Not especially topical but as we are nearing the Small Eggar flight season I thought I would share this photo from last summer.  The larval web was on birch which I have not seen mentioned as a foodplant, though as it was in a mixed hedge it is possible that the larvae were not actually feeding on the plant.

Finally getting some moths !

24th. Clouded Drab 1 Hebrew Character 11 Small Quaker 5 Common Quaker 6 Oak Beauty 1

26th. Early 1 Common Quaker 1 Hebrew Character 15 Oak Beauty 1

Clearly going to be a good year for Hebrew Characters.

First decent catch of the season, 4 hebrew characters, Early grey, Dark Chestnut and an Agonopteric herecliana. Lets hope the warmer weather continues

Minimum temperature 9˚C but very wet and windy around midnight. 18 macros of 4 species: Small Quaker 4, Common Quaker 6, Hebrew Character 7, Clouded Drab 1.

One Emmelina monodactyla and one Agonopterix alstromeriana in the house.

Thanks Paul - sadly it refused to settle on a nice green patch of lichen!

Agonopterix heracliana and Acleris schalleriana the highlights of the weeks trapping in Weston. Macros a bit thin on the ground with only March Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty, Common Quaker and Chestnut recorded. Excellent photo of the literana John.

Caught my first macros of the year last night. Nothing very exciting but nice to see some moths again. One Double-stripe Pug (surprisingly very worn looking), three Common Quaker, one Clouded Drab, an Early Grey and one light Brown Apple Moth.

Friday 11th February was the only other night I've caught moths this year when I had two Agonopterix heracliana which is a new species for my garden.

Not much in the way of macros in the trap this morning (5 Hebrew Character, 6 Common Quaker) but a nice specimen of 1061 Acleris literana, the first I have ever trapped. I found a Dotted Border under the picnic table next to the trap this afternoon.

1061 Acleris literana.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 8 degrees and very wet.

At our actinic light in a window in the early evening before the rain arrived a Red Sword-grass. Only the third we have had here and the first in the spring the previ0us records being in the MV trap in the autumn of 2000 and 2006.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 5 degrees

Six species including a first for the year Shoulder-stripe and two hibernators Satellite and Grey Shoulder-knot.

Four MV traps in the woods for three hours yielded 12 species, including singles of Spring Usher, Red Sword-grass, Small Quaker and Engrailed.

A poor night in the trap with just 4 Hebrew Character. I found an egg-covered Vapourer Moth cocoon on a fence at Monkton Elm garden centre yesterday.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 5 degrees

Four species including, on the grass beside the trap, one wing of an Oak Beauty our first for the year.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 7 degrees and very wet.

Four moths of three species including one Dotted Border our first for the year.

A cold night with minimum temperature 5˚C - Early Moth 1, Dotted Border 1, Hebrew Character 1, Common Quaker 1.

Moths at last - 3 Pale Brindled Beauty, 4 Hebrew Character, 2 Common Quaker and 2 Acleris which I have yet to identify.

Evidence of early migrant activity at Portland Bill - a Dark Sword Grass and a Rush Veneer over the last 2 nights. Here's hoping for a good migrant season!

Five moths of 5 species with Hebrew Character, Common Quaker, Early Moth and Dotted Border as firsts for the year.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 3 degrees

An unusually busy night for the Winter GMS with six species including 4 Pale Brindled Beauties, 5 Early Moths and, a first for the year, a Spring Usher.

My first success on consecutive nights this year.  Two Pale Brindled Beauty and a Dark Chestnut on 8th Feb and a Common Quaker last night.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min Temp 8 degrees

Two firsts for the year in the trap here - a March Moth and a Pale Brindled Beauty also an unusual visitor a Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis.

My first spring moth of the year and the first moth I've seen for a month was a Pale Brindled Beauty in the trap last night.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe - Min temp 7 degrees

Two Early Moths and an Agnopterix.

Whitefield, Wiveliscombe,

Despite the frost our first spring moth a Hebrew Character !

I ran an 8W actinic in Weston woods last night (1st) between 6pm and 10pm. Temperature started at 8C dropping to 6C by 10. Recorded: 5 Chestnut, 4 Winter Moth, 1 Mottled Umber and a Pale Brindled Beauty.