Flies, flies flies

are not the thing you'd normally want associated with a hospital but this summer there have been an exceptional number of butter-flies in the grounds of Scarborough hospital. Fabulous sights and a great tribute to the hospital gardeners - well done lads!

Small Tortoiseshell

Green-veined White

Large White

Painted Lady

The Big Guys

Several new macromoths over the past couple of days including this big and very beautiful Garden Tiger. Its Latin name is Arctia caja. Arctia meaning bear and caja a beautiful Roman lady's name. The bear comes from the hairy larvae - the woolly bears of childhood.

The Common Footman. Eilema lurideola. Eilema meaning veil from the way the moth wraps its wings around its body. Lurideola from luridus as in pale yellow.

The Drinker - named for the larvae which it is believed like to drink the morning dew.

Poplar Grey - it's larvae like to feed on poplar leaves.

Pinion-streaked Snout. Often mistaken for a micromoth. Schrankia costaestrigalis. Schrankia after a german entomologist von Schrank author of one of the most important works on taxonomy. Costaestriglais from costa (anterior margin of the wing) and striga a streak.

An very local species in Yorskhire - the Blackneck. We were very lucky to trap it. There was only one record in 2007.

Another local species the Clouded Magpie. Found on a buddleia leaf beside the trap and a timely reminder to check the vegetation close to the trapping site as well as the trap contents.

A Festival of Insects

We were at York Museum on Satruday with Butterfly Conservation Yorkshire Branch at the Insect Festival - a celebration of every creepy crawly (except spiders) known to man. There were butterflies, moths, ladybirds, beetles, dragonflies, wasps, weevils and many more. I was hoarse by the time we finished - more than 500 people attended and I think we spoke to most of them! This is Lee with David Baker the branch chairman.

And talking of insects lets start with a small moth (wingspan 11-15mm) with a huge name it's Pseudargyrotoza conwagana. It is a colourful creature.

A Barred Red in the hand is worth none in the trap!

This humpty moth is a Coxcomb Prominent. I can sort of see where the name comes from!

Lovely Swallow-tailed Moth. Fabulous to watch these glide around the garden.

Eye eye

Eyed Hawk-moth fabulous creature that it is. I tried to be gentle and tickle its abdomen with grass as suggested for getting it to display its eyes but it wasn't having any!

I've been waiting for a Herald all year. Such fabulous moths supposedly the herald of spring but just look at the flames on its wings - amazing!

A walk across Fylingdales Moor was incredible.

Not only was there breath taking scenery but there were literally hundreds of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries on the heather.

To infinity and beyond...

or in this case a walk around Deepdale, the sea cut and the garden!

Six-spot Burnet in Deepdale - there were several in amongst the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries.

Eyeing them up for lunch was a Common Lizard

The Common Blues we saw were all very blue and male. No females were seen at all.
Meanwhile back along the sea cut Painted Ladies were still present

Along with very fresh Small Tortoiseshells

and in the back Garden our old friend Brock posed for the paparazzi.

So many moths so little time.....

We are currently half way through two weeks annual leave and have been able to trap every night without having to rush off to work the following morning. I'm glad we are because the past seven days have seen so many species emerging giving us both new for year and new for garden records in abundance.

Double Square-spot

Small Yellow Wave

One of my favourites the Burnished Brass

Common Wainscot - I always find the Wainscots difficult to separate but apparently the new version of Skinner has a full page on exactly that - must invest in a copy!!!

I love the delicate colouring of the Clay.

Cream Wave

This could be a Rustic - but then again it's Uncertain!!!

Oi Big Nose! It can only be a Snout :o)

New for the garden this year a Knot Grass

Y oh Y

First up a Silver Y, first one this year and another migratory moth. This one looks a bit battered after the journey. While they don't often come to the light, they do like to feed on the Red Valerian in the garden and can often been seen buzzing around it in the evning.

We move on to a not too distant relative with slightly more bling! This is the Beautiful Golden Y. Though it's Y is more of a V with a dot.

This is a Map-winged Swift. It's larvae live underground and feed on the roots of Bracken.

We've been waiting for our first Elephant Hawk-moth to arrive and were glad to see this beautiful creature with it's stunning pattination. It's a chunky chap with a wingspan of 45-60mm.

Here he is fending of the paparazzi by beating his wings ready for a vertical take off.

At last a grass moth! Chrysoteuchia culmella with the googliest eyes of any moth. This photograph belies its 20mm wingspan.

A Mottled Beauty - and a very fresh specimen at that.

This is a Purple Clay, I can't help but want to break into that Prince song every time one graces the trap. Purple Clay, Purple Clay....

This fine creature is a Green Arches.It's colour gives it great camouflage for hiding on mosses or lichens on tree trunks. It's quite a big moth with a wingspan of around 50mm.

And last but not least -is it me or is this Buff Ermine a prime contender for the best moustache in Britain competition :o)