Sunday 21 July 2013

Another offering of moths

This weekend our moth trap produced some more beauties
Pride of place has to be this Pine hawkmoth, which is a very unusual moth for Staffordshire

Pine hawkmoth Hyloicus pinastri



But I don't just get excited by the unusual, I also like moths for their beauty and we had some more new delights too, including this beautiful large emerald




 
and this yellow-tail


  so why is it called a yellow-tail? ....






Tuesday 16 July 2013

What a poser!!!

This cute drinker moth deserved a post on here all to itself, quite happy perched on finger preening itself and posing for it's photo session. I hadn't realised quite how intricate moths antennae could be until I started photographing them - just amazing!

drinker moth  - Euthrix potatoria

drinker moth  - Euthrix potatoria

Saturday 13 July 2013

Butterflies, caterpillar, bee and hoverflies


small skipper

ringlet


peacock caterpillar


I still have to get to grips with bees and hover flies
so no names for these two

 

but I have been given the names for these
Eristalis interruptus

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Buff arches

This has to be one of my favourite garden moths so far, not quite so in your face as the stunning garden tiger but it has amazing markings - we have flint gravel in our garden and if it had flown onto the gravel we would never have found it again!
Buff arches






Sunday 7 July 2013

new moth for us in our garden - A stunning Garden Tiger

We only started recording moths in our garden last year and our list is steadily growing. This weekend we gained several more new ones to add to it - this is just one of them - more to share later.
Garden tiger





Friday 5 July 2013

cobwebs before sunrise

I woke at 4am today, so I got up early. The moth trap was still on and would be emptied later - some more new beauties in there today - will share  a few of them later.



The mist was hanging over the common and the sun was yet to rise






dew covered cobwebs were everywhere







and then the sun rose





and it was time for my morning cuppa!



before photographing the moth beauties

large skipper

This large skipper was the only butterfly that chose to stop by our garden while I sat outside yesterday - so pleased it did as it is the first one I have seen this year!