Tisbury Natural History Society
  • Home
    • About the Society
    • Committee
  • Blog
  • Talks
  • Field trips
  • Young Nature Watch
  • Resources
    • Wildlife identification and recording >
      • Local wildlife >
        • Mammals
      • Identification
      • Recording
    • Other useful websites
    • Reading list
  • Contact us

Blog

Our night watchman reports

22/8/2020

 
Andrew Graham's moth trap never ceases to amaze him with how many there are and what a variety of shape and size there is - and these fabulous (I think) creatures are out there every night and we are hardly aware of them.
I particularly love their names and have wondered how they get them.  Andrew explains some pretty obviously refer to the markings, like Black arches here, or colour like the Rosy footman in the middle. Then there's the plant on which caterpillars feed such as Sallow kitten (love his furry little feet) and there's also an Alder kitten.  Then there's shape - eg the Pebble hook tip below.  (Just click on the photo to enlarge it and read the caption - All Andrew's photos, of course). 

Some refer to when you might see them like the July Highflier. Some refer to people's names or a location or habitat. Others, which I'd love to see, indicate how difficult some are to identify for example: Uncertain, Confused, Anomalous and Suspected. Then some are just plain mystifying like Druid, Exile, Sorcerer or Conformist.  Or indeed - why Small Phoenix?!
Surrounded by countryside, Tisbury is clearly a good place to see moths so any external light is likely to attract them. For this reason, only run a moth trap occasionally and let the moths go as soon as possible in the morning. Also try to ensure the light doesn't disturb the neighbours. 

But all this is by the by. The variety is the thing and since starting to record the moths in his garden back in March, Andrew's identified 160 species of larger moth and there are bound to be more in the years to come

Comments are closed.
    Photo: Avocets ​(Izzy Fry)

    ​The headers display photos taken by our members. Do get in touch via the Contact Form if you'd like to submit a photo for selection.
    Get our website news by email:
    Also go to our pages at:

    Facebook
    Instagram
    Twitter

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018

    Categories

    All
    Birds
    Butterflies & Moths
    Conservation & Biodiversity
    Field Trips
    Film
    Fish
    Focus Magazine
    Fungi
    Identification & Recording
    Insects & Molluscs
    Mammals
    Oysters Coppice
    Plants
    Special Events
    Surveys
    Swifts Project
    Talks
    Trees

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • About the Society
    • Committee
  • Blog
  • Talks
  • Field trips
  • Young Nature Watch
  • Resources
    • Wildlife identification and recording >
      • Local wildlife >
        • Mammals
      • Identification
      • Recording
    • Other useful websites
    • Reading list
  • Contact us