gave myself 10 target species for 2014, but I won't tell you what they are (just in case I fail to get them) :-/

Anyway, managed one already. In my old house (which was in the middle of town), I had very few good moths in Spring, but now I'm a little out of the way, maybe I'll manage to get some of those much needed Spring moths?

Anyhow, only had the trap out for a couple of hours on 2 nights so far, the first, in mid-Feb, produced 2 moths, with Dark Chestnut being new for me (but not my target), along with a rather fresh Hebrew Character.
The second trap was last night for 4 hours, first thing was a Double-striped Pug flapping about before I turned the trap on.
The trap silently hummed on, and when I checked it about 1/2 an hour later, a small moth flitted past, Agonopterix alstromeriana, which is my second of this species, since I had one at farmland in 2012. A little later, an Early Thorn and a Hebrew Character turned up, followed by a second species which is new for me, the tortix Acleris schalleriana, which was nice. It was soon that I'd have to put the trap away (shan't be long till the whole night sessions are, once I get to know the neighbours a little better), so I checked the eggboxes on the outside, producing the first Common Quaker of the year, followed (this disappeared by the next time I checked about 1/2 an hour later, but there were 4 inside the trap, so I presume it left the outside box and went in).
As I turned over the last eggbox on the outside, a massive moth sat in front of me! (well not that massive, but hey), it was my first target species of 2014, and a lovely moth besides. The fantastic Oak Beauty. Was very pleased indeed.

Male Oak Beauty