Hexton Chalk Pit Field Trip report - 09/04/14

Last night I was joined by Colin Plant and Roger Prue at Hexton Chalk Pit in probably the most North-westerly part of Hertfordshire as we could get, Bedfordshire was literally just over the road.

We of course were in search of Northern Drab and trying to add another site for this rare moth (Having previously been caught the night before on chalk downland..I was hopeful) But to cut a long story short we didn't find it. Conditions were perfect, calm cloudy and mild for about an hour after dusk then it noticeably got a lot cooler and coats were zipped up and hats adorned! The sky still stayed thick with cloud. At about 11.30pm the sky cleared and it was time to start packing up.

Not a huge amount of moths but a nice variety nevertheless with the bulk of the catch made up of Common Quaker's and Hebrew Character's. 10 examples of Red Chestnut were also nice to see, one that I haven't had in the garden yet.

The micro's were where the interest was with 2 Agonopterix pallorella's turning up near the end of the session, an over-wintering Agonopterix and were actually last seen in the County at this very site...13 years ago in 2001. No doubt there may have been a few more records since? But I will have to enquire.

Another little micro that was new for the year was Scrobipalpa acuminatella, which was narrowed down to the early flight season, it was so fresh and very shiny.

All in all a lovely site, quite compact and easy to set-up traps once you have traversed the 45 degree climb into the pit!

Catch Report - Hexton Chalk Pit - 09/04/14 - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap, 1x 160w MBT Robinson Trap and 1x 80w Actinic Trap

Lights run from 8.00pm until 12.00am

Macro Moths

28x Common Quaker 2x Double-striped Pug 2x Water Carpet 14x Hebrew Character 2x Purple Thorn 4x Nut-tree Tussock 10x Red Chestnut 1x Early Thorn 1x Waved Umber 5x Clouded Drab 1x Small Quaker 1x Chestnut

Micro Moths

1x Agonopterix pallorella [NEW!] 1x Scrobipalpa acuminatella 1x Agonopterix alstromeriana