Like many of you, I've had large numbers of Setaceous Hebrew Characters this year, peaking at 190 on 31st. August. I was away from home for a while, and numbers are now decreasing, down to 31 on 27th, and 13 last night. I have been slightly concerned about the shortage of Large Yellow Underwings this year, until I found masses of wings in one of our outbuildings - all in a line along the doorway. I suspect bats!!! I imagine a LYU would be an excellent snack for one of our locals - we get Pips, Brown Long-eareds and Noctules here. Within the last week, I have recorded Orange & Centre-barred Sallows, a Lilac Beauty, a Bordered Beauty, and the usual Autumnal line-up including Beaded Chestnut, Black Rustic, Frosted Orange, and a couple of Mallows. The Lunar Underwings are still in short supply, with numbers down very low after three wet summers - I was getting literally hundreds a night in 2006, but since then never more than 20/30 - this year so far maximum 10. I suppose that if we can get a drier Summer, they will recover.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 11 degrees

Last night we had 22 species in the trap including another moth that we have not seen in the last two years - a Pearly Underwing and also a first for 2009 - a Beaded Chestnut.  A neighbour brought in a handsome brown furry caterpillar with red and white markings that was feeding in her flower-bed.  Reference to the excellent photo in Chris Manleys new book "British Moths & Butterflies" made it clear that it is a Knot Grass.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 11 degrees

We were pleased to get last night a Large Wainscot which we have not seen since 2006 and we only recorded 13 before that.

A cool and clear night on Friday predictably depressed the number of moths caught. However I did have a well marked Noctuid that I didn't recognise and I was pleased to identify it as my first Autumnal Rustic. According to Mapmate this is the first record for ST41 since 1992 and it looks as if it is an unusual sighting for this part of the county.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - min temp 9 degrees

The two National Moth nights produced nothing special here - unless one considers the continuation of the remarkable success this year of the Setaceous Hebrew Character [we had 77 and 44 on the two nights] noteworthy.  Last night we had 33 species including a Brindled Green, A. alstromeriana, Dark Spectacle and a Dark Arches which Mapmate regards as late.  We also had the first red Centre-barred Sallow we have had in the ten years in which we have regularly taken the usual yellow specimens.  The photo in Manlys new book is helpful.

An excellent night last night with good numbers of all the common species with the exception of Lunar Underwing. Highlights were my first Pale Eggar since 2000, my second Hedge Rustic and 8 Light Emerald.

Despite the very windy weather last night I had a suprisingly sucessful catch this morning with 5 new species for the year including a garden first. The first was a Hedge Rustic and the new ones for the year were a very early Mottled Umber, Large Ranunculus, Pink Barred Sallow and Pearly Underwing.
I am also catching many more Setacious Hebrew Characters than Large Yellow Underwings but that is normally the case here. The total score for the last 3 trappings has been 448 Setacious to only 68 Large Yellow.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe

Autumn species are starting to appear including Pink-barred Sallow, Lunar Underwing, Autumnal Rustic and Black Rustic.  A remarkable feature of the catch over the last six weeks has been that we have frequently been taking more than twice as many Setacous Hebrew Characters (50 to 150 per night) than we have Large Yellow Underwings.  Last night we had Olindia schumacherana which we usually get in September as well as in the summer though the books regard this as late.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 17 degrees

You are right Ian ! The results have been dire for the last few weeks but last night gave us hope for better things to come with Centre-barred Sallow, Sallow, a late Maidens Blush and a Heath Rustic - only our fifth record here.

Having been away on holiday for a couple of weeks I looked on the website on my return to see what had been happening. Judging by the lack of entries the answer was very little. I have since trapped on two occasions and have been struck by the sameness of the catch. The only two new species I have caught since my last trapping in early August are Frosted Orange and White-point. The latter moth must be resident around here as this is the 4th year in a row that I have seen it.

Apologies again - it turns out that the date has to be Thursday 3rd December!

I will write to those members who don't have computers/email in the next day or so.

Nesletter, AGM details and paperwork will be sent out in the first week of October. I'm unavailable until then.

It is officially autumn. I had my first Rosy Rustic, Black Rustic and Frosted Orange today. Also caught Dark Swordgrass, Centre-barred Sallow and a Rush Veneer.