Well I hope you all have experienced the huge influx of Migrants. Also hawks everywhere and especially privet hawks seem to have been recorded all over the place. In recent years privet hawks have not been seen so regularly. As I said in my latest sightings my garden due to location, ambient light from street lights is dire for moths. I suppose i should have considered this when I bought the house But it does make me go out which is so necessary in our County. At this time there are only two recorders that regularly go out. That is Mike Ridge and I. This is quite clearly not enough for a county of our size but then going out comes at a cost in time money mileage and above all equipment. There is also risk invloved sometimes just getting on site. No I am not going to tell you all about the middleroom wood fiasco and a huge pile of manure which resulted in me calling out the AA to get me mobile again.

But if there are folk that want to join me going out and or doing your own thing let me know. Phone 01460 61889.

Now for trapping in your garden. This is clearly the most cost effective method of moth recording and the least effort required for the moths recorded. You will end up with a huge very fat bird popualtion. My robin now needs a trolly to get about. But the rewards are great but there are some problems. I give traps out for people to use in their gardens but beware. The Cryer family new to moths encouraged by the inlaws wanted to try mothing. I warned them as new moth'ers that starting up in June might be a bit daunting. So I delivered the trap on Saturday Morning. They put it on at night and then spent the whole day on sunday photograghing the huge collection, masses of unidentified things and even though they got privet, eyed and elephant hawks they were basically overwelmed.  But hopefully they will persevere. They got well in excess of the 48 species they indentified. So well done to them. See what you can do
Another new couple doing so well at the indentification on moths coming to their window is the Barr family from Brompton Ralph. But they were staying up till past the wee small hours waiting for the next moth and getting more tired by the day. So I gave them a home made 6 watt actinic trap. So they set it up but Amanda still had to rush out at 1am in the morning to rescue a privet hawk that had got stuck nose down in the funnel. Oh the joys of mothing. Then the latest from them was a sad tale. So as they would not disturb their young family they took the trap complete with the early morning cup of tea into their bedroom to sort out. If you can't see what's coming well remember that UV light attracts all insects. Yes even spiders. Anyway the first exit from the trap was a huge beetle which is still at large I am told in the Bedroom and Amanda refuses to go in the room until it is removed. Thank goodness we are not in Hornet time. Anyway They are catching some excellant moths and their identification is spectacular so keep up the good work

So if you want a trap to borrow let me know. Best wishes to you all and good hunting let me know what you get and send the records.

Thank you

David