Sunday 15 August 2010

Rare moth maybe


I'm not sure what this is but if it is either large or Feathered Ranunculus or Black Banded it would be a first for Orkney. I'm probably making an elementary mistake but .... and I was, the orange dots as Stewart has pointed out are mites, still trying to ID this.


Also this which all I can think is that it is some strangely coloured July Highflyer? Help please. Manchester Treble-bar - thanks Stewart.+


Viewing The Shunan from the garden I didn't actually go down there as it looked rather quiet and I had a raised bed to construct. The midges made a meal of me but the morning was enlivend by the moths. Willow Warbler called briefly, and was glimpsed and there was a little mepit vismig with a Reed Bunting brought down by late morning rain.


In the afternoon we went to Yesnaby where I had a brief but clear view of a Minke Whale quite close inshore and I photographed a Bonxie.

5 comments:

Stewart said...

Alastair the unidentified moth is Manchester Treble Bar. The top one is covered in horrible mites, urgh. Not sure what it is though...

Alastair said...

Stewart,
Thank you, Manchester Treble-bar is not especially common here, I've just mailed the county recorder so we'll find out how uncommon. Good call, a quick look with a hand lens and the mites were revealed. I'll look at the moth without thinking it has orange dots on it now ...

AndyC said...

Man treble bar and pale Mottled Willow for me.???

Alastair said...

Andy,

Thank you, yes it looks good for 2389 Pale Mottled Willow, the mites got me confused and then I just couldn't sort it.

Alastair said...

Just picked up a mail from the county recorder who agrees with the Pale Mottled Willow and notes that they invariably have mites on them. Also Manchester Treble-bar is more common here than I thought, if I were to trap on the moorland behind us I'd probably catch a few.