Crambus lathoniellus proved to be common in the long grass at both sites visited today.
With the car in the shop being sorted out ahead of our summer holidays I was released into the neighbourhood on a glorious sunny day. With my net in hand and a few hours to spare I did not waste any time in getting to nearby Petersberg. The micromoths here were fascinating and included my first Crambus lathoniellus, Cochylis dubitana and the stunning Nemophora degeerella. Birds here included a few singing reed and marsh warblers and a single grey wagtail.
Crossing the road I checked out the Makadamfabriken, an old quarry that I thought might have potential for Lepidoptera. I was not wrong and over the next few hours the moths and butterflies just kept on coming. It was nice to see some fresh painted ladies here but the big shock came when I discovered a tiny colony of small blues clinging to the grassland at the top of the quarry. Also here more new moths in the shape of cinnabar black-veined moth, yellow shell and the micromoth Crambus pratella. Birds here included a five long-tailed tits, a pair of little ringed plovers and perhaps 25 active sand martin burrows. An epic session.
Nemophora degeerella - just stunning.
Cochylis dubitana was new for me too today at Petersberg.
The quarry was amazing for invertebrates. First up was the first BK cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae), one of three or four during the session here.
Another new moth - the yellow shell (Camptogramma bilineata). New for BK too.
The grassland at the top of the quarry was home to a small colony of black-veined moth (Siona lineata). New for BK...
The biggest surprise in the quarry though was the discovery of BK's first colony of small blues (Cupido minimus).
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