Grampy Bustard: And so it continues....

Monday 21 June 2021

And so it continues....

What with a very poor start to the year weather-wise and a recurrence of health issues, the first six months of the year have just been on hold. However, things have started to improve and a visit to Brafferton VC62 on Wednesday 16th June proved to be one of those purple patch nights, despite having to pack up quickly due to forecast dawn rain showers.

I had my usual MV Robinson in the 'camp' area, 160MVB over sheet in the parking bay and trialled two 5w LED bucket traps dotted in the vegetation on the main track. The two MV produced broadly similar numbers and species with the two LED's pulling in a small number each (still more than not bothering at all.).

A total of 261 of 71 species, so unexceptional numbers, but there were several good micros among the haul. The best was a Pammene ignorata which immediately struck me as significant, and was despatched to Charlie who had gen.det. the three previous Yorkshire records, and this one too was confirmed, also as a first for VC62.

Pammene ignorata

Another moth of interest was a rare moth nationally, and what appears to be only the 2nd record for VC62. This was an Apomyelois bistriatella which has a preference for heathy areas, although this is not a habitat for which Brafferton in known.

Apomyelois bistriatella

The next moth of interest was a fine colourful tortrix moth which I eventually narrowed down to a Gypsonoma oppressana, which even Harry said he had never seen such a colourful version. It was interesting in that I had claimed one from Kilburn, also VC62, back in 2014, a much more typical monochrome specimen, which is also now accepted and becomes a new for VC62 predating a later accepted record.