About time, too!

 Readers of this blog may have sensed my frustration in not catching a particular moth with an element of blue in its wings. That moth is, of course, the once almost legendary Clifden nonpareil. It was Adam Dare who, early last autumn, caught a pristine individual (then as a new county record) at Burry Port and one of his exquisite photographs graced this blog at the time. He was followed by others elsewhere in the county, most notably by Arfon Williams in north Carmarthenshire at his garden near Ffarmers, where he caught a remarkable series of CNPs leading to justified speculation that it may be breeding locally (the caterpillar utilises aspen and other poplars). This year Arfon did not catch such a series - but that was explained by his absence (on holiday) at the time, so it will be interesting what happens next autumn.

In a friendly manner Arfon (and he was n`t the only one!) has been pulling my leg about my Clifden nonpareils which - of course - I had not seen! It had become my `bogey moth` which every `Tom, Dick and Harry` was seemingly catching.

On Wednesday night (or more accurately Thursday morning) that all changed and one turned up at my suburban garden. I had put out two traps, a flat-roof placed mains actinic and the MV in the garden, screened from the former by trees and shrubs. Neither were in ideal positions as both were visually hidden from south-east, a likely source of migrants on that night - at my previous home at Pwll my traps had a clear 180 degree southwards facing location (and no multitude of suburban lights to compete with).

At this time of year, dusk arrives early and the traps were switched on sometime after 7.00pm, and on Wednesday they were checked at intervals until I went to bed at c 10.30pm. I awoke the next morning at 4.00am and checked the traps (without opening them, just what was outside). I then went back to bed until 6.00am, examining the traps again and returned indoors for a light breakfast and to watch the news. 

Soon after dawn, when there was sufficient light, the traps were re-checked with the actinic being first in the queue. It had a very good catch, including migrants (the main motivation for trapping on Wednesday night) and then I walked over to the MV, which had been placed on a garden bench out of the wind for some shelter. I instantly saw a CNP resting on the slats on the back of that bench and rushed back indoors to get a suitably large container. The casual terms `eyes popping out` and `dropping everything` were actually highly appropriate for that occasion and, after successfully (but very nervously potting it up - shaking hands etc), a smirk must have crossed my normally grumpy early morning face. `Wait until I tell that Arfon bloke!`

Anyway, after leaving the moth for about an hour in the fridge photos were taken and it was placid and obliging - some species are `good boys`, others are quite `naughty` and restless when it comes to being photographed. My Clifden nonpareil was quite disheveled and worn and not in any way the smart and dapper individuals that others have caught. To be frank, she (if it was a female) `looked quite rough`, but she was my `belle of the ball`!