New Toy and a Bumper June Catch

Inspired by Charlie Hamilton James' use of a light box in the Amazon rain forest for some truly stunning macro-photography I decided to invest in a very basic (and fairly cheap) set-up to hopefully improve my moth pics.  I am still limited slightly in my camera and lens but hopefully the results are passable.

After a full week away working in mid-Wales (will be sorting an end of season 'Best of Pics' blogs later), I was very excited to be back home; firstly to see the wife and kids but secondly to get the moth trap out under pretty perfect conditions and snaffle a few additions to my Garden Moth Challenge List (still being processed! - well to be fair its in a notebook!!!)

Trap set, bed and then trap emptied pre-survey this morning and I wasn't disappointed with the catch.

Scores on the doors -

Total Moths Caught - 257 (including 76 Heart and Dart)
Total Species - 39 (would  be more if I was better at catching and ID'ing micros)
New for the Year - 9

Here's a few pics -

Broad-barred White (NFY)

Buff-tip (NFY)

Brace of Buff-tip

Codling Moth (NFY)

Common Emerald (NFY)

Marbled Beauty (NFY)

Middle-barred Minor (NFY)

Turnip Moth (NFY)

Dusky Brocade

Willow Beauty 

Bright-line Brown-eye

Elephant Hawk-moth (1 of 5 caught)

Elephant Hawk-moth