Common Newts and Moth Update

I managed to take a few photos this morning of a newt that was lurking in the shallower water at the pond edge.

Common/Smooth Newt



And a cropped version of the above photo



There was lots of newt activity again last night - we counted 14 individuals. Plenty of courtship behaviour with the males moving their tails from side to side to try and attract a female.


Moth Update

Despite a minimum temperature of 6.6 degrees centigrade (with the temperature ranging between 15.2 and 6.6 degrees centigrade) there were only 3 moths in the trap this morning.

I did manage to trap a wasp - in 18 months of moth trapping this is the first wasp I have caught! Luckily it was very dozy so I risked getting up close for a photo before it eventually warmed up and flew off.



There was also a Black Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus humator) (a burying beetle) hidden away in the crevices of an egg box. I catch loads of these.



Summary of Moth Trapping Session Friday, 8th April, 2011

8.00 p.m. until dawn

15w Actinic Skinner Trap

1 x Hebrew Character
1 x Early Grey
1 x Common Quaker

Number of species seen in the garden in 2011 remains at 9 - I don't think I shall be breaking any records this year!