Mothing at The Hidden House, St Margaret's at Cliffe, Tony Morris


Passenger, caught 23/9/2006 (National moth night).

Mothing at St Margaret's

Most of the Moth lists and Photographs are from my garden (TR359450) in the village of St Margaret's at Cliffe in Kent. It is situated about 1Km from the sea and has farmland with in 100 metres. The garden is well shrubbed and about 1600 sq metres. I normally run a 125 MV lamp and a 15W actinic light over-night and once the season gets going a couple of other traps. At the moment both are 25W black Lamps. previously I used a 160W blended lamp in one of them. All traps are home made. Trapping dates refer to the date the trap was put out.

Trap Update in 2017. A new 125W MV Robinson was added to a 125W MV Skinner, 15W Actinic Skinner, two 80W MV Morris modified Skinners and a 80W MVMorris Box trap.
Traps are now (2020 onwards) 2x 125W Robinsons, 2x 80W Skinner type and 1x 15W Actinic strip light on a Skinner type .

I try and identify all the Macro Moths, with the micros I am not at all systematic, I do more than I used to with the help of the new book, but there are some that do get through.


Wednesday, 11 March 2026

Species List for 10/03/2026

 The temperature dropped a bit with a min of 6 deg C. I added to the traps, with the 15W Actinic added to the front garden, but it remained mothless on its first outing of the year. The Pond Garden Robinson had a 125W MV Bulb. There were just seven moths of three species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.24

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

2


73.25

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

1


73.25

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

4





7



Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Species List for 09/03/2026

There were 21 moths of 8 spccies and one NFY, a very early Dark Sword-grass.

 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


45.04

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

2


70.25

Alsophila aescularia

March Moth

1


73.07

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.24

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

2


73.24

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

4


73.25

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

2


73.25

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

8


73.33

Agrotis ipsilon

Dark Sword-grass

1

nfy


Dark Sword-grass

Monday, 9 March 2026

Species List for 08/03/2026

 A coolish day, with quite thick fog until noon and then mist returning i  the evening, gave little hope of many moths. Even so for early March it wasn't bad, with 19 moths of six species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

1


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

9


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

1


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

6



Sunday, 8 March 2026

Species List for 07/03/2026

A cool haz

bight. There were 13 species of  five species, with one NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

1


73.200

Lithophane semibrunnea

Tawny Pinion

1

nfy

73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

5


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

2


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

4


.
Tawny Pinion

Saturday, 7 March 2026

Species List for 06/03/2026

After a cooler dull day and night there were 32 moths, but only four species. 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

2


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

14


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

5


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

11


Species List for 05/03/2026

 Fine warm weather produced, what  I think is the best early march catch I have ever had here. There were 54 moths of 12 species with three NFY.   

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


45.044

Emmelina monodactyla

Common Plume

1

nfy

49.075

Acleris umbrana


1

nfy

70.141

Gymnoscelis rufifasciata

Double-striped Pug

1

nfy

70.245

Alsophila aescularia

March Moth

3


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

2


70.255

Agriopis marginaria

Dotted Border

1


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

3


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

16


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

21


73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

1


.

Acleris umbrana

  

Common Plume

Species List for 04/03/2026

 After a foggy day I was surprised there were any moths, and the arrival of a pearly underwing was a bonus. There were 32 moths of six species with one NFY. 

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

2


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

2


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

7


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

18


73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

2


73.307

Peridroma saucia

Pearly Underwing

1

nfy

.
Pearly Underwing

Species List for 03/03/2026

 Not so warm and dull during the day. There were 13 moths of six species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

2


73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.242

Orthosia incerta

Clouded Drab

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

4


73.250

Anorthoa munda

Twin-spotted Quaker

2


Species List for 02/03/2026

 The much warmer, fine weather, coming from the south, produced a big increase in activity. There were 32 moths of eight species, with three NFY.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


32.018

Agonopterix heracliana


1

nfy

70.245

Alsophila aescularia

March Moth

1

nfy

70.251

Biston strataria

Oak Beauty

1


70.255

Agriopis marginaria

Dotted Border

1

nfy

73.069

Xylocampa areola

Early Grey

1


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

12


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

3


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

12


.
Dotted Border

March Moth

Agonopterix heracliana

Species List for 01/03/2026

 Thre were four moths of three species.

Code

Taxon

Vernacular

Individuals


73.244

Orthosia cerasi

Common Quaker

1


73.245

Orthosia cruda

Small Quaker

1


73.249

Orthosia gothica

Hebrew Character

2


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