It's only a kilometer, or so, to the trap site from the car and it's more or less level - that is to say, it goes up and down like a switchback, but ends at about the same elevation. That short distance took me half an hour, through heather interspersed with boggy flushes and over a couple of ridges. That's not too bad, I think, but it took 45 minutes on the return journey in the dark, checking the compass every few yards.....
At the trap site, I found that cold wind was funneling down the ravine far more strongly than I had expected and this dissuaded most of the most interesting mountain macromoths from attending. Disappointing. This meant that moth of the night was, in fact, a micro! I can count the number of times I've said that on the hands of one arm!
The macros included Dark Brocades, Brown Rustics, Purple Bar, Broom Moths and, not surprisingly, dozens of:
True Lover's Knot
Fairly common on the hill: Narrow-winged Pug
And this magnificent Pleurota bicostella!
Addendum:
Brown Rustic
Dark Brocade
The trap was run from 22:30 until 01:00. Arrived home at 02:15.
I love your P.bicostella Steve, what a striking moth!
ReplyDeleteYou need an apprentice to help you with your expeditions into the wild, Steve. Can't you recruit one locally?
ReplyDeleteYou'll do! And bring a pack horse!
ReplyDeleteI can manage the horse, but as for me - you have to add a few years to your 70!
ReplyDeleteWell, bring two horses; you can ride the second one!
ReplyDeleteMy wife has flatly refused to lend me her horses, and somehow I doubt whether my MGB will cope with the terrain. Oh well!
DeleteReally well done Steve - full marks and the pack horses are on the way! `Cowboy Joe Clarke` can then really search the hills for moths.
ReplyDeleteThe Pleurota bicostella is a cracking find - I seem to recall that it was Sam who first recorded it as a Carms species about a decade ago; a moth that I`ve not seen, but would love to.