St. Agnes, the most westerly island of the Scilly archipelago, not only offers good birding but is also a superb place for trapping rare migrant moth species.
The week of 11-18th October 2003,
presented a period of ideal weather and the highlights are listed here. The week before we arrived Porter’s Rustic; Radford’s Flame-shoulder; Blair’s Mocha, numerous Convolvulus
hawkmoth and several other good migrants had all been trapped.
We ran a Mercury Vapour Light & Skinner Trap each night from 11th – 16th October. We were located at Troy Town Farm on St. Agnes. The best evenings were 11-13th October with warm
southerly winds, cloud & slight drizzle.
Highlights of the week were –
1 of Death’s Head Hawkmoth;
2 of Convolvulus Hawkmoth;
2 of The Sallow (2nd & 3rd record for St.Agnes);
27 of Scarce-bordered Straw;
1 of Ni Moth (only 6 records on St. Agnes prior to 1997)
1 of Slender-burnished Brass (2 St. Agnes records prior to 1986)
3 of Cosmopolitan (12 records for St. Agnes prior to 1997)
7 off The Gem (status scarce migrant)
3 Palpita vitrealis (status scarce migrant)
Vestal (good numbers)
White Speck (good numbers
Delicate (good numbers)
Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer – good numbers)
1 of Red-veined Darter (Synpetrum fonscolombii)
Selected images below are:-
1) LEFT – Death’s Headhawk Moth; 2) Ni Moth; 3) The Gem; 4) Cosmopolitan
2) RIGHT – 1) Scarce-bordered Straw; 2) Slender-burnished Brass; 3) Vestal; 4) Delicate
