A determined group of over twenty people gathered in the quarry car park, despite the continuing cold weather and clear skies. Before it got dark we were treated to the calls of a Peregrine Falcon, perched high up at the top of the cliffs and there were a scattering of flowering Cowslips in the meadow.
A generator-powered MV moth trap was set up over a sheet and the NLWG portable trap was set up nearby in a sheltered spot. Chris Workman gave a demonstration of how simple it was to set up the trap (though harder when you have a big audience!) and let everyone know that it was available for loan to anyone interested in finding out about moths in their garden or local area.
Steve then led the group around the site at dusk to look for moths in flight over the meadow and in the woodland. A stunningly beautiful, freshly-emerged Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) was netted and a mating pair of Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) were found amongst grasses, beneath a bush. Other invertebrates seen included a small brown lacewing Hemerobius micans and a few millipedes, spiders, harvestmen and woodlice. We also searched using a 365 nm frequency UV torch, which makes many things glow in unexpected ways, including leaves, lichens and some invertebrates. Unfortunately, the cold night gave us little to see, but everyone was able to learn a bit about how these torches can be useful for finding some caterpillars and other invertebrates.
At one point, in a sheltered corner, we were treated to an encounter with a Common Pipistrelle Bat, which everyone was able to see and listen to on our bat-detectors. It too must have been working hard to find insects on such a cold night.
Finally we returned to the lights and found a few dung-flies, a Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta), another Green Carpet and a beautiful, fresh-emerged yellow Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata )had been attracted.
Thanks to all the hardy people who braved the cold to attend the evening and let’s hope our second visit in August finds warmer weather!
Steve Garland