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July II
July 11th and time to start another page. It was sunny earlier this morning but the rain and dark clouds have once again returned. This year is nothing like last but we should not complain we do have enough rain while many parts of the world have insufficient for their needs. During the sunny spell this morning and just before we left for church we were fortunate enough to see a ringlet butterfly, aphantopus hyperantus, although it was too far away once it settled for me to obtain a photo (the link is to an earlier photo taken last year). However we were luckier with a small skipper, thymelicus sylvestris, which was most obliging and I include a series of photos for which it posed. The books advise me that it must be a male as it has the black streak containing the scent scales.
Having said last week that I would keep a watch on the parasol mushroom in the garden I realised that it is difficult to compare without the original picture on the same page so I have placed it on this page and will place newer photos to see its development as the week goes by.
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9th July 2004 |
11th July 2004 |
12th July |
13th July |
One picture I forgot
was the context in which this mushroom had grown!
I suspect this will be the final entry today but at 4.15 p.m. approx. Pete came in and said there was a large moth down by the pond so I went down immediately to find and unsually sedentary hummingbird hawkmoth, macroglossum stellatarum, on the a dianthus plant in the same pot as the small skipper was on this morning. I think it must be quite an amazing event that twice in 2 days I get to take a photo of this moth when it is still and today I was really able to get close-up and personal. I have informed Brian Goodey of Essex moths so that these sightings of it can be recorded.
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Tuesday, 13th July and having put the moth trap out 2 nights I now have to play catch up. Both nights remained dry but Sunday night was cooler I think. Today the weather is brighter than yesterday and I will probably put it out again tonight as last night and the night before produced several new moths as far as I am concerned. Here are the new ones.
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Dot moth, melanchra persicuriae |
scalloped oak, crocallis elinguaria |
Scarce Footman Eilema complana, note the totally |
Single-dotted Wave Idaea dimidiata |
Swallow prominent, pheosia tremula |
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Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata |
swallow-tailed moth, Ourapteryx sambucaria |
fanfoot, Zanclognatha tarsipennalis |
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Then there were these 2 that I had not shown for a while |
silver-y moth, autographa gamma |
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chinese character, cilix glaucata |
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Sometimes it can take me quite a time to identify the moths that I have photographed and many a time I have had to resort to experts for help.I have had this problem with the following 4 photographs all taken since 5th July.
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Ancylis achatana |
Crambus perlella f. warringtonellu |
Rhyacionia pinicolana |
Smoky wainscot, Mythimna impure |
Please note that the size of the pictures does not reflect the size of the moths as for example the smoky wainscot has a length of approx. 35mm whilst the rhyacionia pinicolana is a mere 10mm or so. They are reproduced so that the delightful variation in form and pattern can be seen. Also note the sheen on the crambus perlella, one of those tiny grass moths that many of us disregard entirely, close to it is a treasure!
July 22nd and whilst it is warm the forecast is for heavy rain so I may not put the moth trap out tonight although I would like to be able to do so since I have not been here to do so since July 18th. On that night and for the previous couple of days we had quite a haul of moths, old and new, especially as I now seem to have mastered the way of placing the egg cartons round the sides that encourage the moths to roost. As there is quite a lot to catch up on I will only included some of the new moths.
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Orchard Ermine, |
tawny-barred angle, |
yellow-tail, |
Small China-mark ,Cataclysta lemnata |
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Phlyctaenia coronata |
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