carpe diem ( and seize the night ! )

The storms have made fieldwork either too unpleasant and or dangerous the last few days. Number of trees down in my local wood is alarming. On the bright side I am wandering if this bit of natural coppicing will improve the light in mini sections, which may have a positive effect on increasing the number of species. Every cloud and all that.

Sunday was decent, the sun was out at last, and so was I. However,away from all but the moist sheltered areas the wind kept the temperature just below that point that may have sprung a goody.

I thought there was a real possibility of some Bee, Drone or Hoverfly activity. I lurked with intent in several likely areas but to no avail.

However, I did find 2 new invertebrates and a nice bit of fugi.

Yellow Brain Fungus

Limonia nubeculosa

This is a  Cranefly that sits with its wings closed.

 The other Invert was a Money Spider  ( Walckemaeria acuminata )

Patch pan list toatal up to 137

With the worst of the stormy weather hopefully now behind us, I have been doing some short runs with the moth trap. My one and only moth to date was a …..Northern Winter |Moth on the 3rd January, a lifer.

I had seen a few fellow trappers had had a bit of luck, so on Tuesday I ran my new MV Skinner trap. I was delighted I managed to bag my target species, the lovely Pale Brindled Beauty. Another lifer for me ! They are, especially for a winter moth, pretty darn smart. .As I would have no chance to photograph it in daylight the next day, I was happy to settle for record shot.

Pale Brindled Beauty ( Garden Trap )

Sill, 2 moths by 19^th February is a better start than last year !